Get Involved

Links/URLs on this page last checked 4/14/24.

Refer to (indicated Date/Page in) Democrat Gazette for more info on the following:
4/14/24 pg 1A - 75 hours of community service are required for state public school students who will graduate in 2027. Such community service will hopefully install in students a life-time-interest in public/community service.

Community Service Opportunities: The information below is periodically updated. [Last update: 6/15/22] Go to the indicated web sites for changes or the latest updates.

 

Volunteer (Sierra Club - Arkansas)

We're always looking for volunteers to help us out with events and getting the word out. We can use people with many different sets of skills, let us know what you can do and we'll let you know how you can help. If you're interested in volunteering with the Arkansas Sierra Club or you would like some more information on a specific environmental issue in the state, please contact: Sierra Club, P.O. Box 1158, North Little Rock, AR 72115
or check the About Us > Contact Us page for more information. .....or attend a Central Arkansas Group meeting (see Home page) and ask how you can help.

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regional Volunteer Opportunities - Arkansas

The following organizations/web sites/information are not sponsored nor administered by the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club has no information about the planning of these organizations and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of the information. They are published only as a reader service because they may be of interest to the readers of this publication. This listing is an incomplete selection of web sites that will likely be changed from time to time. At this time, URLs are provided for most sites rather than direct links. 

Audubon Arkansas and Fourche Creek

Example of a past volunteer opportunity: 3/11/2017 - Help us clear a path to a cleaner creek! - For the annual City Wide Cleanup, the Friends of Fourche Creek will be at Interstate Park - 3900 S. Arch St, Little Rock 72206, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. The focus this time will be trail blazing into Fourche Bottoms to provide access for trash cleanups as well as recreation. Fourche Bottoms offers 1800 acres of beautiful bottomland forest. With your help, more people will be able to see it for themselves! - Vinyl gloves, t-shirts, water, and snacks provided. BYO work gloves, boots or waders, water bottle, and trail clearing tool such as clippers, loppers, or a hoe to help remove vegetation. Sponsored by Arkansas Audubon

For info on other volunteer opportunities, go to http://ar.audubon.org/fourche-creek

Master Gardeners

The Master Gardeners has organizations - associated with the UofA Extension Service - in perhaps half the counties in the state. New members go through 40 hours of training, then must perform 40 hours of volunteer work the first year, additional volunteer work in succeeding years. Members commonly perform volunteer work around a city hall, courthouse, or library.

Master Naturalists

(updated 1/1/24) - The Arkansas Master Naturalists (AMN) have a half-dozen chapters around the state. New members go through 40 hours of training (commonly on Saturdays between January and April), then must perform 40 hours of volunteer work each year to maintain certification. Members commonly perform volunteer work in state and local parks. For more information, go to: https://arkansasmasternaturalists.org/

Arkansas Master Naturalists Chapters:

Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (CAMN) - Little Rock area
Diamond Lakes Arkansas Master Naturalists (DLAMN) - Hot Springs area
Foothills (of) Arkansas Master Naturalists (FAMN) - Russellville-Conway-Clinton
North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (NCAMN) - Bull Shoals area
Northeast Arkansas Master Naturalists (NEAMN) - Jonesboro area
Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists (NWAMN) - Fayetteville area

Arkansas State Parks

Contact the Volunteer Coordinator at a state park to learn of volunteer possibilities.  For more information, check the state parks web site at www.arkansasstateparks.com/events      

Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

Volunteer Opportunities
http://www.naturalheritage.com/Get-Involved/volunteer
Stewardship
removing trash, cleaning and monitoring for vandalism/graffiti
maintaining entrance sign, parking area, and trail, clearing access routes
controlling invasive plant species, restoring habitat (shrub, mid-story, cedar control)
data entry
Research
photo monitoring of habitat enhancements at Natural Areas
imaging herbarium slides, mounting plant specimens
monitoring of rare species, assisting with data management of rare species information
Information and Education
tagging and organizing digital image files
updating lesson plans to correlate with educational frameworks

Monarch Butterfly Preservation

"Monarch butterfly populations are declining due to loss of habitat. To assure a future for monarchs, conservation and restoration of milkweeds needs to become a national priority." (Chip Taylor, Director, Monarch Watch) ...To find out how you can help, go to www.MonarchWatch.org  

Intern Positions at Elephant Sanctuary

Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit [IRS 501(C)(3) EIN-71-0694957] home for elephants needing one for any reason. This is the only internationally recognized sanctuary that accepts any elephant regardless of species, gender, or disposition. The Sanctuary is located in Quitman in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in 330 acres of beautiful Arkansas countryside.

Internships offer an opportunity for animal people of various experience and interest to apply for a position as an Elephant Care Intern. Under professional guidance, the successful applicants will work with African and Asian Elephants of both genders and various ages. The Internship begins on a one-month basis, with a possible extension. Accommodation in a modern dormitory is offered, and the use of kitchen facilities is supplied. Applicants are requested to pay a $100 Internship fee. Spaces are limited and applicants need to be at least 18 years of age. For more info (or more updated info), go to http://www.elephantsanctuary.org/   NOTE: As of 2/12/21, linked web site is "under construction". 1/1/24 update: Web site is still under construction.

Conway Ecofest

2018 - October 6, 11 am - 4 pm - Conway Ecofest

2018 was the 10th anniversary of Ecofest - and apparently the last Ecofest until further notice. For more information, go to http://www.conwayecofest.com/  

Little Rock – Volunteers for Boards and Commissions  

Applications for all Boards and Commissions can now be submitted at any time, whether or not there are current vacancies. For more information, go to https://www.littlerock.gov/city-administration/city-boards-and-commissions/       

Intern Positions at White House

In the past, deadline to apply were as indicated:
2019 Spring – Apply by 8/24/2018
2019 Fall - Apply by 5/3/2019
2020 Spring - Apply by 8/23/2019
2020 Summer - Apply by 1/10/2020

www.whitehouse.gov/participate/internships/    

Intern Positions with Senators/Congressmen

Our Arkansas Senators and Congressmen are looking for students (who have completed two years of college) to apply for positions as interns. Positions are commonly for six weeks either in Washington or at offices in Arkansas. All internships are unpaid and candidates who are chosen are responsible for paying their travel and living expenses. For more (or more up-to-date) information, go to the web sites indicated below.

Senator John Boozman - http://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/internships 

In the past, deadline to apply were as indicated:
Spring Session: Mid-January to early May
Summer Session 1: Late May to late June - Deadline to apply: 2/1
Summer Session 2: Early July to early-August - Deadline to apply: 2/1
Fall Session: Mid-August to early December 

Senator Tom Cotton - http://www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=internships

Internships are available for fall, spring, and summer in the Washington D.C. and Arkansas offices.

CONGRESSMEN

AR 1st District - Rick Crawford - http://crawford.house.gov/    

AR 2nd District - French Hill - https://hill.house.gov/constituent-services/internships.htm

AR 3rd District - Steve Womack - http://womack.house.gov/constituentservices/internships.htm

AR 4th District - Bruce Westerman - https://westerman.house.gov/services/internships/

  

Intern Positions with the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General

All internships are unpaid and candidates who are chosen are responsible for paying their travel and living expenses. For more information, go to: the web site indicated below.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders
4/15/24 is deadline to apply for Summer positions - https://governor.arkansas.gov/online-services/

Lt. Governor Leslie Rutledge
4/15/24 is deadline to apply for Summer positions; 7/15/24 for Fall/Winter positions -   https://www.ltgovernor.arkansas.gov/internship-program/application/

Attorney General Tim Griffin - http://arkansasag.gov/office/internship-program/

Former Attorney General Rutledge: "Internships offer students a fulfilling learning opportunity and a look into the real-world job market,”  “Interns at the Attorney General’s office will have the chance to work with some of the top lawyers and professionals in the State. Students will learn exactly what it means to work in public service and to serve the people of Arkansas.

Building a Stronger Sierra Club: It Starts With Us

One of the great things about the Sierra Club is our long, solid history of being a volunteer-driven organization. From the time that John Muir founded Sierra Club in 1892 to the present day, volunteers make up the elected leadership across the country and make decisions about our environmental campaigns. Staff takes our direction from volunteers—I’m proud to be the director of the Arkansas Sierra Club, and to work directly for our thousands of members to make Arkansas a better place.

Here in Arkansas, your Sierra Club chapter has been officially chartered since the early 1980s. Volunteer members like you have led our efforts to protect our air, our water, our forests, and our special places. Our members have terrific stories to tell. Maybe you helped to protect the Buffalo River and get it designated as our country’s first national river. Or you were part of the group standing up against clear-cutting our forests. You may have attended rallies to stop the pollution of Lake Maumelle, or testified in favor of clean energy legislation at the Capitol. Did you stand up against dirty coal pollution? I might have seen you helping community members in Mayflower stand up against ExxonMobil after last year’s tar sands oil spill. Over the years, thousands of Arkansas Sierra Club members have found countless ways to contribute to the cause and help make us the state’s most active environmental protection organization.

In 2014, your Arkansas Sierra Club continues to fight the good fight. For example, we are supporting efforts to double the state’s energy efficiency goals for utilities—ensuring that Arkansans both save energy and money while also cutting down on pollution. We are fighting back against pollution from dirty coal-fired power plants in our region that contribute to the degradation of our environment and our health. Finally, we are already beginning to prepare for the upcoming legislative session in an effort to promote solid environmental legislation and push back against bills that hurt The Natural State.

I invite you to be part of the Arkansas Sierra Club’s legacy of environmental leadership and activism. We have volunteer activities that can fit your schedule—everything from testifying before government bodies, to writing letters to the editor, to calling your elected officials, to leading hikes and float trips, to tabling for Sierra Club at festivals. We need you. Arkansas needs you. Contact your local Sierra Club group leader, or contact me at glen.hooks@sierraclub.org or 501-301-8280.

Thank you for your membership, and thank you for all that you do to protect Arkansas. Let’s get to work.

Glen Hooks, Sierra Club - Arkansas Chapter Director - June 2, 2014     [TOP] 

Note: Above information is dated several years ago but the information is still current.

Volunteers at an Earth Day event:

[photo of volunteers at Earth Day Event]

 

Past Volunteer Opportunities

Keep Little Rock Beautiful Cleanup

3/12/16 - 8 am to noon -  Volunteers Volunteers for Interstate Park or Fourche Creek can e-mail info@klrb.org with their names or group names and the number of people planning to participate. Volunteers are also encouraged to organize cleanups in their neighborhoods. Groups that want to register other cleanup sites should obtain an application from info@klrb.org and submit the completed application by Feb. 15. For more info, check page 2B of the Sunday 1/17/16 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Report: More than 100 volunteers removed six tons of trash and two tons of tires from 75 acres surrounding Fourche Creek. For more info, check page 2B of the Sunday 3/20/16 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Past Volunteer Possibiities

10/17 Sa - LR - Lake Maumelle Watershed - Central Arkansas Water is sponsoring a Community Waste Drop-Off at the Sleepy Hollow Boat Launch, west of the Lake Maumelle on Hwy. 10, from 8:30 am to noon. The drive-through, waste drop-off location will allow watershed residents to safely and easily dispose of electronic-waste, tires, recycling, and other waste. The location will be unable to accept televisions or glass. This event is held in conjunction with an annual Lake Maumelle shoreline cleanup.

The following State Parks are organizing Fall (2015) cleanup days on the dates indicated. For more information, check the state parks web site at www.arkansasstateparks.com/events or go to ar.gov and select Visitors > State Parks > Events
9/12 Sa - Bull Shoals-White River, Mammoth Spring, Village Creek, Devil's Den, Toltec Mounds Archeological
9/19 Sa - DeGray Lake Resort, Pinnacle Mountain
9/26 Sa - Petit Jean, Lake Dardanelle, Prairie Grove Battlefield, White Oak Lake

Little Rock Property Survey - 9/8 - 9/12 - Little Rock is looking for volunteers to help with a downtown historic property survey. Anyone with a tablet or smartphone is encouraged to volunteer. Training will be provided. For more information: Check online at surveymonkey.com/s/LittleRockFieldSurvey or contact Emilie Evans at 202-413-3424 or refer to article in Aug. 16 Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette page 2B.

Great American Cleanup - Great Arkansas Cleanup - Keep Little Rock Beautiful is seeking volunteers to sign up to participate in this year's city-wide cleanup day scheduled for March. Forms (e-mail info@klrb) are due by Feb. 14. ...See Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 1/11/15 page 2B for more info. ...or go to http://keeparkansasbeautiful.com/

Audubon Arkansas (AA) Sponsors Fourche Creek Clean Up

Friends of Fourche Creek are cleaning up Little Rock's most important waterways.

Saturday, March 14 From 8 am until 12 noon - AA needs involvement of local community groups and interested individuals in the planning process and ground work. For more information and to schedule a presentation for your organization, contact Dr. Dan Scheiman, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Arkansas at dscheiman@audubon.org or 501-244-2229.     [TOP]