Volunteer Resources

On this page:

1. Volunteer Forms and Duty Statements
2. Volunteer Handbook and Emergency Contact
3. New Volunteer Trainings and Orientations – Zoom Recordings
4. New Volunteer Covid 19 protocol
5. Volunteer Zoom meetings during Covid.
6. State Parks Better Impact Volunteer Portal/Record your hours.
7. Volunteer Manuals and Other Resources
8. Program Resources
9. Articles and Videos
10. Training for Stewards administration only
11.  Chainsaw Safety.  Supervised Ground Work Only

1.  Volunteer Forms and Duty Statements

  Volunteers must sign and return these forms to Amelia Schall in order to resume volunteers in State Parks

• Click here to access all Volunteer Forms and Duty Statements

2.  Volunteer Handbook and Emergency Contact

• Volunteer Handbook
• Emergency, Medical Care, and Animal Disturbance Reporting Contact Information

3.  New Volunteer Trainings and Orientations – Zoom Recordings

• New Volunteer Orientation 2023
• The Art of Interpretation with David Berman, for outdoor educators and others 9.12.2023
• Sonoma Coast Volunteering videos, March 2023 – (Pt. 1, 2, 3 & 4)
  • 1. Suzanne Olyarnik, PhD, Director, Bodega Marine Reserve and Outgoing Co-Chair, Sonoma MPA Collaborative: Bodega Marine Reserve and Laboratory; Sonoma MPA Collaborative.
  • 2. Paul Hobi, Manager Seabird Protection Network, NOAA National Marine Sancturaries: Greater Farallones Marine Sanctuary; Seabird Protection Network; Reporting Wildlife Disturbances 
  • 3. Leisyka Parrott, Manager, CA Coastal National Monument, Bureau of Land Management: California ROCKS! A closer look at the CCNM 
  • 4. Phil Warren, The Marine Mammal Center: Marine Mammal Stranding
• Pinniped Monitoring Volunteer Training (Video) 2.23.2023
• Seal Watch Volunteer Training (Video) 2024
• Seal Watch Volunteer Training (Video) 2023
• Seal Watch Volunteer Training PDF 2023
• Tidepool Volunteer Training – Roving Docent (Video) 2.18.2023

2022

• Sonoma Coast – Community Education Seminar March 8, 2022 – (Pt. 1, 2 & 3)
  • 1. Marine Mammal Center (Phil Warren)
  • 2. Whale (Dis)entanglement (Ryan Berger)
  • 3. Bodega Marine Reserve and MPAs (Suzanne Olyarnik) 
• Marine Mammal Seminar and Seal Watch Training February 19, 2022
• Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Courses 2022 and MPA Docent Training Frequently Asked Questions
• New Volunteer Orientation January 29, 2022
• New Volunteer Orientation July 23, 2022
• Seabird Monitoring Orientation March 15, 2022
• Tidepool Volunteer Orientation Training February 26, 2022

2021

• Docent Training with Save the Redwoods League’s Deborah Zierten 2021
• Fire Walk with Environmental Scientist, Brendan O’Neil  April 19, 2021
• General Volunteer Orientation August 28, 2021.
• General Volunteer Orientation transcript chat from  August 28, 2021
• General Volunteer Orientation May 15, 2021
• General Volunteer Orientation February 13, 2021
• Interpretation Session with State Park Interpreter Michelle Levesque, February 13, 2021
• Marine Mammal Seminar with Dr. Sarah Allen – February 20, 2021
• Outdoor Ethics with Bill Nay. March 5, 2021
• Seal Watch Training February 20, 2021
• Volunteer Meeting, after Walbridge Fire – For Volunteers, September 15, 2020
• Whale Entanglement Response May 14, 2021 with Jack Barkowski and Dick Ogg
• Whale Watch Training November 13, 2021

4.  New Volunteer Covid-19 Protocols

• Citizen Science and Public Education Protocols PDF (Seal Watch, Whale Watch, Seabird and Pinniped Monitoring)
• Stewardship/Trail Crew Protocols PDF
• Visitor Center Protocols – 7/4/20 PDF update
  

5.  Volunteer Zoom Meetings during Covid-19

• Citizen Science Zoom Meeting minutes (recording unavailable)
• Environmental Education Volunteer Meeting on May 5, 2020 at 1pm (Recording)
• Environmental Education Programs Volunteer Minutes on 5.5.20
• Pinniped Monitoring Training June 23, 2020
• Pond Farm Volunteer Meeting minutes available upon request
• Programs Committee Meeting minutes – June 9, 2020
• Recording for Walk/Hike Volunteer Meeting on 5.7.20
• Roving/Patrol Volunteer Meeting on 5.12.20 – recording
• Seal/Whale Watch Volunteer Meeting Minutes on 5.7.20
• Seal/Whale Watch Volunteer Meeting on 5.7.20 – recording
• Special Event Volunteer Meeting on 5.14.20 – recording
• Trail Crew Volunteer Meeting on 5.13.20 – recording
• Visitor Center Volunteer Meeting Minutes from April 30, 2020
• Visitor Center Volunteer Meeting minutes – June 3, 2020
• Visitor Center Volunteer Meeting recording – June 3, 2020
• Visitor Center Volunteer Meeting – July 1, 2020
• Walk/Hike Volunteer Meeting Minutes on 5.7.20

6.  State Parks Better Impacts Volunteer Portal

Volunteer Better Impact Guides for tracking Volunteer Hours – Contact Amelia Schall for help.
The following two resources developed by Stewards and State Park staff should be helpful when navigating the Better Impact System:

• Better Impact – sign in, sign up
• My Volunteer Page – record your volunteer hours
• How to Create Your Profile OR Complete the Online Volunteer Application – YouTube
• How to Log In & How to Find Features in Your Better Impact Profile – YouTube
• How to Log Hours – YouTube

State Park Guides

• State Park Better Impact Signup Guide
• State Park Better Impact Volunteer Manual

7.  Volunteer Manuals and Other Resources

Please be advised that our Docent manuals are out of date but there is still some very good information included in them. We will be updating these resources in the coming months.

ALL PROGRAMS

• Bear in Mind Training:
  • 1 Bear in Mind Workbook for Staff & Volunteers – 2023 compressed.pdf – Google Drive
  • 2 Bear in Mind – Workbook Activity Answer Key  2023.pdf – Google Drive
  • 3 Bear in Mind – Test to Be the Best – 2023.pdf – Google Drive
  • State Parks Volunteer Handbook
• Armstrong Redwoods Docents
  • Activities for Younger Visitors
  • Armstrong Redwoods Docent Manual
  • FAQ and Walbridge Fire information
  • Geology 101 for Stewards Docents
    
  • Interpretive Activities for Armstrong Redwoods Docents
  • Information Cards for Docents
    • Features Cards: Basic
    • Features Cards: Advanced
    • Organism Cards: Basic
    • Organism Cards: Advanced

• • New Docent Training materials:
    • A Crash Course in Interpretation
    • Leading Tours
    • Next Steps and Resources

• • Tools for Docents:
    • Carry Cards
    • Spotter Cards
    • Tree and Fern Keys

• Climate Steward Syllabus – University of California 2022
• Environmental Living Program Docent Manual
• Jenner Visitor Center Docent Manual
• Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Docent Manual
• Pond Farm Docent Manual
• Seabird Volunteer Manual
• Seal Watch Docent Manual
• Tidepool Docent Manual
• Watershed Docent Manual
• Whale Watch Docent Manual
• Willow Creek Docent Manual

8.  Program Resources

• Alpha Codes for Bird Species
• Armstrong Redwoods Fire Ecology Brochure
• Armstrong Redwoods Reopening FAQ
• California Coastal Monument – Bill Stanley
• California Pinniped Guide
• Cobra 2-Way Radio Manual
• Disturbance_Report_Slides_2020
• Dogs on Coastal Beaches – Jeffrey Smith – updated 11.5.21
• Drones: District Superintendents Order on Drones
• Drones: Banning Drones in Sonoma/Mendocino State Parks – Superintendent’s Order 2020
• Emergency Checklist – Ranger Tim Murphy – 2019
• Lifeguard Safety Video
• Marine Mammals – Dr. Sarah Allen 80 page PDF presentation – 2019
• Marine Mammals of Central CA – Dr. Sarah Allen 130 page PDF Presentation
• Marine Mammal Center PDF presentation – Phil Warren – 2019
• MPA Outreach Education Guide
• MPA – Russian River SMCA
• MPA – Russian River SMRMA
• National Marine Sanctuary and Seabird Protection Network Presentation – Sage Tezak
• Pinnipeds and Cetacean Presentation – Jazzy Dinger
• Report Wildlife Crimes – 2019
• Seabird Protection Network – Paul Hobi – 2019
• Seabirds of the Sonoma Coast Presentation – Hollis Bewley
• Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District Redwood Interpretation Master Plan
• Speaking with the Public Reminders – Alex Weseloh (State Park Peace Officer)
• Tidepool – low tide -1.2 July 2, 2023 by A. Durica
• Viola adunca/Western Dog Violet and Myrtle’s Silverspot Butterfly – Where to find March through June

9.  Articles and Video

• Armstrong Redwoods
• “Austin Creek Campsites Now a Click Away” by Derek Moore, The Press Democrat
• Bodega Rock 5.23.2023 video by Stewards Seabird Watch Docents.
• California Marine Protected Areas
• Fishing and Marine Protected Areas
• Fire: Austin Creek after the Walbridge Fire, November 5, 2020
• Ice Age Bay Area video: Quest’s TV story, Ice Age Bay Area, premiered on KQED on Tuesday, November 11, 2007. The story is based in part on Breck Parkman’s paleoenvironmental research of the San Francisco Bay area. Breck participated in two day’s of filming with the Quest crew, including a bit at Sunset Rocks.
• Kashia Pomo Tribal Traditions
• Land Management: A Public Perspective, with Sarah Reid
• MPA: Why do we need Marine Protected Areas?
• Oral History: David Steward
• Oral History: Gail Steele
• Oral History: Peder Hegland
• Pond Farm: Marguerite Wildenhain
• Pond Farm: Marguerite Wildenhain by Rollie Younger
• “Rubbing Rocks, Vernal Pools, and the First Californians: Pursuing the Rancholabrean Hypothesis” by E. Breck Parkman, Senior State Archaeologist
• Sonoma Coast: Blue Eyed Grass
• Sonoma Coast: California Hedgenettle
• Sonoma Coast: Exploring the Tidepools
• Sonoma Coast: Seaside Daisy and Buckwheat, with Laura Morgan and Peter Warner
• Sonoma Coast: Seaside Lunch Hour with Father Nayture
• Sonoma Coast: Sea Stars at North Salmon Creek
• Sonoma Coast: Tidepool Safety: Three Point Stance
• Tidepool: At a Snail’s Pace – the distribution of a common Pacific Coast sea snail explains the underlying logic of the universe.
• Whales in Baja Aldolfo Lopez February 4, 2018
• Wildflowers: Armstrong Spring Flowers

10.  Training for Stewards Administration only

• Better Impact Training for administration only 2023

11.  Chainsaw Safety. Supervised Ground Work Only.

• Chainsaw Safety – video for supervised ground work only.  Watch before attending a live chainsaw training demonstration.  Courtesy of Antiphony Life.