The NEW Magnuson Nature Docent Program!

The Magnuson Nature Docent program is designed to provide a variety of ongoing volunteer opportunities for adults who want to assist in growing and strengthening Magnuson Community Center's nature programs, and make them more sustainable.

Docents can choose from these options:

• Help lead nature education programs for children or families, with weekday or Saturday choices.
• Provide "behind-the-scenes" support by helping maintain program supplies and work on new program curriculum.
  
• Help steward the beautiful Bird-Friendly Landscape or the fabulous Children's Garden & P-Patch vegetable plot.

Or any combination of the above!

FREE training is provided so volunteers are well-prepared for all the fun, and all ages are welcome. The volunteer opportunities also qualify for service-learning credit at local schools.

If you are a King County Master Gardener or a Native Plant Steward, your hours will count towards your volunteer commitment to these organizations too.

Here are detailed descriptions of each type of opportunity:

1. Assist with hands-on nature activities during Magnuson Field Trips. These 90-min weekday adventures for children ages 4-9 (and their teachers) take place in the Magnuson Wetlands, Children's Garden, or the Bird-friendly Landscape and surrounding historic district. Each includes experiential learning about the birds, insects, plants, and animals that make their home in Magnuson Park, plus stewardship activities to improve the habitat for all, making these field trips a fun and educational adventure!

Morning field trip shift is 9:30am-12:00pm, afternoon shift is 12:00pm-2:30pm

Spring Schedule: each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during the month of May.
Summer Schedule: each Thursday during the month of August.
Fall Schedule: each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during the last two weeks of September.

2. Assist with hands-on activities during Family Wetland Walks or Nighttime Nature Walks. These popular 60-min adventures take place in the Magnuson Wetlands once a month from April to November. Spring and fall walks are on Saturday mornings, and summer walks are on Friday evenings. It's delightful to guide and witness a family's excitement upon seeing tadpoles and tree frogs, barn owls and bats, and understanding how the native plants and other habitat features of the wetlands and surrounding park areas provide what they need to thrive.

3. Assist with hands-on activities during Jr. Nature Explorers camps and classes, or helping with behind-the-scenes preparation. Now entering its 7th year, this is a vibrant program that guides children ages 4-9 in making a strong connection to many aspects of the natural world, and it continues to expand in response to demand.

4. Provide "behind-the-scenes" support. We have a large amount of supplies for field trips and nature walks, classes and camps. Helping keep them well-organized and in good condition is an important part of our program sustainability, most of the work can be done according to your schedule, and some can even be done from the comfort of your home.

5. Help provide stewardship for the community center's Bird-friendly Landscape, a backyard-sized demonstration garden which is filled with native plants and home to many species of native songbirds. With increased cuts to the Seattle Parks Dept budget resulting in less grounds crew staff to do more work, volunteer stewards are very much needed, and will make a huge difference in keeping this beautiful landscape sustainable and educational. Here are the 3 tasks involved:

• We need volunteer groups who want to help with simple garden maintenance tasks such as weeding and mulching, and will provide them with tools, gloves, and other supplies needed. We also need experienced gardeners and birders to help guide these small groups of enthusiastic volunteers!
  
• Recording your bird observations. We would like to have a record of the names and numbers of the birds and other wildlife (such as Tree Frogs) that visit the landscape while stewards are gardening, so we can track the ongoing success of the landscape habitat. We will provide you with a wildlife checklist and ID guides.
• Cleaning out 3 nest boxes once a year, typically in the fall. We have 2 small Chickadee nest boxes which have both been used during the past few years, and one large Barn Owl nest box which we are very optimistic will be used this year since the owls have already been active in nearby park areas this winter. We will provide you with all the tools and gloves you'll need, and all the boxes can be cleaned without standing on a ladder.
  

Much more info on this vibrant, volunteer-built project is posted at www.birdfriendlylandscape.blogspot.com

6. Help provide stewardship of the Magnuson Children's Garden and Jr. Nature Explorers P-patch plot. The Children's Garden is an exciting, half-acre oasis that was designed by local children to contain a wide variety of fragrant, touchable, and colorful plants, along with plenty of whimsy. The Jr. Nature Explorers P-patch plot is a 300 sq. ft. vegetable garden that is a mainstay for our field trips and camps. Both have been stewarded by volunteers for their entire history, and are in need of experienced gardeners to help guide small but enthusiastic volunteer groups. We would welcome your help in continuing this legacy. Visit www.magnusonchildrensgarden.blogspot.com for more info

Please contact me at jrnatureexplorers@gmail.com if you are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities listed above. I'll be glad to talk with you personally about whatever docent role you feel would suit you the most!