Volunteer

10 Hours

Complete the onboarding package

Learn about the invasive species council, watch a webinar, join the Facebook group, etc. 

1–5 Hours

Create a self-development plan

Identify your values, use those values to create goals, build timelines to describe how you will achieve those goals and use our volunteer program to help you complete your timeline. Having trouble starting? Connect with your facilitator for a self-development plan template and tips for your first draft.

2 Hours / Webinar

Watch a webinar

Visit ISCBC’s event page for upcoming webinars or watch recorded webinars in ISCBC’s webinar gallery.

1–4 Hours

Identify neighbourhood plants

Grab a plant ID book or download an app and start learning the basics of identifying plants! This includes names of plant features and seasonality. Record plant observations in your neighbourhood. 

1–4 Hours

Participate in a bioblitz

A bioblitz is a communal citizen science effort meant to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible. Ask your facilitator how to get started or checkout this online Bioblitz Guide for more info!

1–4 Hours

Connect with your local community

Research local communities and organizations who are taking action against invasive species. Learn about what’s already being done near you, and think about how you can learn from and build on the work that is happening! Hint: your local municipality website is a great place to start.

10–25 Hours

Neighbourhood nature inventory

Start exploring your nearby greenspaces – a park, stream or even your backyard! Identify the surrounding plants, animals, and insects in your neighbourhood, measure their abundance. Keep record of the various species and continue to monitor to find out how the biodiversity or ecosystem around you is everchanging.

2 Hours

Learn about the Species at Risk Act

How does the Species at Risk Act work? Explore the list of species that are included in the act in British Columbia. If you’re looking to work in the environmental sector, this is something that often arises in interviews and screening processes. Check out the Species at Risk Act.

1+ Hours

Check out the ISCBC volunteer reading list

Calling all bookworms! Did you know that the ISCBC has a book club? Send your facilitator some of you top environmental book recommendations and find out how you can get involved in growing and sharing your knowledge with other volunteers!

1+ Hours

Global invasives

Invasive species wreak havoc not just in BC but worldwide! Look up an invasive species in another country and share the info on social media or with the ISCBC volunteer Facebook group.

1+ Hours

BC Abroad

Did you know species native to BC may be invasive in another region? Find one and share on social media or with the ISCBC volunteer Facebook group!

2–4 Hours

Host a discussion group

Pick a topic of interest and do some background research. Identify current issues (example: the impacts of herbicides on bees) and invite people to debate or discuss this idea. Capture the discussion as best you can and send the summary to your facilitator for next steps!

2–4 Hours

Connect with a professional

Identify a topic that you want to learn more about and reach out to a facilitator for next steps. This is your chance to get connected with an expert in the field, learn more about the field you are interested in and how it can apply to your community service.

4–5 Hours

Become Plantwise!

Read about our Plantwise program and discover how you can prevent the spread of invasive species in your own backyard. Share your newfound knowledge with friends and family so that they too can become Plantwise and help reduce the spread!

20+ Hours

Local park stewardship

Start by identifying a local park that needs attention. Reach out to your facilitator for guidance on planning:

1. how to perform a nature inventory
2. creating a proposal for your parks board
3. how to work in the park effectively and safely
4. how to recruit more volunteers to help you
5. how to document and share the work you’ve completed.

20+ Hours

Apply for a microgrant

Talk to your facilitator about how you can use your stewardship project to apply for a government microgrant!

20+ Hours

Neighbourhood garbage pickup

Start by identifying a local space that needs attention. Reach out to your facilitator for guidance on planning:

1. how to adhere to the rules of your municipality
2. how to get safety equipment including gloves, trash bags, etc.
3. how to recruit more volunteers to help you
4. how to document and share the work you’ve completed.

Other project ideas?
Connect with us!

We are excited to hear what kinds of community service projects you are interested in pursuing and how we can help get you started today. Connect with your facilitator to learn more.

2–6 Hours

Create an invasive species info sheet

Design a document that helps people identify an invasive species and provides recommendations for what to do if you encounter the species. Use online programs like Photoshop and Canva, or take a stab at freehand!

4+ HOURS

Build a plant press

Create your own plant press! By preserving plants, we can help conserve plant biodiversity and expand our plant identification knowledge. To get started, checkout our “Plants Under Pressure” how-to video to get started!

3+ Hours

Reflect

Grab a paper and pen and start writing out a personal reflection. Focus on any past experiences you’ve had with habitat conservation, what motivated you and the impact that you were able to make. If you’re comfortable, share with your facilitator! Reflections help you understand yourself better and prepare yourself for future action.

2–6 Hours

Design a colouring sheet

Design an invasive or Indigenous species colouring sheet for children to enjoy. Need some inspiration? Checkout our current gallery of colouring sheets and other educational resources to get your creative juices flowing.

1–5 Hours

Design an invasive-free garden for your local area

Enjoy gardening? Research your local growing conditions, read up on our Plantwise program and start designing your very own invasive free garden!

1–5 Hours

Make an invasive species poster

Design an engaging poster that educates people about an invasive species issues in your area.

1–20 Hours

Neighbourhood map

Describe the location of different features in your neighbourhood. This can be artistic or scientific. A nature inventory can help you make a more accurate map and you can share this with your volunteer team to help others identify their neighbourhood ecological features.

5+ Hours

Get cooking

Did you know you can eat your weeds? Share an invasives recipe with the volunteer team, friends and family. Check out Eat the Invaders for ideas!

2–7 Hours

Create a scavenger hunt

Plan a route through your neighbourhood that includes native and invasive plants. Create clues to help people locate the plants. Hide small indicators (like a painted stone) at each stop. Promote the scavenger hunt to your neighbours or the community.

2–5 Hours

Write an invasive species song

Use musical expression to communicate your knowledge of invasive species.

2–5 Hours

Write a nature poem

Flex your creativity and express yourself.

1 Hour

Write a “Volunteer Spotlight”

Do you know of a fellow volunteer who has been going above and beyond to make a difference in their community? Write a paragraph describing who this volunteer is, how they have gone the extra mile and why they should be recognized – and don’t forget to include some of their recent activities for context. Send this to your facilitator when you’re done!

20+ HourS

Make a herbarium

Pick, identify and press a number of plants (invasive and natural) in your area to keep as an identification tool.

10+ HourS

Create a live video

Ask your facilitator if you can film a Facebook Live event for our social media, or provide some ideas for a live video that focuses on invasive species education.

1 Hour

Share invasive species info on social media

Write a post that inspires action about an invasive species in your area. Share with the ISCBC volunteer Facebook group or on your own social media (but don’t forget to tag us!).

3 Hours

Become a blog post contributor

Write about a project, an outreach event or impacts of an invasive species and we’ll post it on ISCBC’s Volunteer Voice!

5+ Hours

Start your own blog

Start your own blog, posting about topics that are important to you. Reach out to your facilitators for tips on how to get started.

3+ Hours

Join our Newsletter Committee

Interested in building your communications and project management skills? Join our Newsletter Committee and help us distribute important information and opportunities to our volunteers across the province.  

3+ Hours

Join our Social Media Committee

Are you a whiz with smartphone technology? Have a knack for writing sharp, witty captions? Contact your facilitator to join our Social Media Committee and start sharing your digital media knowledge. 

5+ Hours

Paint invasives

Grab your brushes and started painting. Checkout our past webinars on “The Art of Painting Botanicals” to get started!

5+ Hours

Start a podcast

Love to talk? Start your own podcast on invasives or other conservation topics that are important to you. This is a great way to share your knowledge and get creative while doing it. 

5+ Hours

Get crafty

Help protect your environment by getting crafty with zero waste, environmentally friendly projects such as beeswax wraps and fabric bags! Ask your facilitator for more info and how to get started.

3+ Hours

Write a story

Put your writing skills to the test and start writing your own narrative surrounding the theme of environmental conservation. 

1 Hour

Make a bee bath

Improve your community and local habitats by making a bee bath!

10+ Hour

Plant propagation for planting

Read this article to learn how to grow your own plants from clippings!

1–2 Hours

Report invasive species

Download the Report Invasives app and go looking for invasive species to report in your neighbourhood.

1 Hour

Become a community scientist

Download a community science app and use it to make observations.

4–10 Hours

Start a vermicomposter

Make a worm bucket. Adopt some pet worms and feed them food scraps to reduce your carbon footprint and receive rich organic compost for your garden.

2–8 Hours

Plan an interpretive walk

Select a local area of interest. Identify natural features you’d like to highlight. Work with a youth facilitator and plan a nature walk for your fellow volunteers!

2–8 Hours

Invasive weed pull

Spend the day identifying and removing invasive species at a local park or recreation site.

3–8 Hours

Garbage clean-up

Identify a local area near you that needs some love. Grab some trash bags, gloves, a mask and get cleaning!