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BE A PART OF OWL'S HILL |
The apple orchard in spring by Carol Ann Graham
Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and donations are tax deductible. Individuals and organizations wishing to DONATE BY CHECK should make the check payable to Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, Inc. Any questions about donations may be directed to the Owl's Hill Director by e-mail or at 615-370-4672. Our mailing address is: Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, Inc. Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary is forever a GreenSpace dedicated to Environmental Education and Research, Restoration of native flora and fauna, Conservation and Protection of natural resources and the Appreciation and Enjoyment of Nature. Owl's Hill is defined through its mission. The role of Owl's Hill within the community at large therefore becomes an increasingly important one with every passing year. Here on this site, protected forever, people can connect with nature, wildlife species can survive and fragile forest ecosystems can heal and replenish. This year Owl's Hill begins an exciting new cycle of life as an independent non-profit. With the continued support of our many friends, neighbors and donors we will continue to implement our mission, expand our vision and meet the challenges of our bright new future. Your donation ensures our stability and longevity. We value your donation as an investment in future generations of forests and wildlife at Owl's Hill. Your donation insures that there still is a place where children will connect with both forever. Owl's Hill has a very small paid staff, but we are fortunate to have a strong, active volunteer staff. Most volunteers serve as Trail Guides for school and scout programs, but many also assist with gardening, woodwork, nestbox trail monitoring, weekend programs and many other activities. Trail Guide Program
Master Naturalist, Dr. Kenneth Johnson, leads a September class of Trail Guide Trainees on a plant study walk. Owl's Hill hosts hundreds of groups each year for interpretive programs involving everything from trees to Bluebirds. Tours are led by our trained Trail Guides, Naturalist Docents and Master Naturalists. Training sessions for new Trail Guides are held twice a year, in September and January. Each session includes three meetings which combine a short lecture/discussion class with a hike. Volunteers may also begin at any time during the year by arranging to shadow experienced guides and then attending the next training session. New Guides receive an Owl's Hill notebook with articles covering various nature topics and the Sanctuary policies. Potential Trail Guides should have a love of the outdoors and a desire to share that love with others. The physical ability for light to moderate hiking is desirable, although not necessary. Many programs have lecture, craft or literary components which can be led by volunteers who do not wish to hike. Of course due to the responsibility involved, all Trail Guides must be at least 21 years old and agree to a background check. 
A January Trail Guide class studies the trees on the ridge. Photo by Catherine Gain To maintain an active status as a Trail Guide, volunteers must lead 8 weekday tours or 6 weekday tours and 1 weekend program in the autumn and again in the spring. Guides choose their own assignments to suit their personal schedules and interests. Trail Guides with additional training may qualify for the Naturalist Docent and Master Naturalist designations. Although new Guides are added year round, we do ask that each one attend a Trail Guide training program as soon as possible. This program is offered in mid-September and again in mid-January. The next Trail Guide training program is September 8, 9 and 10 of 2008 from 9 am to 12:30 pm. New guides should plan to attend all three sessions. Other Volunteer Opportunities
Sue Ansley checks a Bluebird Box.
While Trail Guides make up the majority of our volunteers, many people help in other ways. During the nesting season, our nestboxes must be monitored on a weekly basis and the information forwarded to the Cornell Nestbox Project. Volunteers have assisted with this project since its inception, including the building and cleaning of boxes. Owl's Hill maintains several garden areas around the Visitor Center and a Butterfly Garden at the edge of the meadow. Much of the maintenance in these gardens is done by volunteers. Other projects handled by volunteers include "spring cleaning", bulk mailings, and preparing new teaching exhibits. It requires many skills to keep a nature sanctuary operating smoothly. We welcome your assistance. RECYCLE! Cans to Cash to Mice Many friends of Owl's Hill have discovered our Cans to Cash to Mice program. Started by John B. Thomison as part of a Boy Scout Hornaday Award project, this program supplements the food budget for our live exhibits while involving the community in an Earth-friendly recycling project. Friends of Owl's Hill collect and deliver empty aluminum cans to the Sanctuary. These are then recycled for cash to buy food for our live exhibits. If you are interested in participating in this program, contact us. CONTACT US Owls Hill is not open to the public on a walk-in basis. Reservations for our many adult, family, scout, school and home school programs can be made on-line or by telephone. We are on the site from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. While we are often out on the grounds and unable to answer the phone, if you leave a message, we WILL return it. Except for special programs, the Sanctuary is closed to the public on weekends. Do you have a question? Want to make a comment? Contact us by email, by phone at 615-370-4672, by FAX at 615-370-4872, or by snail mail at: Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary |