Community projects

Get Involved in Community-Based Conservation

SGI offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities for community members who want to make a difference in biodiversity conservation—whether that means getting your hands dirty in the field or lending a hand in the seed lab.

Most of our volunteer projects take place in the Greater Middle Tennessee area, but we also host special events led by our Regional Coordinators in East Tennessee and the Virginia/Appalachia region.

No matter your background or experience level, our community projects are a great way to connect with others, learn about Southeastern grasslands, and take part in meaningful, hands-on restoration work.

Join us and be part of the restoration movement! Scroll down to learn more about current projects that we need community support with.

 

SGI Volunteers cleaning native plant seeds at our Seed Laboratory in Clarksville.

  • Through our Native Seed Program, volunteers take part in free events, workshops, and local seed lab activities—all designed to equip you with the skills to scout, collect, clean, and reintroduce native species into protected grassland sites.

    🌱 Learn how to track and support biodiversity hotspots
    🌾 Hand-clean native seeds for restoration and long-term storage
    🧺 Join us for cool, indoor seed lab opportunities this summer in Clarksville

    .Whether you’re passionate about plants, eager to learn new skills, or just looking for a way to give back, our Native Seed Program offers meaningful ways to get involved and grow alongside a community of conservation-minded volunteers.

  • Volunteering with our grassland restoration community projects provides a sense of accomplishment and helps a volunteer make a direct impact on native habitats. We host regular field work days throughout the year where volunteers:
    🌿 Remove invasive species
    🌼 Identify and collect native seeds
    🌾 Hand-seed grasses to expand restoration sites

    Whether you're new to conservation or building on existing skills, you'll gain valuable, real-world experience in grassland stewardship—while helping these vital ecosystems thrive.

SGI volunteer with a weed wrench to remove invasive shrubs and trees on an SGI grassland restoration site.

SGI Volunteer pulling invasives at the APSU Native Plant Teaching & Research Garden.

  • First Fridays in the Garden

    Lend a hand in our volunteer-run native plant garden on the Austin Peay campus! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just curious about native species, there's always something new to discover—and plenty to do.

    Weeding, pruning, digging, sweeping, and learning from one another are all part of the experience. Tools and gloves are provided, but feel free to bring your own. Come help us care for this unique and beautiful space!

    Please check our volunteer event calendar and follow SGI on social media to be in the know about upcoming volunteer events! 

  • 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, Community 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. 

    SGI’s main Community Science projects involve the use of the platform iNaturalist. You can view SGI’s list of iNaturalist projects on our SGI iNaturalist Webpage. SGI has put together modules on how to use iNaturalist and contribute to our iNaturalist projects. To learn more and jump into biodiversity documentation, visit our iNaturalist Biodiversity Modules. Keep an eye out on our volunteer calendar for periodic BioBlitz events where volunteers learn how to use iNaturalist alongside our experts. 

Community Science is vital to SGI’s mission! Learn how to support our research with the smartphone app iNaturalist.

““I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go for it at full speed. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good.””
— Roald Dahl