The Randell Research Center relies heavily upon its dedicated volunteers. Volunteers are an essential component of the operation of the Randell Research  Center, and the following materials have been developed in order to provide an initial orientation for prospective volunteers.

Volunteers may plan to come in on a regular schedule to help out in the office or lab, or they may simply remain on the “on-call” list for specific tasks, such as field work or labwork or special events, or large-scale work days such as vegetation clearing or bulk mailing. In any case, volunteers are asked normally to work at least one shift each month they reside in Southwest Florida in order to remain on the active roster.

Training and Enrichment

Volunteers will be offered regularly scheduled training and enrichment programs at the RRC or on the Pineland site, and attendance is strongly encouraged. These sessions will normally be presented by RRC staff. In addition, whenever visiting researchers or scholars are present, from the Florida Museum of Natural History or elsewhere, training/enrichment sessions may also be scheduled for volunteers. Written training materials will be provided to all volunteers interested in specific jobs or tasks. Nevertheless, volunteers are encouraged to read and study on their own, and for this purpose books are available for use at the RRC headquarters. Suggestions for additional topics or materials are always welcome.

Helen tour
Helen Fox leads tour, Calusa Heritage Trail
volunteers processing finds
Volunteers Polly Eldred and Paula Streeter handle the complex task
of field-processing finds as they come from the excavations. (Photo by Karen Walker.)

Timesheets

Volunteers should sign in and record the total hours they worked on a volunteer timesheet for each shift or event. The timesheet will normally be placed at the reception desk in a notebook, or in another prominent location. This information is important for purposes of evaluation and for writing grant proposals, and each volunteer should be responsible for recording her/his hours in a timely fashion.

Calendar of Events

Volunteers help plant trees
Volunteers help plant trees

A calendar is maintained at the RRC headquarters with upcoming special events, tours, meetings, training sessions, etc., and volunteers should consult this calendar in order to plan their volunteer activities and time. Volunteers should be pro-active in contacting the RRC when they are unable to come in for scheduled work or complete planned tasks.

Job Descriptions

Volunteer activies at the Randell Research Center generally fall into one of seven categories based on the needs of the RRC, as outlined below. These job descriptions are not mutually exclusive, and each volunteer may participate in one or more activities, depending on their interest, time, and physical capabilities. All jobs are important elements of the success of the Randell Center, and flexibility and participation in multiple activities characterizes the ideal RRC volunteer.

Download Volunteer Information Form