Intern and Volunteer Opportunities with Other Organizations

The sanctuary and its partners offer a variety of intern positions and volunteer stewardship possibilities.

Opportunities with Other Organizations

Ano Nuevo State Reserve
www.parks.ca.gov
(650) 879-2032
Email: docentcoordinator@anonuevo.org
Volunteers interpret the natural and cultural history of the reserve.  Docents lead guided walks during the Elephant Seal breeding season and are roving naturalists in the spring, summer, and fall.

California State Parks, Monterey District
http://www.parks.ca.gov/
Contact Volunteer Coordinator, Dave Schaechtele
2211 Garden Road
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 649-2900
A variety of volunteer positions support the California Department of Parks and Recreation mission to preserve the state’s biological diversity, protect its natural and cultural resources, and create opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. (Also inquire about volunteer opportunities with four park cooperating associations:  the Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers, Point Lobos Natural History Association, Monterey Dunes Natural History Association, and Big Sur Natural History Association.)

California State Parks, San Mateo Coast Sector
http://www.parks.ca.gov/
Contact the District Volunteer Coordinator for specific information about volunteering with San Mateo parks.

California State Parks, Santa Cruz District
http://www.parks.ca.gov/
303 Big Trees Park Road
Felton, CA 95018-9660
(831) 335-6318
Contact the District Volunteer Coordinator for specific information about volunteering with Santa Cruz District parks.

Coastal Cleanup Day
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html
Coastal Cleanup Day is the highlight of the California Coastal Commission's Adopt-A-Beach Program. Every year on the third Saturday in September from 9 a.m. till noon, volunteers scour the coastlines of California to remove trash and recyclables. This activity is great for families, volunteer groups, students and clubs to show their support for our shared natural resources, to learn about the impacts of marine debris and how to prevent them.

Coastal Watershed Council
www.coastal-watershed.org
P.O. Box 1459
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(831) 464-9200
Email: tcdoan@coastalws.org
The Coastal Watershed Council is dedicated to coastal watershed protection through monitoring, research, education and stewardship, and has established volunteer water quality monitoring programs in a number of watersheds throughout the Monterey Bay region.

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
www.elkhornslough.org
Contact volunteer coordinator, Kenton Parker - Acting
1700 Elkhorn Rd., Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-2822
Email: krparker@elkhornslough.org
More than 150 volunteers assist with the reserve's education and research programs, supporting a mission to ensure the perpetual health of the ecosystems in the Elkhorn Slough and surrounding watershed.

Friends of Fitzgerald Marine Life Refuge
http://www.fitzgeraldreserve.org/
P.O. Box 451
Moss Beach, CA 94038
(650) 728-3584
Email:webmaster@fitzgeraldreserve.org
Volunteers participate in activities to preserve this natural site, promote educational and research programs, and support services for schools and the general public.

Friends of the Elephant Seal
http://www.elephantseal.org/
Friends of the Elephant Seal
P.O. Box 490
Cambria, CA  93428
(805) 924-1628
Friends of the Elephant Seal is dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and to teaching stewardship.  Friends of the Elephant Seal volunteer docents interpret to the public at the Piedras Blancas seal colony, helping visitors understand these marine mammals.

Friends of the Sea Otter
http://www.seaotters.org/
125 Ocean View Blvd, Suite 204
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
E-Mail: education@seaotters.org
Friends of the Sea Otter is an advocacy group dedicated to actively working with state and federal agencies to maintain the current protections for sea otters as well as to increase and broaden these preservation efforts.

Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Beach Watch
www.farallones.org
E-Mail:beachwatch@farallones.org
(415) 561-6625
Beach Watch is a long-term beach-monitoring project sponsored by the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association. Every four weeks dedicated volunteers survey "their beach" for live and dead marine animals. This program covers beaches in San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma Counties.

Maritime Museum of Monterey
http://www.montereyhistory.org/index.htm
(831) 372-2608 ext. 13

Monterey Bay Aquarium
www.montereybayaquarium.org
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
Contact: Volunteer Resources Department
(831) 648-4867
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.  More than 900 volunteers guide visitors through the exhibits, staff the Information Desk, and work behind the scenes in husbandry operations, marketing, visitor programs and other areas.

Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
www.parks.ca.gov
(650) 879-2120
Volunteers conduct half-hour ground walks to present the natural and social history of Pigeon Point. As a lighthouse volunteer you can also: coordinate visitor tour sign-ups, sell lighthouse related items at the gift shop, or work on maintenance and preservation projects.

Return of the Natives Restoration Education, CSUMB
The Return of the Natives Restoration Education Project (RON) is an environmental education project dedicated to involving students in native plant and habitat restoration projects in the schoolyard and the community. RON activities include school-based native plant gardens, nature areas, and greenhouses, as well as, large-scale habitat restoration and native plant landscaping projects in parks and open spaces in the Monterey Bay Area.

Save Our Shores
www.saveourshores.org
345 Lake Avenue, Suite A
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 462-5660
Email: info@saveourshores.org
Save Our Shores’ mission is to protect and promote the ecological integrity of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary through policy research, education, and citizen action.  Save Our Shores Stewards become actively involved in the organization’s many programs, including: marine policy; education and multicultural outreach; clean water; tide pool monitoring; beach clean-up; “dock walking” and more.

Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab, UCSC
http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/
Contact Shauna Potocky, Visitor Hall & Volunteer Services Manager
100 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 459-3854
Email: spotocky@ucsc.edu
The Seymour Center is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world’s oceans. Volunteers contribute daily, from cleaning tanks to leading tours--from staffing the bookstore to assisting with school programs.

Surfrider Foundation, Santa Cruz Chapter
www.surfridersantacruz.org
P.O. Box 3968
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
(831) 423-7667
Email: surfridersantacruz@yahoo.com
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research, and education.

The Marine Mammal Center
www.tmmc.org
Marin Headlands
1065 Fort Cronkite
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 289-SEAL
The Marine Mammal Center is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured, sick and orphaned marine mammals. Volunteer options include:  Animal Care, Science/Research, Rescue, Education, Administration, Communications, Development, Facilities, Information Hut, Membership, The Marine Mammal Center Store, Run for the Seals, PIER 39, and Finance.