Volunteer Opportunities

The Loon Foundation is primarily a volunteer-run organization, and we rely on the generous contributions of community members to make what we do possible. We are always seeking new volunteers to join the team – whether you’re interested in supporting ecosystem monitoring in the field, joining events, or working at the Iris & Billy Griffith Nature Centre, there is always plenty to do!

Please note that volunteers are sorted by our staff and further details about time and location are provided by our Field Research Supervisor Jenn Blancard.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

Pender Harbour Coastal Waters Monitoring Program (PHCWMP)

Opportunities available weekly!

Various Locations

  • Weekly opportunities to help monitor the waters of the Sunshine Coast through various tasks

  • No Experience Required

  • Email us to volunteer

Forage Fish Surveys

~1 - 2 hours per survey depending on the site

Various beaches around Sunshine Coast

  • Help us collect data on Pacific sand lances, herring, and Surf smelts throughout the spring season through sand samples and habitat assessments. We will be counting and measuring woody debris and other data collection.

  • Herring surveys are conducted by walking along the beach and searching for evidence of herring spawn.

  • The Pacific sand lance and Surf smelt surveys are conducted in the high intertidal and are easily accessible.

Juvenile Salmon Surveys

~1 - 2 hours per survey

Surveys conducted dockside at Irvine’s Landing

  • Help us capture juvenile salmon with seine nets to measure and conduct health assessments before releasing them back into the water. This opportunity is relatively easy for volunteers to do.

  • Additionally, we record all bycatch - one of our favourite observations has been Opalescent squid!

Rocky Intertidal Surveys

~4 - 5 hours per day. Depending on how many volunteers we have it’s common to complete the survey in one day!

Various locations

  • The intertidal are the biggest surveys we conduct. Over the course of multiple days, we survey along the rocky shore, counting all the animals we find in quadrats.

  • Sturdy shoes are a requirement and a cushion / kneepads may be helpful as the rocks are not comfortable!

  • Our last winter survey will be at Thormanby Island at the end of March, so look out for updates on our calendar below or send us an email about volunteering for future updates.

European Green Crab (EGC) Surveys

Deployment takes ~45 minutes and collection up to 1.5 hours

Various locations

  • Help us keep vigilant for invasive European Green Crabs by deploying baited prawn traps within muddy areas. We count and record all creatures caught in the traps - any crab species are sexed, measured and released unless they are an EGC.

  • These surveys occur over 2 days with traps being set on the first day and then collected the next day.

Larval Crab Surveys

Duration can vary but typically quite fast

Various Locations

  • These surveys are completed by using a light trap that fishes overnight. We collect the sample early in the morning to observe what was caught. The target species is Dungeness crab larvae but the by-catch can also be a lot of fun!

  • Dungeness are collected and measured before being recorded and released. All other organisms are recorded and released.

For general inquiries about volunteer opportunities please contact our Field Research Supervisor, Jenn Blancard!