One of the reasons the Amigos de Bolsa Chica has been so successful for the last 30 years is because of the strong volunteer spirit in the community. As a member of Amigos de Bolsa Chica, there are many volunteer options in our organization. Being a member of a committee or training as a docent are valuable volunteer experiences which support our main mission to educate people on the importance of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. There is no better way to help insure the future of the wetlands than to join one of our committees or volunteer to help organize an event. Amigos de Bolsa Chica is both fortunate and grateful that we can rely upon our members for support throughout the year. There is always something for everyone.  

Call the Amigos office 714-840-1575 with your name, phone and/or e-mail contact, and an ABC Community Education Committee member will help you become a "Docent in Training." A 5-week Docent Training Class is held at the beginning of each year . If you are already a docent, consider getting out more often this year to watch how fast the wildlife adapts to the newly created bay, and what new species discover this rich area. Besides docents sharing information at our free Saturday public tours, and our popular private tours for schools, Scouts, and adult groups, the Huntington Beach Visitors' Bureau wants to offer our private walks for visitors by advertising and arranging tours with us year-round. Click here to view 2008 Docent Training Info

Tern Nesting Sites Cleanup (March)
Each spring before several species of tern return to nest at Bolsa Chica, the islands and nesting sites upon which they rear their young must be cleared of non-native vegetation that grows during the rainy season. Terns prefer to nest on open, sandy expanses which these islands, when cleared, provide.

Coastal Cleanup (September)
Each fall is the California Coastal Cleanup, a statewide event to organized to remove trash from beaches and coastal waterways.

If you are interested in becoming a docent, helping at an event, joining a committee or donating items, please contact us at (714) 840-1575 or email: info@amigosdebolsachica.org Your involvement insure that the Bolsa Chica Wetlands will be protected for generations to come.

JOIN A COMMITTEE
The committees of Amigos de Bolsa Chica cover many areas of interest.  The committees meet, discuss and work on projects and events, then report to the Board of Directors.  This is how we carry out our mission, and we are always in need of many levels of participation.

Community Education
The education program of Amigos de Bolsa Chica is the main reason for our on-going need for volunteers.  It is vital to our mission to reach out to the community and educate both children and adults on the importance of the Bolsa Chica and wetlands in general.  We offer both public and private tours throughout the year, and we receive many requests for off-site presentations on such popular topics as birds, history and the restoration project.  This committee meets once a month, and often breaks out into subcommittees that meet as needed. 

The Community Education committee is responsible for all aspects of Amigos’ docent training program that we host at least once a year.  A uniquely designed and extremely thorough manual covering every aspect of Bolsa Chica (early human history, ecology, birds, endangered species and restoration) is provided with the training program.  Trained docents assist at both public and private tours throughout the year.  These docents make Amigos tours the best tours of Bolsa Chica available.

Members of the Community Education committee not only write and edit the docent training manual, but they must also update it frequently.  This committee has also written the Educator’s Guide that is sent to teachers before they bring their students to the Bolsa Chica.  This must also be updated frequently.  The Community Education committee also creates visuals aids that are used on our tours, and it creates off site slide and PowerPoint presentations for groups who are looking for something other than a tour. 

Amigos’ hosts quarterly docent socials to help our docents get to know each other and to provide updates on news and activities both in the wetlands and in the organization.  Our docents and volunteers are the backbone of our organization, and we make every effort to let them know we couldn’t stand tall in the community without them.

Grant Writing
This committee is a crucial part of how Amigos’ raise funds for specific projects. Not only is writing a grant an art, but building relationships with funding sources is an equally important component of maintaining a certain level of funding. This committee has been successful in being awarded various small grants from foundations in the local area for education related projects. While there is some degree of specialization in this committee, and volunteers who have experience in the grant writing process are welcomed, we always need volunteers who are willing simply to do research on potential sources of funding. This requires only dedication and enthusiasm. This committee meets at least once a month.