Volunteers are at the very heart of the Forest Service. As traditional funding decreases and demands on national forests and grasslands increase, volunteers play a critical role in the Forest Service's motto of "Caring for the Land and Serving People." They allow the Forest Service to accomplish more tasks while they get a chance to make a difference. If your unit is going to build and maintain a volunteer program, it must recognize that successfully doing so take times and people.

Investing in Your Program

Volunteers donate thousands of hours every year to the Forest Service. Their service is invaluable. They enable the Forest Service to accomplish a wide range of professional work, resource projects, research and development projects, and interpretive programs. A common misperception, however, is that because volunteers are not paid, they are free labor. This is far from the truth. In our interviews with coordinators, we asked, "What advice would you give to new coordinators?" The answer was always the same, "Volunteers are no free lunch."

To have a safe, productive, and thriving volunteer program, you have to invest considerable time, energy, and resources. Before you decide to build a volunteer program on your unit, be prepared to make this commitment.

The Importance of the Volunteer Coordinator

Once your unit has decided to build a volunteer program, the first step is to hire or designate an employee to be the volunteer coordinator (figure 7). The employees we interviewed stressed that the forest, station, or district has to invest in a volunteer coordinator. And not just in name only. Coordinators with successful programs need time to run their programs and can't be overloaded with collateral duties.

Figure 7—The deputy forest supervisor, the volunteer
coordinator, and volunteers (left to right) attend the official
ribbon cutting at the Monkey Creek Bridge dedication, to
reopen the Sopchoppy section of the Florida Trail.
Courtesy of Sandra Friend, Florida Trail Association

To have a successful volunteer program, you must invest money in staff salaries, project materials, tools, training, personal protective equipment, vehicles, reimbursements, and awards. It also takes time to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers (figure 8). This time may be spent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but will probably involve some evenings and weekends. Many volunteers serve during the week and can only volunteer on weekends. As a coordinator, volunteers will expect you to attend their club meetings and host evening or weekend training sessions. Volunteers will also need guidance and direction to build a strong relationship with you and a commitment to the Forest Service.

Figure 8—Ouachita Baptist University students assist
with fish sampling as part of the mission of the Forest
Service NatureWatch program: "To provide children and
adults the opportunity to safely view, and participate
in, activities and programs that raise their level of
awareness and understanding of wildlife, fish, and
plants, and their connection to ecosystems, landscapes,
and people." Courtesy of Dr. Jim Taylor,
Ouachita National Forest

One of the points emphasized by successful coordinators is not taking on more than you can handle. Carefully examine how much time you have to oversee a volunteer program and don't go beyond that. In instances where coordinators have taken on more than they could handle, they lost control over their programs, resulting in low volunteer morale, unauthorized work, poor quality service, and injuries.

Despite the money and energy it takes to run a volunteer program, most coordinators love working with volunteers and feel their programs are worth the time and cost.