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The FOI volunteer can assist with visitor services and/or refuge upkeep.The FOI volunteer chooses a 4 hour morning or afternoon shift, weekday or weekends, on our online calendar. Two volunteers cover each shift.The FOI volunteer receives training from the U.S. Wildlife Refuge at a recommended live training session, date to be announced for 2027, at the Joseph Trapasso Community House, Department of Recreation & Parks, or at anytime, with our online training option.For questions about training or volunteering, you can also contact USFWS visitor services manager Sean Healy by email at sean_healy@fws.gov

The mission of Save the Sound is to protect and improve the land, air, and water of the whole Long Island Sound region. We use legal and scientific expertise and bring people together to achieve results that benefit our environment for current and future generations.Our vision is of a Connecticut and New York where the vitality of nature will be protected for people and wildlife, now and for many decades to come. A region in which citizens from all walks of life can unite in transforming struggling habitats, polluted waters, endangered wildlife, and a threatened planet into resilient, healthy, vibrant, and inspiring places that sustain communities.Ready to get your hands dirty? As a volunteer, there are many ways you can restore Long Island Sound’s shores and water quality and protect the land, air, and waters of your region. These include rain garden installations, event support, water quality monitoring, river and coastal cleanups, etc.

Needed! Skilled Volunteer Repairers! A Repair Café is an event that brings together volunteers who offer their skill to make simple repairs of everyday items. Repairers bring their own tools, and the owner of each item signs a liability waiver. It's a great way to lend a hand to neighbors and reduce what goes in our landfills. What kind of repairs? Electrical—small appliances, lamps; Electronics; Mechanical devices - clocks, toys, bicycles; Jewelry—tangles, clips, soldering; Sewing—hems, tears, buttons, etc.; Tool sharpening; Wooden items—boxes, chairs, etc. New repair categories can be created to match your skill. How Often? Two three-hour events a year – Spring and Fall. Saturday afternoons, 2:00 -5:00 pm. Co-sponsors Sustainable Guilford & Repair Café—Branford. What’s the Café? Free hospitality for those who might have to wait their turn. Coffee and conversation with neighbors – it’s a nice way to wait! Participation is growing! Your skill is needed! Please contact us today! Thank you.

We are citizens from all walks of life with an interest in protecting the environment and serving the public.  Volunteer to be a Friend of Outer Island. Our Mission is to:- Preserve the natural resources of Outer Island- Provide environmental education and wildlife dependent recreation- Assist with maintenance and improvement of island facilitiesWe support the National Refuge System. The National Wildlife Refuge System is in crisis. Threats to refuges are growing, while staffing and funding for key conservation programs are diminishing. Friends of Outer Island volunteer their time to assist in the upkeep of the refuge and provide visitor services.We are a member of the Stewart B. McKinney NWR Coalition, an umbrella organization that advocates for the entire refuge.Volunteers participate as often as they like, weekdays and weekends for four hour shifts, during the open season on Outer Island between May and October.Volunteers can choose to casually welcome, guide, and/or educate the visiting public; do light maintenance of the island areas; seasonal plantings; and participate in the wildlife educational programs hosted for public schools. See the "Roles" tab for more information.Ferry transport to and from Outer Island is provided. For more information, you can contact USFWS visitor services manager, Sean Healy by email at sean_healy@fws.gov