Volunteer Opportunities
...because one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time!
Seed Sanctuary Support
The Seed Sanctuary provides free vegetable, herb, and wildflower seeds to Richland County residents. Volunteers are needed to stamp, label, and pack seed packets for distribution. Approved volunteers can arrange for a curbside volunteer kit pickup at the Richland County Administration Building at 2020 Hampton Street, take the kit home to complete their volunteer assignment, and return it to 2020 Hampton Street one week later. Please complete this volunteer information form to apply to become a Seed Sanctuary volunteer. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age (or must be supervised by someone who is) and must sign a Volunteer Release Form before beginning a volunteer assignment.
Precipitation Monitors
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, known as CoCoRaHS, is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds. The program started in Colorado in 1998 and was introduced in South Carolina in 2008. Since then, the network has grown across the state and observers report daily totals of rainfall, and the occasional snowfall. Despite the hundreds of active volunteers, there are still areas of the state with no observers and every county is in need of additional observers. To become an observer, visit www.cocorahs.org.
Adopt-A-Stream Monitors
South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream (SC AAS) creates a network of watershed stewardship, engagement, and education through involvement. SC AAS volunteers can play an important role in monitoring and tracking water quality while sharing information about local water resources with their communities. You do not need to be an environmentalist, fisherman, or scholar to join this effort. All are welcome to find more information, seek training, and add to the knowledge base of river health in South Carolina! Once you are trained as an AAS observer, you may borrow the RSWCD's AAS kit to support monitoring efforts in your community.
Photography
You can support RSWCD's conservation awareness campaigns by sharing your photos of Richland County's natural resources and citizen conservation efforts. Tag us in your social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; or submit your photos (with permission for us to share your photo on our social media pages, websites, or other publicity and outreach materials) to our photo database or email it, along with the photographer's name and a short description, to RichlandSWCD@gmail.com.