Organization: Boone County Arboretum

About this opportunity:

During the winter months, while things slow down at the Arboretum, they are busy working on our two big spring events; The Spring Tea, and the Dogwood Dash 5k Run/Walk. These fundraisers both require a lot of planning and support from volunteers! Are you someone who likes to plan events? If so, you should consider joining the planning committee for the annual Dogwood Dash 5k Run/Walk. Volunteers on this committee will help with soliciting sponsorships and donations for door prizes, coordinating food and drink, and more.

If you are interested in joining the Dogwood Dash Committee, please email Kelly Reedy (volunteer coordinator) at kreedy@bcarboretum.org

Organization: Keep Cincinnati Beautiful

About these opportunities:

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is offering a variety of volunteer opportunities September through December. Many cleanup options are offered for neighborhoods in the Cincinnati area, including Colerain, Walnut Hills, Oakley, Camp Washington, Roselawn, OTR, Mount Adams and more. 

More information can be found here.

Organization: Cincinnati Observatory

About this opportunity:

Volunteers Wanted

Would you like to help support the nation’s oldest public observatory? The Cincinnati Observatory is looking for new volunteers to lead and assist with astronomy and history programming for the public. Volunteers will be trained on how to use a variety of telescopes as well as how to give tours of the historic buildings.

We are especially looking for volunteers with an interest in learning more about astronomy and presenting astronomy topics to beginners. This is a unique opportunity to learn as you volunteer at a fully functioning 19th century observatory whose mission is to educate, engage and inspire visitors of the science of astronomy.

Requirements:

• Comfortable with public speaking to groups of all ages
• Interest or expertise in history, astronomy or the sciences preferred
• Experience working with telescopes preferred
• Complete an online background check

Responsibilities:

• Assist with special nighttime and weekend events at the Observatory
• Learn to give historic tours of the Observatory and its telescopes
• Learn to use a variety of telescopes

Working for the Observatory means being part of a small, dynamic team that has a big impact serving approximately 30,000 people per year, and is passionate about inspiring a love of astronomy, science and local history in the community.

We hope you’ll join us! Scheduling will be based on your availability.

If interested, or you have questions, please email:

Dean Regas Astronomer, Cincinnati Observatory

dean@cincinnatiobservatory.org

More information can be found here.

Organization: The Common Orchard Project

About this opportunity:

Volunteer Reports to: Community Empowerment Coordinator

Job Location: Camp Washington Urban Farm, 3220 Colerain Ave

Time Commitment: Weekly sessions with team members

(Monthly session for a larger project)

How this Position Supports Common Orchard:

We are looking for more volunteers to join us in growing food and community in Greater Cincinnati and beyond. The Common Orchard Project works to install and maintain hundreds of small orchard plantings across Greater Cincinnati and grows “commonly held” resources by educating communities on fresh food and urban land management. These common orchards provide increased food access, tree canopy, walkable greenspace and community building in neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment.

The Farm Rehabilitation Team is rebuilding a safe functional space at Camp Washington Urban Farm. As we prepare to plant the farm in perennial food, demonstration orchards, nursery fruit trees and other programs, we have a need to get the farm back on track after years of less than ideal maintenance. This enables us to be a hub for all public orchard needs in Cincinnati and be a productive demonstration site for perennial food production in the area.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Mowing
• Weeding
• Clearing invasive species
• Removing trash and debris
• Organizing tools and materials
• Mulching & Tarping
• General farm duties
• Lifting up to 40 pounds
• Walking over uneven terrain (at times for most if not all of the work day)
• Perform duties outdoors throughout multiple seasons
• Be flexible in communication (The work of some days may shift due to weather)
• Training & Supervision will be provided for maximum health and safety.

All volunteers, whether volunteering for ongoing, short-term or “one off” roles, undergo onboarding that provides all the information appropriate to their role to help them understand the work of The Common Orchard Project and fulfill their role. Onboarding arrangements vary according to the service and the nature of the voluntary activity to be undertaken. Where possible, volunteers are offered additional training to enable them to fulfill their voluntary role more effectively.

To become a valued contributor within the support of food sovereignty in Cincinnati by way of farm rehabilitation, please contact this email: commonorchard@greenumbrella.org.

After this, you will be able to set up an initial volunteer orientation and to sign up to receive volunteer communication, or if you have any other questions.

Organization: The Common Orchard Project

About this opportunity:

Volunteer Reports to: Community Empowerment Coordinator

Job Location: New Installation Sites around the Cincinnati Region

Time Commitment: 2-3 hours per installation

(October - Early December and March-May)

How this Position Supports Common Orchard:

We are looking for more volunteers to join us in growing food and community in Greater Cincinnati and beyond. The Common Orchard Project works to install and maintain hundreds of small orchard plantings across Greater Cincinnati and grows “commonly held” resources by educating communities on fresh food and urban land management. These common orchards provide increased food access, tree canopy, walkable greenspace and community building in neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment.

The Orchard Installation Team will perform a variety of tasks at the Camp Washington Urban Farm and new installation sites across Cincinnati. Primarily this looks like planting fruit trees with communities seeking to grow public food with their neighbors or to donate to communities in need. The Orchard Installation Team provides direct access to food by installing fruit trees and shrubs in accessible locations to better assist and address the needs of our community.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Help build an orchard with a neighbors and other volunteers for 2-3 hours
• Plant Material and Tool Load Up
• Sod Removal & Tree Hole Digging
• Soil Amendment
• Tree placement
• Mulching
• Watering
• Lifting up to 40 pounds
• Walking over uneven terrain (at times for most if not all of the work day)
• Perform duties outdoors throughout multiple seasons
• Be flexible in communication (The work of some days may shift due to weather)
• Training & Supervision will be provided for maximum health and safety.

All volunteers, whether volunteering for ongoing, short-term or “one off” roles, undergo onboarding that provides all the information appropriate to their role to help them understand the work of The Common Orchard Project and fulfill their role. Onboarding arrangements vary according to the service and the nature of the voluntary activity to be undertaken. Where possible, volunteers are offered additional training to enable them to fulfill their voluntary role more effectively.

To become a valued contributor within the support of food sovereignty in Cincinnati by way of orchard building, please contact this email: commonorchard@greenumbrella.org.

After this, you will be able to set up an initial volunteer orientation and to sign up to receive volunteer communication, or if you have any other questions.

Organization: Last Mile Food Rescue

About this opportunity:

Become a Food Rescue Hero!

Do you have 90 minutes, a car, and a drive to make a change? Download our app and sign up to rescue perfectly good food from ending up in landfills and transport it to one of our nonprofit partners that fight food insecurity in our Greater Cincinnati community.

Simply follow these three easy steps to start volunteering with Last Mile Food Rescue:

Download the app here.

Complete the 10-minute safety training session here.

Watch the 90-second app tutorial here.

Further information about this opportunity can be found here.

Organization: Great Parks of Hamilton County

About this opportunity:

Pitching in at Great Parks of Hamilton County will lead to fun, rewarding and unforgettable experiences!

Adults and teens (ages 14 and older) can join our incredible long-term  team and make a positive difference in your favorite parks. You can remove invasive plants, adopt a trail, harvest native seeds, or interact directly with park guests at a gift shop, visitor center or during a nature program. Learn more about long-term volunteering.

Does your group want to work on a full or half-day project? We have that too. You'll get to know each other better and develop teamwork while working on an energizing project that will have a positive impact on the environment and your community.

Still not sure how you would like to get involved? Try out one of our pre-planned, half-day community service projects via One-Day Volunteering.

Whether you have time to give back for a day, a few weeks or years to come, Great Parks has a place for you!

Organization: Mill Creek Alliance

As a non-profit that is committed to people and the environment, we champion the dedication and tenacity of our volunteers! Whether you're interested in restoration, education, recreation (or all three), there are a plethora of ways for you to get involved here at MCA.

Learn more and fill out the form here.

Organization: Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub

Volunteers are necessary for the Hub’s day-to-day operations! Thank you for being interested in lending a helping hand.

Children under 16 are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult at all times under the following guidelines:

Children Under 8: One adult for every child

Children 9-11: One adult for every two children

Children 12-15: 1 adult for every three children

For large corporate groups or troops, please contact the Hub to schedule.

Check out different volunteer opportunites below:

• To volunteer at our regular operating hours: click here

If it is your first time volunteering, please read this document for more detailed information and print and sign this waiver to bring with you to your shift. Once signed, the waiver is good until the end of the calendar year.

If you can’t commit to volunteering now, but are still interested, please complete this form to hear about future volunteer opportunities, or if you are interested in volunteering in other ways.

If you have any questions about volunteering, please email crrh.volunteer@gmail.com.