Corporate Volunteering

Volunteer Opportunities For Corporate Teams

Does your corporation or place of work encourage employee team volunteer work?
EcoSpark offers engaging opportunities for corporate volunteers to discover and experience the natural world around them, while contributing to important citizen science programs. The information gathered from these activities is added to research databases used by scientists and policy makers to identify and address key environmental problems. The two following programs are available for corporate volunteer teams.

 
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Changing Currents

This watershed monitoring program introduces volunteers to the science of benthic macroinvertebrates (small aquatic insects), which are indicators of watershed health. Dressed in hip waders, volunteers engage in a modified version of the Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network (OBBN) protocol and the Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol (OSAP) that measures waterway health by monitoring the benthic macro-invertebrates – small aquatic bugs – found in stream and riverbeds.

Volunteer teams will:

  • assess the health of a local river or stream using EcoSpark's modified OBBN protocol

  • contribute data to a GTA-wide study of watersheds

  • participate in a community-based “Take Action” activity during and/or following the stream study (tree planting, invasive species removal, or stream clean up).

Park Watch

Park Watch introduces volunteers to a variety of Biodiversity citizen science projects carried out in community greenspaces and parks. EcoSpark staff lead participants in activities such as monitoring local species, and conducting bird surveys. Participants gain an understanding of the connections between plants, insects and animals for ecosystem health. Information and data collected during Park Watch events is contributed to relevant scientific databases for researchers and policy makers. 

Volunteer teams will use binoculars and other monitoring equipment to identify and record local species. Park Watch activities support the following skills:

Screenshot of digital map.

Community Mapping

Locate greenspaces in the local landscape and identify community ecological health characteristics. Contribute environmental observations and explore maps that relate the data to climate change research.

White moth on white sheet.

Biodiversity ID

Find and identify a wide variety of plants, insects and animals using the interactive species ID apps and field guides, as well as photography and pollinator nets as appropriate. This data will be contributed to online databases to support conservation. A.Buckley, CC-by-NC

Red-winged blackbird perched on a branch.

Bird Surveys

Participants use binoculars, bird calls, and visual ID tricks to enhance their bird watching while also learning about the best apps and guides for bird watching and monitoring. Bird data will be analysed and submitted to online databases to learn about trends in migratory patterns and the impacts of environmental toxins.

A group of students outside recording observations of trees.

Tree Benefits*

In this specialized Park Watch workshop, participants will learn to use simple urban forestry tools to measure the environmental and economic benefits of local trees. Carbon, water storage and air benefits calculators translate this information to plan stewardship actions.

*Tree Benefits available by request.

For questions and inquiries about the Corporate Volunteering program
info@ecospark.ca
or 647-258-3280 x 2003