Stacy Iwanicki, Volo Bog
Volo Bog State Natural Area is looking for one or two adults to fill positions as volunteer Youth Program Naturalists (YPNs). The position involves a commitment of one 4.5 hour day per week throughout the school year, including winter.
Volunteer YPNs lead two 90-minute to 2-hour guided tours of Volo Bog each day. Opportunities to lead other nature programs are also available. Students range from age seven through high school with the bulk of students being between 2nd – 5th grades. Group size for Bog Tours is typically 12 – 17 people.
This is a great opportunity for individuals who enjoy sharing nature with children. The ideal candidate may be a stay-at-home parent with children in school, a retired individual looking for a way to stay involved, or someone whose work schedule allows for weekday volunteering. No prior experience is necessary. On-the-job training will provide the information, experience and confidence necessary to enjoy this rewarding opportunity.
Volunteering for Volo Bog State Natural Area’s educational programs allows adults to share their love and enthusiasm for the natural world while helping to provide a valuable extension to the interpretive programs a the site. Volunteers meet new people, develop new skills, learn more about the natural world and about Volo Bog, Illinois’ only remaining open-water quaking bog.
Interested adults should send a short email note to Site Naturalist Stacy Iwanicki through dnr.volobog@illinois.gov explaining their reasons for interest in this opportunity. Please include daytime phone number(s) for contact, as well as a home address to which a volunteer application may be sent.
Volo Bog State Natural Area is an Illinois Department of Natural Resources site located in Ingleside, Illinois west of U.S. Highway 12 between State Routes 120 and 134.
