Volunteers

2020 Volunteer of the Year Award

We are proud to give our Volunteer of the Year Award for 2020 to Stephen Bishop who we thank for consistently helping us through Covid closures, with school groups and the care and maintenance of our touch tank.  We thank him for building our fantastic display board in the Centre and for bringing in nature themed cards to raise funds for our work. Thanks Stephen, we appreciate you!

Welcome. Experience. Explore. Delight

What: The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre welcomes thousands of visitors every year. From repeat families, to travelers from afar, all are welcomed into the space to explore their curiosity and questions of the estuary and its inhabitants.

Who: Open to youth (16+) and adults (a child or grandchild is welcome to accompany) who have a love for nature, and a desire to share. No nature interpretation experience necessary, just a desire to learn and share.

We offer two roles in the nature centre:

1. Nature Centre Interpreter: Opens and closes the nature centre (Cash/debit transactions, sets up float, Opens/closes building)
2. Secondary Nature Interpreter: Welcomes visitors to the space, can guide nature walks, set up bird tower, run activities as wanted/needed

Length of volunteer shift: 2 hours + 10 mins for open/close (Nature Centre Interpreter role only). Shifts are split from 12-2 & 2-4

Volunteer commitment: The nature centre is open from 12-4 Thursday – Sunday  and every holiday Monday. We ask that volunteers sign up as a:

• Regular volunteer – committing to a regular shift (once a week, biweekly, or once a month)
• Or Flex volunteer – filling in gaps as regular volunteers are away

Booking shifts: Shifts are schedule at least one month in advance (often times every couple months).

Interested: email info@cowichanestuary.ca or call 250.597.2288

Renew. Give. Deepen. Share

What: The estuary is a gift and its health is a vital piece of our ecosystem. Every year we work with partnering organizations on restoration projects of the estuary and riparian zones up stream

Who: We are looking for youth (Age 10+) and adults who enjoy getting their hands dirty, love community projects and co-creating a lasting impact. Note this volunteer opportunity is open to school groups

Length of volunteer shift: 2.5 hours (Restoration projects include a 15 minute intro/education, 2 hour restoration work, and 15 minute wrap up and reflection)

Volunteer commitment: Restoration projects occur year round, and most often in the spring or fall but sometimes in the summer.

Booking shifts: Restoration projects are are scheduled at least three weeks in advance. Volunteers can sign up for as few or as many shifts as they like.

Interested: email info@cowichanestuary.ca or call 250.597.2288

Educate. Play. Explore. Share

What: Every year we hosts hundreds of school children at the Nature Centre, and in Hecate Park, guiding them to explore the shore to sea. Our 1.5 hour programs are lead by our amazing Educators, and supporting by our School Program Volunteers.

Who: We are looking for adults with a delight in the outdoors, an interest in sharing nature, and a love for supporting kids/youth learn.

Length of volunteer shift: 2 hours (program runs 1.5 hours, volunteers arrive 15 minutes early and 15 minutes post to help with set up/clean up

Volunteer commitment: School program season runs from September – November and March – June. We ask that volunteers sign up for a fall or spring season.

Booking shifts: Shifts are schedule at least one week in advance (often times one month). Volunteers can sign up for as few or as many shifts as they like.

Interested: email info@cowichanestuary.ca or call 250.597.2288

The Nature Centre is a heart beat in the Estuary, with a flow of students, visitors, and soon to be camp attendees, all exploring the magic of  hands on exploration of life from the estuary. The vitality of the centre is upheld by our volunteers, individuals with a love for nature, a curiosity to learn and a delight in sharing discoveries with visitors. Its a pretty perfect place to spend two hours a week or a month, and a great way to connect with nature and community.

With the busy summer ahead we are now inviting new volunteers to join our community. And we welcome individuals and pairs of volunteers – couples, friends, grandparents/grandchild.

To begin your exploration of volunteering at the nature centre call 250.597.2288 or fill out our  contact form

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“For three years my granddaughter and I were volunteers for two hours on Sunday afternoons at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre.  We did this from when she was 10 until she was 13. These were wonderful times for both of us, meeting people when the centre was busy and working together or just hanging out and talking during the quiet times.  For her, it was an opportunity to show off her amazing abilities with technology while developing excellent customer service, child management, and retail sales skills. Together, we learned a great deal from researching answers to visitors’ questions.  She describes it as our quality time together.” J. Scull. Volunteer at the Nature Centre

The Nature Centre is a heart beat in the Estuary, with a flow of students, visitors, and soon to be camp attendees, all exploring the magic of  hands on exploration of life from the estuary. The vitality of the centre is upheld by our volunteers, individuals with a love for nature, a curiosity to learn and a delight in sharing discoveries with visitors. Its a pretty perfect place to spend two hours a week or a month, and a great way to connect with nature and community.

With the busy summer ahead we are now inviting new volunteers to join our community. And we welcome individuals and pairs of volunteers – couples, friends, grandparents/grandchild.

To begin your exploration of volunteering at the nature centre call 250.597.2288 or fill out our  contact form

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“For three years my granddaughter and I were volunteers for two hours on Sunday afternoons at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre.  We did this from when she was 10 until she was 13. These were wonderful times for both of us, meeting people when the centre was busy and working together or just hanging out and talking during the quiet times.  For her, it was an opportunity to show off her amazing abilities with technology while developing excellent customer service, child management, and retail sales skills. Together, we learned a great deal from researching answers to visitors’ questions.  She describes it as our quality time together.” J. Scull. Volunteer at the Nature Centre

We’d like to introduce Donna Zipse and Ken Bendle, our 2018 “Volunteers of the Year”. Donna and Ken moved to Cowichan Bay from the Prairies just over a year ago and immediately fell in love with the estuary and the Cowichan Bay community.

Long-time volunteer Kerrie Talbot recalls their first day volunteering last year: “It was winter and it was snowing – I mean really snowing. I was ready to put up a ‘Closed’ sign at the Nature Centre when Ken and Donna showed up with smiles on. Like the good prairie folk they are, they jumped right in and shoveled the deck and stairs so that we could stay open safely.”