Delaware Museum of Natural History Seeks High School Aged Volunteers

The Delaware Museum of Natural History is offering a new "Discovery Corps" initiative for high school students in grades 10 through 12 to fulfill community service requirements while learning about nature and science. Opportunities include live animal handlers, "Science in Action Lab" demonstrators, and natural history instructors and craft assistants at special events.

Commitment:
Discovery Corps members must be available for a minimum of six special event shifts during the school year. In addition, participants should attend short monthly meetings from October through April to gain instruction in natural science topics and assist in the planning of special events. The museum seeks a commitment of 20 to 40 hours per year from each member of the Discovery Corps.

Note: The Delaware Museum of Natural History is a nonprofit organization and hours spent volunteering can typically be used to meet community service requirements.

To Apply:
website
(under the "About Us: Volunteer" heading)
or
Contact:
Ms. Terri Reed Director of Human Resources and Visitor Services
Delaware Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 3937
Wilmington, DE 19807
treed@delmnh.org
302-658-9111, ext. 324.

The application deadline is September 30, 2009.

Location:
4840 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19807-1827
(302) 658-2747

*

Winterthur Pet Lovers' Fair! We will be there with Forgotten Cats!

Winterthur Pet Lovers' Fair
November 17, 2007
10 am - 3 pm

Bring your family for a fun day exploring all things pets! Meet interesting animals, learn how to take care of your own pet, hear animal stories, explore the history of pets at Winterthur, and make something to take home.
Included with all admission tickets. Members free.

Be sure to drop by to say hi and check out my kids working with Forgotten Cats!

By now most everyone in the homeschooling community knows about our "pet" project and favorite volunteer organization - Forgotten Cats. My kids love working at the adoption center, helping with the occasional administrative tasks, and volunteering for the various events. We have fostered cats and kittens and ended up adopting quite a few ourselves! Forgotten Cats will be hosting an adoption event as part of Winterthur's Pet Lover's Fair. (See details above.) The kids and I will be there helping out between 12 and 2 on that day. We would love to show off, I mean show off the cats, to our family and friends. This is going to be a wonderful event. We hope you will stop by and say hello!

Pets in America Exhibit
The Story of Our Lives with Animals at Home
11/10/07-1/20/08
Graves & West Galleries
Enjoy this family-friendly look at the history of Americans' relationships with pets from the 1700s to the present! Included with all admission tickets. Members, free.

Admission - Garden Pass
Adults $15
Students/seniors (62+) $13,
Children ages 2-11 $5.

Winterthur
Route 52
(5105 Kennett Pike)
Winterthur DE 19735

Winterthur is located on Rte. 52 in Delaware,
6 miles (9.6 km) northwest of Wilmington;
30 miles (48 km) southwest of Philadelphia, Pa.;
and 5 miles (8 km) south of U.S. Rte. 1

Academy of Natural Sciences: Homeschool Days!

The Academy of Natural Sciences

Below are details of two "Homeschool Days" at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Registration will begin August 13, 2007.

There is also a wonderful volunteer opportunity for homeschool teens!

October 16th, 2007: Weather or Not!

What happens in the fall to the plants and animals in our area? How do species adapt to changes in weather and seasons? Younger students will investigate what causes seasons and weather patterns. They will also compare and contrast the needs of humans as the temperature changes with the needs of species that live in the wild. Older students will investigate the global climate change phenomenon by performing experiments, interpreting graphs, discussing and evaluating data and participating in role-playing activities to understand this important topic.

November 15th, 2007: All in a Day’s Work:

Did you know that wild animals have jobs as well as humans? Younger students will learn what it takes for animals to hold their jobs in nature, such as predator, prey, scavenger, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, diurnal, nocturnal etc. Older students will explore what it takes to become a member of the science community by meeting staff who work here at The Academy of Natural Sciences. The Academy of Natural Sciences has been a leader in the study of the natural world for almost 200 years. Botanists, science teachers, paleontologists and animal keepers are just some of the people who work here at this fantastic institution and older students will get the opportunity to perform some of the tasks that these folks do every day.

Registration will begin August 13, 2007.
No reservations will be taken before this date.

Home school programs at the Academy accommodate children ages 3-14. Each program is a 1/2 day experience and students participate in sessions and activities appropriate for their age group.

Online Registration and additional information:
The Academy of Natural Science

Or you may call: 215-299-1060

Outside-In Opportunities for Home Schooled Teens:

Volunteers are needed in Outside-In. This hands-on children's nature museum offers teen homeschoolers a great opportunity to enhance their study of all sorts of biological and environmental topics. A desire to work with live animals and engage visitors of all ages is key. Minimum age is 14.

Click here for more information about volunteering,

or contact Lois Kuter, Volunteer Coordinator at 215 299-1029 or kuter@ansp.org

Volunteers Needed!

Kittens, Kittens, Kittens Galore!

This is a wonderful time to consider volunteering at one of the adoption centers for Forgotten Cats!

Volunteering in the adoption centers involves talking to passersby to see if they would be interested in giving a home to one of FC’s many adorable homeless cats and kittens. Depending on the shift you volunteer for you may be required to feed and freshen the kitties’ water, scoop their boxes and check on their health. First morning volunteers give the cages a good cleaning to start the day and work begins before the store opens to the public. Last evening volunteers tuck the kitties in for the night.

Although the primary goal is always to find homes, the most fun part is getting to play with the kittens. It is kitten season right now and there are lots of kittens coming through the center. Kittens need interaction with people, adults and kids, so that they don’t get bored and so that they remain social and therefore adoptable.

Homeschoolers have always made up a proud portion of the volunteers at the centers. It is a wonderful way for kids to learn the responsibility and work involved in caring for animals. It is also a wonderful way to just get to spend some time getting to know cats – and kittens!

The Christiana center is very short handed right, so I do hope you will please consider volunteering now. Kids under 16 must work with an adult. You can volunteer together as a family. You will be trained. The kitties in the center have all been altered, have had all their shots and though sometimes a bit scared; they have been socialized before being sent to the center.

The adoption centers are located at both of our area’s PetSmart Stores.
The Brandywine Adoption center is in the Petsmart at the Brandywine Town Center Shoppes. The Christiana Center is in the Petsmart by the Home Depot off Churchman Road.

If you are interested in volunteering you may call John Fedele:
302-475-3282

Or you may send an email to:
info@forgottencats.org

Please be sure include your phone number so John can get right back to you!

Forgotten Cats is dedicated to reducing unwanted cat populations and ending the suffering of homeless cats and kittens, without killing.

For more information about Forgotten Cats: http://www.forgottencats.org

For more information about high school credit and other recognition programs for volunteers:

Delaware Volunteerism Act: http://delcode.delaware.gov/title14/c089a/index.shtml

Delaware Office of Volunteerism:
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/sov/volopps.html

Youth VIP – Volunteers in Service Project
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/sov/youthvip/

Forgotten Cats - Foster Homes Urgently Needed!

Forgotten Cats is dedicated to reducing unwanted cat populations and ending the suffering of homeless cats and kittens, without killing.

FC works with caretakers of feral cat colonies to trap, sterilize and vaccinate, every cat within a colony and then return all the feral adults to their colony, thereby stabilizing the population. This practice, called “Trap, Neuter, Rerelease” or “TNR,” is having enormous success nationwide as a humane alternative for managing feral cat populations. Forgotten Cats also provides necessary medical treatment for sick or injured cats and kittens from these colonies and finds homes for those that are adoptable. FC also provides education about responsibly spaying/neutering pets and assists other rescue groups with their TNR programs.

Volunteers are needed!
Foster Homes are urgently needed, it’s kitten season and temporary homes are needed until a cat, kitten or a litter are ready to be placed in a forever home!

Other areas where volunteers are needed include:
Pet Smart Adoption Center Volunteers
Fundraising Events Vollunteers

For more information about Forgotten cats please visit their website: ww.forgottencats.org
Or call John Fedele at: 302-475-3282



A note about volunteering:

Many highschools require their students engage in some type of volunteering or community service with an eligible not for profit organization. In Delaware students are offered credit towards graduation for their efforts. Colleges look for volunteering and community service on resumes. There are many recognition and award programs for youth volunteers on local, state and national levels. It is a requirement for membership in National Honor Societies. Volunteering for Forgotten Cats meets these requirements and offers unique opportunities for personal growth and responsibility for others.

My kids, my husband and I have all volunteered in some capacity for Forgotten Cats as have other homeschoolers and some very remarkable highschool students that I know. I think it is a wonderful organization. Moreover, I think working with animals in need teaches young people a myriad of lessons that carry over into various areas of the curriculum and more importantly, in life.

Kalmar Nyckel Field Trip!

Avast all ye land lubbers!!!!
On this May 11th past, about 40 adventuresome homeschoolers braved the murky waters and set sail for a 90 minute tour of duty aboard the good ship Kalmar Nyckel. These fledgling sailors learned nautical terms and some vital sailor's superstitions. Hands on training included turning the winch and singing ye ole' traditional sailors' songs for keeping of the rhythm.





















Starbucks is guardian of the starboard side, a seadog most beloved.













The original Kalmar Nyckel was one of America's pioneering colonial ships. Its historical significance rivals that of the Mayflower, yet her remarkable story has never been widely told. She sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638 leaving her passengers to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley, the Colony of New Sweden in present-day Wilmington, Delaware. She made a total of four roundtrip crossings of the Atlantic—more than any other ship of the era.The present day Kalmar Nyckel serves as Delaware’s seagoing goodwill ambassador. She was built by a group of committed citizens to be a continuing witness to the courage and spirit of those individuals who undertook the mid-winter North Atlantic crossing in 1637-1638. The ship is owned and operated by the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers people of all ages a variety of sea and land based learning and recreational experiences. The Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard is located at the East Seventh Street Peninsula, norht of wilmington. Directions and other ports of call are listed on their website.

I think this is a great fieldtrip idea! Booking a student field trip is simple, there is a link on the home page of their web site. Volunteering opportunities and training are also available and public tours abound. The pirate sails look most compelling, arrrrgh!

http://www.kalmarnyckel.org/

Forgotten Cats: Volunteers needed

This is a wonderful organization for homeschoolers to pick up public service/volunteering credit. Forgotten cats is a registered NFP and therefore recognized for state and federal requirements for volunteering credits, reward, academic requirements, etc...

Forgotten Cats is seeking volunteers to work in their adoption center in Christiana. The adoption center is located in the Petsmart located at 1291 Churchmans Road, in the Center Point Shopping Center, across from the Christiana Hospital.

Students must be 16 or older to volunteer on their own. However, those younger than 16 can volunteer along side their parents.

Volunteering at the adoption center is a great way to teach a myriad of values, the importance of volunteering, the responsibility that goes along with caring for other living things. Younger children will learn the hard work along with the
rewards of caring for animals, great way to test the waters before taking the plunge and adopting your own pet!

And volunteering for forgotten cats is not all work - there is of time in your shift to play with and cuddle your new furry feline friends!

For more information contact Gail: gail1220@comcast.net

Skipjack Martha Lewis

The Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy, Inc. needs volunteers onboard the Skipjack Martha Lewis.
No age requirement.
Training Provided.
410-939-4078
or
firstmate@skipjackmarthalewis.org
http://www.skipjackmarthalewis.org/discovery.htm

They also offer opportunities for educational field trips!

Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research

Volunteers are needed to help care for injured wild birds. Volunteers must be 16 or older.
Saturdays: 11am
Tuesdays: 6pm
Tri-State's Frink Center for Wildlife, 110 Possum Hollow Road, Newark, De.
Contact: 302-737-9543
jbartley@tristatebird.org
www.tristatebird.org

Read Aloud Delaware Volunteer Training

Looking for a volunteering opportunity for your homeschooler?
Why not consider being a "Read Aloud" Volunteer?

Volunteers must be 14 or above to volunteer on their own.
They may volunteer younger than 14 when accompanied by and adult.

The next training session is:
Wednesday March 21st at the Bear Library, 101 Governors Place.

Read aloud offers training sessions about 3xs a month.

To find other dates and locations for training sessions visit
their website: www.readalouddelaware.org
The application to become a volunteer is also available on their website.
Or you may call: 656-5256