Volunteer with AFC
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization, and there are many ways to help! Read through this page to learn about all the opportunities we have for volunteers, or click on one of the sections below.
To learn more about becoming a volunteer, fill out the form using the button below. An AFC staff member will follow up confirming your registration and providing information on how to access our volunteer portal.
already a volunteer?
If you’re a registered volunteer, visit our volunteer portal to access educational materials and explore all upcoming volunteer opportunities. If you didn’t receive or lost access to the portal, please email Program Director, Kyle Cavazos.
HABITAT RESTORATION
Help us restore natural habitat at our Preserves! A typical restoration event may look like removing invasive plants, planting new native plants, watering, mulching, or maintaining trails.
We host regular restorations at Rosemont Preserve in La Crescenta, Sunshine Preserve and Sycamore Canyon Preserve in Glendale, and Cottonwood Canyon Preserve in Pasadena.
Use the button below to see and sign-up for upcoming restoration events.
CAMERA RESEARCH
You can help monitor and track wildlife movement! Join our camera team to set-up cameras, analyze data, process and tag images, and more. As a camera team volunteer you will support the critical research behind our acquisition strategy.
To become involved, email our Urban Wildlife Research Leader, Ruby Siehl.
BACKYARD CAMERA STUDIES
AFC relies on home owners to help us learn more about wildlife movement. You can host one of our research cameras on your property to support this effort! One of our staff members will come out to your property, evaluate the best area to place the camera, install it, and manage the data. We’ll come back every few months to collect the images and then share the best captures with you.
You’ll get to know the wildlife passing through your property and support our work!
To become involved, email our Urban Wildlife Research Leader, Ruby Siehl.
YOUTH EDUCATION
AFC’s field trip program serves K–12 students from across LA County, offering immersive learning experiences every Wednesday through Friday during the school year. As a field trip docent, you’ll lead students through the Rosemont Preserve on guided walks covering native plants, geology, and local birdlife. Join us in inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards—your leadership and passion can make a lasting difference!
At our Docent Trainings, you’ll learn about our core curricula from local experts, along with practical tips for teaching youth and engaging groups. With this knowledge, you’ll be ready to confidently lead field trips.
If no upcoming docent trainings are on our calendar, please email Program Director Kyle Cavazos for more information.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Attend outreach events as an AFC representative and inspire the public about urban conservation.
AFC Ambassadors help us at community events like fairs, festivals, or community gatherings. When you take our Ambassador training, you’ll learn all about the inner workings of AFC and why we are working to build wildlife corridors. We’ll equip you with enough knowledge to confidently educate the public about urban conservation, and to inspire them to take action with AFC.
Reach out to Program Director Kyle Cavazos to become an AFC Ambassador!
CITIZEN SCIENCE
One easy way to get involved with AFC is to become a citizen scientist. We encourage public involvement in all of our scientific research, partnering with community scientists to monitor habitat and wildlife, explore potential wildlife corridors, and engage in educational outreach.
You can get involved by attending our next Bioblitz. During BioBlitz events, volunteers explore our preserves, or the areas of open space we’re studying, to record and observe wildlife and plant species. We utilize iNaturalist, a community science app that allows users to document and identify any living species. The data gathered helps us better understand which species are inhabit our preserves. Check our calendar or subscribe to our newsletter to find out about the next bioblitz.
Click here for a guide to download iNaturalist, join one of our projects, and start contributing! Joining our iNaturalist projects automatically adds your observations to our database.
CORPORATE & GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
Bring your team out of the office into nature for a restoration day at one of our preserves! Become environmental stewards together to foster team work and camaraderie, all while making a difference for the community. During restoration events you’ll remove invasive species, nurture native plants, help maintain trails, and preserve biodiversity. We can also arrange educational events on native plants, mindfulness, and wildlife, or provide tours of our preserves. Bring your team together by uniting to support wildlife. Suggested Donation: $500 (per 10 people).
For corporate and group volunteer requests, email our Program Director, Kyle Cavazos.
