Volunteer Opportunities
Many of Connecticut's wildlife conservation programs are dependent on the assistance of volunteers. Please browse the descriptions below and contact us if you would like more information on getting involved.
Chimney Watch is a regional initiative as a result of Connecticut's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy to more thoroughly assess the chimney swift population in Connecticut. Chimney swifts are often found foraging for insects over towns, cities, and rivers. Although we do not know how abundant these birds were during the precolonial period, chimney swifts have been common breeders in Connecticut through the 19th and into the 20th century. Historically, in autumn, chimney swifts gathered in enormous flocks around large chimneys before migration. Currently, this species appears to be declining, possibly as a result of fewer chimneys with broad openings and other characteristics suitable for nesting swifts. In order to understand and reverse recent declines in chimney swifts, the Wildlife Division is identifying and monitoring nesting and roosting locations in Connnecticut. This data will be used towards understanding how current building practices may be affecting chimney swift populations in the state.
Chimney Swift Watch Brochure (PDF 2mb)
What’s Involved?
Monitoring Your Own Chimney: The Wildlife Division is requesting reports from property owners who have chimney swifts in their chimneys.
Reminder! If you are Summer Swift Lord, and you have been using your fireplace through the winter and plan to have your chimney swept, please remember to sweep it in late March, before the birds return.
Chimney Swift Nest Monitoring Guide (PDF)
Monitoring Roosting Locations: The Wildlife Division would like to know about any active chimney swift roosts that you may encounter. You can distinguish between a nesting chimney and a roosting chimney by the number of birds. Roosting chimneys have more than 10 birds.
Look for a Chimney Swift Roost in Your Neighborhood (PDF)
2013 Volunteer Roost Monitoring Underway!
Site monitors are counting the number of chimney swifts that enter roost chimneys in the evening at sunset. Birds are being counted at least twice a week from May through September. A night of monitoring usually starts about 20 minutes before sunset and lasts, on average, just under an hour.
Volunteers are monitoring the following Chimney Swift Roosting sites during the 2013 season:
• East Windsor Middle School, Broad Brook (East Windsor)
• Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Falls Village
• St. Joseph's Church and School, Meriden
• New Hartford Elementary School, New Hartford
• Center Elementary School, Oxford
• Center School, Thomaston
• Tootin Hills Elementary School, West Simsbury
• Various locations in Willimantic
• Mitchell School, Woodbury
• Farmington High School, Farmington
• Governor's Foot Guard Armory, 159 High St, Hartford
Weekly update of Chimney Swift Roost Counts
Chimney Swift Roost Counts started in mid-April 2013 and are being updated weekly:
Current Weekly Update (PDF)Who to Contact:
Shannon Kearney, DEEP Wildlife Division, Sessions Woods WMA, PO Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013; 860-675-8130. Email: shannon.kearney@ct.gov
For More Information:To learn more about chimney swift research and monitoring efforts, read the following articles from the Wildlife Division's bimonthly magazine,
Connecticut Wildlife.
Chimney Swift Conservation Night On July 1!
Willibrew is for the Birds! It’s Chimney Swift Conservation Night at the Willimantic Brewery (Main St Café) on Monday, July 1. Join swift researchers from CT DEEP and UConn for a wonderful meal, specialty brews, and the spectacle of hundreds of chimney swifts “tornadoing” into one of the largest summer chimney swift roosts in CT! Come see the Windham Town Hall roost and the Nathan Hale roost spectacle and learn why Willimantic is so important to chimney swifts. In addition to learning all about swifts and enjoying a great dining experience, we’ll be tapping a specially brewed beer, Flying Cigar Ale. A portion of the proceeds from each one sold will be donated to the chimney swift conservation effort. So, come enjoy a lovely night at the Willimantic Brewery and help raise money for a great cause!
DEEP and UConn researchers will be at the brewery starting at 6:00 PM. "Showtime" for the swifts is typically 20 minutes before sunset to about 30 minutes after sundown (approximately 8:30 PM). Make sure you leave enough time to enjoy a truly fabulous menu and specialty brews before the spectacle. Dinner reservations are recommended for this special event -- call 860-423-6777. The Willimantic Brewery is located at 967 Main Street in Willimantic.
The Night Bird Callback Survey Project is part of a statewide initiative to more thoroughly assess the nocturnal avian species that breed in Connecticut. This project is important due to the lack of information that exists on the distribution and critical habitat features of these species in our state.
What’s Involved?
Summer Night Bird Surveys: Summer surveys targeting whip-poor-wills and saw-whet owls will be conducted 2 times. Potential survey dates and times are limited by lunar conditions; dates for 2013 are May 18-24 and June 17-23. Surveys will be conducted using a callback recording (provided) of the northern saw-whet owl. This project is recommended for paired birders.
Surveys are conducted along predetermined roadside survey routes. We are looking for volunteers to cover specific survey routes in the following areas: Salem/Lyme; Watertown/Waterbury; Middletown; Thompson/Putnam; and North Stonington.
How Can You Get Involved?
If you would like to participate in the night bird surveys or if you have any questions, please contact us as indicated below.
The Wildlife Division is interested in obtaining any additional night bird records you may have, whether they are on your survey route or in your backyard!
Who to Contact:
Shannon Kearney, DEEP Wildlife Division, Sessions Woods WMA, PO Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013; 860-675-8130. Email: shannon.kearney@ct.gov
For More Information:To learn more about night bird research and monitoring efforts, read the following articles from the Wildlife Division's bimonthly magazine,
Connecticut Wildlife.
The Master Wildlife Conservationist Program (MWCP) is an adult education program based in Burlington, Connecticut, that trains participants in the fields of wildlife management, natural history and interpretation. The purpose of the program is to develop a volunteer corps capable of providing education, outreach, and service for state agencies, environmental organizations, libraries, schools, and the general public.
What’s Involved?
Participants receive 40 hours of intensive classroom and field training and have one year, following completion of the training, to provide 40 hours of volunteer service. To maintain certification in the program, a minimum of 8 hours of advanced training and 20 hours of volunteer service each year must be completed.
How Can You Get Involved?The MWCP is a very popular program. Only 20 people are chosen to participate each year. Classes usually are held each spring.
Applications period for the spring 2013 program series is closed. For more information about the program, contact: Laura Rogers-Castro, DEEP Wildlife Division, Sessions Woods WMA, PO Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013; 860-675-8130;
laura.rogers-castro@ct.gov.
Forest interior birds in Connecticut are the focus of a new initiative. This group of birds requires large tracts of forest to successfully rear young and are often missed or poorly sampled by other surveys. Several forest interior species are at risk throughout their range and are of high conservation need. One of these species is the cerulean warbler, which was selected to serve as a focal species for this project. A clearer understanding of the distribution and success of cerulean warblers in the landscape is critical for attaining population objectives for this species in Connecticut. Of particular interest is the effect of current forestry practices on forest interior birds, like the cerulean warbler. The results of these surveys will provide needed information that will guide future habitat management in the state.
What’s Involved?
This project requires volunteers to have a significant amount of birding experience because forest interior birds can be very difficult to identify. Surveys will be conducted 3 times at established points: once between May 20-June 2, once between June 3-June 16, and once between June 17-June 30. Each survey should take no more than 1-2 hours and will be conducted between 6:00 AM-10:00 AM. Some of the survey routes are on well-marked hiking trails, but there are other routes that are not. Volunteers need to be in good physical condition.
How Can You Get Involved?
All volunteers will be required to attend one of two training days in April, either at the Wildlife Division’s Sessions Woods office in Burlington or the Franklin Wildlife office in North Franklin. Training will focus on project goals and how to properly collect and record data.
Who to Contact:Geoffrey Krukar, DEEP Wildlife Division, Sessions Woods WMA, PO Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013; 860- 675-8130;
Geoffrey.Krukar@ct.gov
Woodland raptor surveys were conducted with the assistance of volunteers. The resulting information will help the Wildlife Division determine the population status and habitat requirements of six species of breeding raptors in Connecticut. The surveys have been completed and a project summary is currently in progress.
Although volunteers are no longer being requested for the survey, they are still needed to report and help monitor raptor and owl nests. If you know of a nest location, please report it to the Wildlife Division.
Who to Contact:
Shannon Kearney, DEEP Wildlife Division, Sessions Woods WMA, PO Box 1550, Burlington, CT 06013; 860- 675-8130; shannon.kearney@ct.gov
For More Information:
To learn more about the Woodland Raptor Survey or Raptor Nest Monitoring, read the following articles from the Wildlife Division's bimonthly magazine, Connecticut Wildlife.
Woodland Raptor Monitoring Connecticut Wildlife (PDF 795k)
The Red-tailed Hawk Connecticut Wildlife (PDF 846k)
The Wildlife Division conducts the annual Wild Turkey Brood Survey to estimate the average number of turkey poults (young-of-the-year) per hen statewide and to assess annual fluctuations in the turkey population. This index allows the Division to gauge reproductive success each year and to evaluate recruitment of new birds into the fall population. Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during the breeding and brood-rearing seasons can all significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival.
What's Involved?
From June 1 to August 31, volunteers and Department staff record all of the hens and poults observed during normal travel. Each observation is categorized by total number of hens observed, total poults, and total number of hens with poults. Observations of male (tom) turkeys are not requested for this survey.
If you would like to participate, you can download a
Wild Turkey Observation Form (pdf) to record your observations. Instructions can be found on the data sheet. This is a great way to partner with the Wildlife Division to help monitor the state's wild turkey population.
Who to Contact:
Completed surveys should be returned to:
Michael Gregonis
DEEP Wildlife Division
Franklin WMA
391 Route 32
North Franklin, CT 06254
(860) 642-7239
michael.gregonis@ct.gov
For More Information:
To learn more about the Wild Turkey Brood Survey, read the following articles from the Wildlife Division's bimonthly magazine, Connecticut Wildlife.
Content last updated on June 10, 2013.
