Community engagement Program
Photo from an SGI community volunteer event where specimens were prepare for our Herbarium - a botanical library of dried plants.
about
The Southeastern Grasslands Institute recognizes that the strength of any conservation organization is credited in part to the success of its Community Engagement program. The goal of the program is to engage volunteers in SGI’s land restoration, native seed saving, and research programs.Our intention is to empower volunteer with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve their own natural areas in exchange for their donation of time and energy in helping SGI maintain our restoration sites. The program also aims to engage with young people to instill the importance of southeastern grasslands conservation work in the next generation.
The SGI volunteer program is led by Laura Hunt. Our youth outreach efforts are led by Jodi Morgan. Please contact Laura or Jodi if you would like to be more involved with SGI’s community engagement efforts.
Community
SGI’s Community Engagement Program seeks to instill autonomy and ownership in our volunteers and the next generation of conservationists. Our work is successful only with the support of our community!
Major projects
SGI offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for community members to contribute to biodiversity conservation, both working out in the field and/or assisting in the lab. Volunteer projects are predominately active in the Greater Middle Tennessee area, but keep an eye out for restoration events hosted by our Regional Coordinators in east Tennessee and Virginia/Appalachia.
Please check our volunteer event calendar and follow SGI on social media to be in the know about upcoming volunteer events!
-
Come contribute your skills and interests to this volunteer-run native garden on Austin Peay's campus! We learn and grow from each other! There is guaranteed to be a southeastern native species in this garden that you have never met! And it is guaranteed that we can use your assistance in keeping this gem maintained! Weeding, pruning, cutting, digging, sweeping, raking, talking, laughing, sunning, shading...you name it and we get it done during this time.
All tools and gloves are provided, but feel free to bring your own favorites;
This is a public university setting and facilities are provided;
This is a public university and parking can be tricky the first time (confirmation email will guide you);
Be prepared to adopt a native plant to take home; if it is in the path, it's got to go!
-
The Native Seed program hosts many events, workshops, and in-house work volunteer opportunities that are free to the public on how to scout for, collect, save, and plant important native plants. The Native Seed program also hosts trainings on seed scouting that helps SGI keep track of important biodiversity hotspots and the health of important grasslands over time. Every other Tuesday morning at the seed lab in Clarksville, we welcome volunteers to help us clean seeds for native plant conservation for our seed bank and restoration team.
-
The Grassland Restoration and Stewardship program hosts frequent field work days throughout the year that benefit immensely from volunteer support. The field days range from hands-on training on grasslands restoration best practices such as using prescribed fire to species selection to seeding grasslands at a large scale. With the help of volunteers SGI is able to accomplish more than with our staff alone. Other primary sites are near Clarksville and our headquarters at Dunbar Cave and Google Prairie that involve mapping species and bulk seed collecting. SGI occasionally has volunteer opportunities for restoration work in East TN and Appalachian sites hosted by our regional coordinators. We hope to see you in a grassland near you!
-
SGI is involved in multiple research projects that can use the support of volunteers. SGI has benefitted from volunteer support on multiple projects, including the curation and digitization of the APSU Herbarium, Citizen Science projects, and identifying important plants and lands for grassland research. Please reach out to Laura if you are interested in volunteering on current SGI research projects.
-
Are you in need of materials or ideas for how to engage youth in grasslands conservation? Please reach out to Jodi Morgan for more information on use of SGI’s materials and the opportunities for in person and virtual speakers with your group.
“SGI’s volunteer day opened the community’s eyes to the unprecedented loss of the Southern grassland ecosystems. But, it also gave us a lesson on the resilience of nature and with that a bright path for the communities to take action in the restoration of these landscapes.”
We Love Our Volunteers!
Volunteers are the heart of conservation. However you choose to contribute, we are glad to have your support. We look forward to working with you soon!
“We sowed seeds of flowering plants in the park’s new prairie. How delightful on a winter’s day to hold the promise of spring in my hands and imagine all the bees, butterflies, and birds to come!”
Ways to support
Volunteers can learn from hands-on experience while working with experienced conservation practitioners. SGI relies on support from volunteers to support many of our vital conservation projects in the Southeast. Join us by subscribing to our newsletter and registering at the volunteer hub linked below!
Volunteer with us
Click below to join the SGI Volunteer Team and receive SGI's monthly Volunteer Newsletter and receive updates on opportunities in your area.
cHECK OUT THE EVENT CALENDAR
Click below to view our volunteer event calendar. Be sure to create an account to register for events, and check back often for new additions!
Share the message on social media
Help SGI spread the word about conservation practices by following us and sharing our content on social media. Every like and every share helps raise awareness of our important work to save southeastern grasslands. Click the icons below to find our pages!
Donate
Every donation counts in supporting our work to preserve the biodiversity of southeastern grasslands by engaging with our community members and the next generation of conservationists. The following link will take you to a link to donate to SGI, and we are very grateful for your support of our work.