Princeton Student Climate Initiative Volunteering Opportunities

Princeton's Environmental Commission, working with the Watershed, will be doing their Stream Cleanup on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Be sure to bring your own water bottle and it's advised to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes.

Transportation will be provided by Princeton's Pace Civic & Engagement Center

Looking for a way to volunteer your time and promote sustainability on campus? Join the EcoReps for a litter pick up this Sunday afternoon (4/2) to help reduce trash buildup around Prospect. This is a great opportunity to engage in community service and meet other peers who are also interested in getting involved. At 12 pm, we will all meet in Frist's EcoLounge (the first room behind the C-store that has the same hallway as the mailroom) where we will quickly go over the route for that day and I will give a brief description of the work that we are doing. If you have any questions, reach out to Jayla Cornelius at jjaylac@princeton.edu.


*This may turn into a reoccurring opportunity with multiple opportunity to help*

The Watershed Institute is looking for volunteers to join their stream monitoring team. Two of the teams are Chemical Action Team (CAT) and Biological Action Team (BAT).

StreamWatch CAT volunteers monitor one weekend per month year-round and attend a mandatory Quality Assurance session in the Watershed Lab every year. Volunteers test six basic water quality parameters: water and air temperature, phosphates, nitrates, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. The results are analyzed and reported to the public through our quarterly sub-watershed report cards, municipal report cards, and online. Data is also submitted to the EPA’s Water Quality Exchange. Volunteers in the CAT program will need to be able to collect data over the summer. CAT volunteers monitor the streams monthly.

StreamWatch BAT volunteers monitor the populations of organisms called
macroinvertebrates. Water quality ratings are based on the abundance of various species and their sensitivity to pollutants. If the stream is healthy, a diverse macroinvertebrate population can be found in a relatively small sample of water. A reduction in their numbers may indicate a high level of pollution. Sampling is conducted twice a year in the spring and fall. Once a year the organisms are identified to family level in the Watershed Lab by BAT volunteers. The other samples collected that year will be sent to a certified lab for identification to the genus level. BAT volunteers monitor the streams twice a year

For both opportunities, students MUST agree to a 1 year commitment.
All volunteers will be supplied with transportation through the Pace Center for Civic Engagement

In addition to registering on MyPrinceton U, please fill out the form attached below and send it to eniedergang@thewatershed.org

The Watershed Institute's Community Watershed Advocate Program (CWAP) educates all those interested in learning more about how best to advocate for their water resources. Training on a multitude of topics including environmental justice, water quality, environmental policy, and more are conducted by in-house and guest experts. Volunteers are taught how to advocate at the local level for environmental resiliency and sustainability. That could take the form of attending a planning board meeting and speaking about the impact a proposed project would have on stormwater runoff or advocating that a local school install a rain garden and assisting them in doing so or many other possible activities. Volunteers will be expected a 1.5-2 hr weekly commitment for an 8 week period.
The opportunity is hybrid, with possibility for in-person opportunities; with transportation provided by Pace Center for Civic Engagement

In addition to registering on MyPrinceton U, please fill out the form attached below (select Environmental Advocacy) and send it to eniedergang@thewatershed.org

Empower NJ is a coalition of several New Jersey environmental organizations. They work to fight climate change in NJ by winning state policies to facilitate a rapid and just transition off fossil fuels and onto 100% clean renewable energy. They are looking for more youth activists to provide a youth perspective and help with main rallies/events.

Weekly meetings will be virtual but in-person opportunities will occur in later May-June. They also put together events in the fall if not available over the summer.

The Pocono Environmental Education Center is working on designing and building new exhibits for their recreation and education center. They are hoping their exhibits are educational and engaging for all audiences, particularly younger audiences. Volunteers would be involved in the brainstorming, designing, and construction process of the exhibits. They’re looking for more exhibits that cover the following five categories:
1. Natural Science
2. History of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
3. Watersheds
4. Native American History (Lenape Nation)
5. Native Animal Species

Volunteers will be working remotely for the planning and designing of the exhibit. There's a possibility of in-person opportunities TBA.

UNESCO is launching the new project where volunteers can connect with different international environmental organizations and provide virtual aid.

These opportunities include:
- Social Media aid
- Technical & website aid
- Research
- Language Translation
- + more!

The organizations they've connected with ranges from ocean conservation to indigenous education and other large scale clean up initiatives

Check out UNESCO's website for more information: https://www.unescogreencitizens.org