Volunteers at the Cable Natural History Museum perform a range of important educational and administrative duties vital to the Museum’s operation.  You don’t need to be an expert to volunteer.  If you’re interested, we’ll find a way to put your gift of time and energy to the best possible use!

Education Programs
Program volunteers assist with Museum programming throughout the year, whether it be leading a program, setting up for an event, teaching a workshop, or helping to support an activity at a Junior Naturalist program.

Special Projects
Volunteers are often required on an as-needed basis for a variety of special projects, such as the Museum Shop support when replenishing inventory, bulk-mailing assistance, exhibit construction and data entry. All Museum departments require occasional assistance with a variety of tasks.

General Office Assistance
Volunteers answer telephones, count Museum visitors, file correspondence, and answer general inquiries.

Data Entry
Volunteers are needed to log our visitor guest book information into a Microsoft Access database.  This project could also be done from home with the appropriate software or can be done in the Museum’s office.  Instruction on logging the information is quite simple and can be taught to those not experienced in Access.

Special Events
Volunteers staff and support a variety of fundraising events through out the year, including exhibit openings, our semi-annual garden tour, annual benefit dinner and silent auction, and benefit dessert lecture.

Museum Docents
Docents receive training about Museum exhibits and collections and are prepared to greet museum visitors and answer their questions about current exhibits and programs. Volunteer docents also may lead interpretive field trips.

Landscape Maintenance
Volunteers help with the care and maintenance of the Mary Griggs Burke Outdoor Classroom and Museum landscaping.  Volunteers assist in maintenance at the Nestle Property and the Forest Lodge Nature Trail.

Archives
Volunteers are needed to archive all past newsletters. The project could be done from home provided the volunteer had appropriate computer knowledge and the appropriate software.  The volunteer would meet with the staff to determine the project format and the necessary information to be included.  This would be a great project for those interested in learning more about the history of the Museum and the natural world.

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Volunteers

Beda McKinney, Volunteer Coordinator
Beda has been a dedicated volunteer and supporter of the Museum for many years.  She is actively involved in many community projects and knows the Cable community well.

The volunteer coordinator at the Museum is itself a volunteer position.  As coordinator, Beda helps the Museum line up volunteers to work at our programs and events, assist with administrative duties, and fill in when regular staff members cannot.

Glenn and Claire Laedtke, Volunteer Museum Shop Managers

In 2007, Glenn and Claire collectively volunteered over 410 hours of their time to help see that the Museum Shop would succeed. That’s over two months of time, effort, and work! For 20 years, the Laedtkes have been members and volunteers at the Museum.  Claire describes their involvement with the Museum, “We have helped in a variety of ways: at benefit events, as docents, and even with envelope stuffing.  In recent years we have preferred helping at the Dragonfly Store, now called the Museum Shop.”

Glenn and Claire have played a significant and leading roll in establishing the Museum Shop in the Museum’s current space.  This past year the Laedtkes were involved with packing and moving the original inventory from the Dragonfly to the Museum’s temporary Museum location; organizing volunteers to staff the Museum Shop; establishing operating systems, business records and reports; and seeking some new inventory with a restricted budget.  They are currently focusing on layout; sourcing fixtures and merchandise; and volunteer staffing for the Museum Shop in the new Museum building.  The Museum staff is extremely grateful for all the time and hard work that Glenn and Claire have put into the Museum Shop. Truly, they have made the Museum Shop what it is today. 

To learn more about volunteering at the Cable Natural History Museum, contact us.