by Geoffrey D. Campbell, Save The Bay Volunteer
I volunteer at Save The Bay. Since I joined the team in May, I’ve helped to clean up beaches and parks, attached “no dumping” markers to storm drains, and worked several shifts at the front desk of the Hamilton Family Aquarium. On July 19, I will join a phalanx of volunteers who will be managing, among other duties, parking at the old Newport Grand, all part of the 48th Save The Bay Swim.
The Spring Issue of Tides chronicled the critical role volunteerism plays at Save The Bay (STB) in the Cover Story, The Ripple Effect: How Volunteers Help Save the Bay. In it, all of the potential roles volunteers can play are described in detail. I recommend it to you. Here, I am excited to add my perspective as one volunteer with a few thoughts about volunteering for Save The Bay.
First, a little context. I am a former educator and administrator who, after five tries, finally retired. Anyone who has experienced the work-retirement transition knows that, to some degree, the ease of the transition depends on the satisfaction with whatever takes its place. Of course, only a portion of the volunteers are retirees; part of the attraction to STB is its multi-generational makeup of staff and volunteers. Families with kids of all ages, high schoolers earning community service credit, college students interning, and every other segment of the generational spectrum make STB a great place to volunteer. Here are a few more reasons I recommend volunteering for Save The Bay and the Hamilton Family Aquarium.
A variety of opportunities
Whether you see yourself as an events planner, teacher, advocate, naturalist, or ecologist, your interests will find a match in the jobs available at STB. Following orientation and training, and each time you engage, you will be prepared, reminded, and thanked. Your effort in hours and financial impact are tracked for you to see, along with your calendar of upcoming “needs”. The result naturally encourages signing up for the next thing!
A Professional Organization
As a Save The Bay and Hamilton Family Aquarium volunteer, you will be an insider. Emails will alert you to programs, events, and procedural changes, as well as expectations, and always offer you an opportunity to ask questions. The organization’s leadership helps volunteers to feel essential to the organization’s operation. Trust is expected, and a level of professionalism is evident in all interactions with staff and volunteers. It is a great place to work!
Shared Values
I have always found it to be true that it’s easy to work with people who care about something bigger than themselves. The people I meet at Save The Bay care about Narragansett Bay and about what the community learns and understands about the Bay. Whether they are behind-the-scenes aquarists, members, visitors coming into the aquarium to see the latest animals in recovery, or volunteers ready to do their part, they are passionate about the underlying purpose of Save The Bay. If you are environmentally minded and concerned about what your generation will leave for the next, then you may share its values. In the words of Executive Director Topher Hamblett, “At its core, Save The Bay is an advocacy organization of volunteers whose love of Narragansett Bay inspires them to take action and protect it and leave it healthier for future generations.”
The Satisfaction of Giving Back
For me, volunteering has always been a matter of mutual self-interest. I give, and I need what I receive in return. Leaving a shoreline cleaner than you found it, hearing a child’s “thank you” after they have chosen a “prize” for finding all of the animals on the clipboard, recognition from staff, and even the data feedback from your volunteer dashboard, fit together in completing the circle of giving and receiving. If any of the reasons expressed here resonate with you, then I recommend taking the next step.
Beginning is Easy
If you are interested in exploring volunteer roles at STB, please visit the volunteer page. There, you will find information on how to create an account, explore youth volunteering, team signup, and specific volunteer programs, such as Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium, among others.
The attention to detail in every aspect of the organization’s running, including the exceptional staff, is a chief reason I joined the team. July Lewis, Volunteer and Internship Manager, is an excellent introduction to the remarkable staff members I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with. Please consider joining me to make Save The Bay your volunteer home too!