Current Volunteers
If you are a current volunteer, please report your hours to Kandy Richards via email at
Volunteer Opportunities
Bird Friendly Window Program
Bird Safe Utah saves birds by reducing window collisions through retrofits, collision surveys, education, outreach, and bird-safe design advocacy. Volunteers and college interns support installations, surveys, public outreach, and partnerships with homeowners, architects, planners, and institutions to make buildings safer for birds. To get involved, contact
Conservation Team
We are seeking individuals who are interested in following local environmental issues that impact birds, wildlife, and habitat. Interested individuals will assist the Conservation Chair and the Utah Audubon Council Policy Advocate in monitoring meetings, hearings, rulings, and other developments regarding issues identified by the Conservation Committee. If you are interested in assisting with this important work, contact
Dark Skies Program
For our Dark Skies Program, we’ve launched a community science program in partnership with Utah Valley University, Great Salt Lake Audubon, and DarkSky Utah. Our goal is to find trends and fill data gaps, but we need a team of volunteers to make it happen. Volunteers conduct two-hour surveys at night, four times per year, work in pairs, and receive all necessary training. Sign up here: https://audubon.stagecoachdigital.com/web-view/1689067
Additionally, the Dark Skies committee is looking for people with experience or interest in community science to be on the Salt Lake Valley ALAN Monitoring Program (SLVAMP) Core Team representing Great Salt Lake Audubon. Responsibilities include helping with the following activities: expanding the SLVAMP structure to other interested Utah Counties, Training volunteers, writing a yearly newsletter, attending meetings, bringing forward new ideas, and other miscellaneous tasks that support the teams overall goals. If you are interested in participating in or assisting in further development of our Dark Skies Program, please contact
Education
Help plan and lead the GSLA Fledgling’s Club and tabling at events geared toward families and kids. The Fledgling’s Club is a birding club for children ages 3-8 years old, although all children are welcome. It happens every month between March and October. The club is about 1.5-2 hours long, and each meetup focuses on a different bird/nature-related topic. We are always interested in recruiting volunteers to help with education events for kids and families. Please contact
Field Trip Leaders
Great Salt Lake Audubon (GSLA) seeks experienced birders to lead volunteer-led field trips that are open to the public. Field trips are typically offered on weekends year-round (excluding holidays) and several times per month during the week. Trips explore a wide range of habitats, including Great Salt Lake wetlands, Great Basin landscapes, riparian corridors, and high-elevation mountain environments. Some trips contribute to long-running community science efforts, including the Brighton Bird Count, active for over 80 years. Individuals with strong birding skills and an interest in teaching others are encouraged to volunteer. Interested individuals should contact
Native Plants for Native Birds
We are looking for someone to develop and lead our native plants for native birds committee. If you are interested in advocating for and promoting bird-friendly resources and gardening practices to local communities, we could use your help. Review the Audubon plants for birds resources for inspiration (see https://www.audubon.org/plantsforbirds). Gardening expertise is not required but ideal. If you are interested in participating, please contact
Public Outreach
Great Salt Lake Audubon seeks outreach volunteers to represent the organization at community events and public gatherings. Volunteers table at events to share bird facts, introduce attendees to our mission, and promote field trips, programs, and conservation efforts related to birds and Great Salt Lake. Events may include festivals, symposia, educational programs, and advocacy-focused gatherings. Training is provided, and volunteers may choose events that fit their interests and schedules. Strong communication skills and enthusiasm for birds and conservation are encouraged. Please contact
Serving on the Board
Board members are the foundation of Great Salt Lake Audubon (GSLA). Serving as a board member of GSLA is a leadership opportunity for individuals committed to advancing bird conservation and healthy ecosystems throughout Utah. Board members attend monthly meetings, participate in GSLA events, and take on active leadership roles that support the organization’s mission to protect and enhance habitat for birds, wildlife, and people. Responsibilities may include serving as an officer (e.g., secretary or treasurer), leading or supporting existing programs, or helping design new initiatives. Board members must be active GSLA members and willing ambassadors for conservation in the community. If you are interested in participating, please contact
Additional Volunteer Opportunities
Great Salt Lake Audubon collaborates with numerous organizations that contribute to the health of Great Salt Lake and the wider Great Salt Lake watershed. For additional volunteer opportunities, we encourage you to check out the following organizations:
Antelope Island State Park
About the organization: Antelope Island State Park, located on Great Salt Lake, offers a variety of outdoor activities and wildlife viewing opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, and exploring the historic Fielding Garr Ranch. The island is famous for its free-roaming bison herd, as well as other wildlife like mule deer, pronghorn, and various bird species.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): Volunteer as an individual as a campground host, naturalist volunteer, trail patrol, or Historic Fielding Garr Ranch host. Volunteer with a group for a service project doing restoration and clean up.
Website: stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/volunteer/
FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake
About the organization: The mission of FRIENDS is to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Lake through education, research, advocacy and the arts. The long-term vision of FRIENDS is to achieve comprehensive watershed-based restoration and protection for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): FRIENDS hosts the International Coastal Cleanup at Great Salt Lake annually in September, inviting volunteers from across the watershed to help remove trash and improve wildlife habitat along Great Salt Lake's southern shores. FRIENDS has been Utah’s lead organizer of Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup initiative since 2014.
Website: fogsl.org/icc
Gillmor Sanctuary
About the organization: Protecting critically important shorebird habitat along Great Salt Lake by developing and applying science-based adaptive management techniques to increase the number of waterbirds at Audubon's Gillmor Sanctuary at Great Salt Lake.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): Monitoring light pollution, Snow Plover populations, surveying shorebirds and restoration projects.
Website: www.audubon.org/rockies/get-involved/get-involved-gillmor-sanctuary
HawkWatch
About the organization: HawkWatch’s mission is to conserve our environment through education, long-term monitoring, and scientific research on raptors as indicators of ecosystem health.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): There are both in-person and remote volunteer opportunities including video review of nest food deliveries, monitoring nest boxes, assisting with owl ecology studies through Earthwatch International, and providing educational outreach programs.
Website: hawkwatch.org/volunteer
Sageland Collaborative
About the organization: We believe that wildlife and the habitats that sustain them can be conserved when our science-based data informs collaborations centered on community. To that end, we focus on increasing biodiversity & special-status species, conserving wildlife pathways, restoring vital habitat, and remove barriers and inequities in the conservation sector.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): There are a variety of seasonal, mostly outdoor volunteer opportunities available from spring through fall. Volunteers can participate in community science projects such as collecting amphibian, reptile, pollinator, and shorebird data, mapping and restoring wildlife-friendly fencing, and assisting with shorebird surveys at key wetland sites. Additional opportunities include hands-on habitat restoration along riverscapes through planting native vegetation and building beaver restoration structures. Most projects require training, offer flexible scheduling, and vary in physical demands and accessibility.
Website: sagelandcollaborative.org/volunteer
Swaner Nature Preserve and EcoCenter
About the organization: The Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is a 1,200 acre nature Preserve and a 10,000 square foot LEED Platinum building with interactive exhibits about the surrounding environment. We offer weekly nature tours, wildlife viewing opportunities, summer camps, environmental education for children and adults, evening lecture series, and a gift shop with local and ecofriendly art.
Volunteer opportunity description(s): Volunteers can help remove invasive weeds from the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter , help with soil amendment, weeding, and pruning the pollinator garden in front of the EcoCenter, or assist with leading family-friendly activity stations focused on pond exploration, wetland science, and outdoor play
Website: swanerecocenter.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog
Tracy Aviary
About the organization: Tracy Aviary provides three unique opportunities to support our mission: In partnership with community, inspiring action to conserve birds and habitats. Our Liberty Park campus showcases birds from around the world in curated botanical gardens. Our Nature Center is a natural local wildlife oasis along Pia Okwai (Jordan River) in Salt Lake City. And Tracy Aviary Conservation invites you to protect birds and their habitats through community science.
Volunteer opportunity description: Volunteer your time to the conduct bird surveys, horticulture, aviculture, or education.