Southwest
Orientation
Orientation would need to be completed before being able to carry out the service.
2 hours of a walking orientation with a Trail Advocate is required to participate.
Read relevant information from Neighborhoods to Trails SW website on the Trail chosen and Milestones for NTTSW.
Additional details on each Trail and Task are available from current NTTSW volunteers
Trail Maintenance:
Litter Patrol on the Trail: bring a small trash bag, gloves and perhaps a grabber pick up tool to safely collect litter from the trail
Remove debris after flooding events
Adopt a Spot:
Once a month inspect the Spot for litter, maintenance or beautification improvements.
For example, on Keegans Bayou Trail: Adopt Keegans Bridge, park bench seating area or the rails
Social Media Products
Photograph or Video the Trail
Join a team of people to help produce social media content for Facebook, Instagram, our Website and those yet to be known.
As a volunteer program it us necessary to have more individuals able to publicize the trails through virtual means.
Producing social media content will include taking photos, short videos (less than 3 minutes) and with a team provide entertaining interpretive facts.
Plants, trees, animals, birds, fish, turtles, water, activity, construction. Do not photo the identity of walkers. We do not have photo permission for individuals.
The photographer or another team volunteer would write a 25-50 word observation as a caption for the social media post.
The goal is to post 1-2 social media posts a week from a number of individuals for the various media outlets.
Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Meet Up, Next Door, What’s App
Volunteer Monthly: One post per month.
Volunteer Quarterly: Site visits will be conducted 4 times per year to observe seasonal changes.
Video and Video Editing
This goal of this project is to expand the reach of the trail into a broader digital community
Publish short (less than 3 minutes) informative videosusing volunteer-contributed digital content.
Individuals with videography experience will collect raw footage video and audio material of wildlife and landscape to use to create video clips to be used on website
With contributed videos from others edit from raw footage
The service can be carried out using a smartphone or technology. The final product may be as mp4 format for videos,
Website Contributors for each of the NTTSW Trails
Contributors may submit a draft to the Administrator.
The content will be uploaded by the web Administrator or Editor within 10 days.
Word Press Website Technical Support
Experience with Word Press is required to inform the Administrator and Editors who upload content provided by trail contributors.
Add free plug-ins such as
Events Manager
Donation Thermometer
Basic Google Maps Placemarks
Image Mapper
NOAA Weather
On the Trail
Document a Master List for a Trail
Create a nature check list for each trail.
Good with Microsoft Word and Excel.
Collaborative documents can be shared via Google Docs or email.
Knowledge of pollinators, native/adapted plants would be helpful.
Build on your area of interest: birds, wildlife, grasses, etc.
Participating volunteers will be expected to efficiently collaborate with the project manager via Zoom.
Guided Walks on the Trail
Two Hours on a cement trail
Provide nature interpretation on the trail with a NTTSW Advocate.
Weekly on Saturday morning of the month in March, April, May
Monthly on the 2nd Saturday morning in the fall and winter.
INaturalist, eBird
IMPORTANT – You do NOT need to know how to identify what you are documenting. The apps help with identifying! Just need you to document the natural world around you!
Experience with iNaturalist and EBird is a plus!
Approximately 30 min to an hour to learn the app,
Join a team project, to be named per Trail.
Volunteers will document as many plants and animals in their designated area as possible.
Volunteers will upload their observations to iNaturalist
Outreach
Provide street and GPS addresses of trail heads and meet up locations for the website and special events
Maintain a contact spreadsheet and email list of persons who request information during outreach events
Outreach Booth Coordinator
Willow Waterhole Music Fest and similar community events
Design Flyers for Special Events
Graphic Design or Photo shop experience a plus
Volunteer Coordination Team to recruit, track and report hours with software tracker.
