Volunteers
At It Fryske Gea, we are proud of the almost 400 volunteers who help us in our work. Every one of them is an indispensable star with an obvious passion for nature, and an association like It Fryske Gea could not exist without them.
Would you like to know more?
For more information or contact, email the secretariat at info@itfryskegea.nl or call +31 (0)512 381448 (on working days from 08:30 to 12:30 / 13:30 to 17:00).
What volunteers do at It Fryske Gea
Host at De Alde Feanen National Park Visitor Centre
You receive and welcome visitors in a representative way, help them choose between the various sailing trips, canoe trips, walks and cycling rides, sell items from the shop, lend out study material about the various discovery trails, and tell them about all the latest interesting observations in the area.
Excursion volunteer
You take participants on excursions by road, on foot, by bike, in a canoe, in the excursion boat, and sometimes even by bus. You talk about the unusual plants and animals, explain how It Fryske Gea manages the land under its control, and let the participants discover nature themselves; you do everything to make the nature experience as enjoyable as possible.
Skippers for De Blaustirns
Are you hospitable, a real skipper, and licenced to sail a large boat? Then you’re just what we’re looking for, because the best way to explore De Alde Feanen National Park is in ‘De Blaustirns’, our excursion boat! Together with our excursion leaders who sail with you, you will represent the public face of It Fryske Gea.
School programme volunteer / young people
You help provide education for primary schools about nature and the environment. Practical lessons are provided in the educational area in De Alde Feanen National Park Visitor Centre. Even better, you can take a class outside, so that children can really get to grips with nature! As they often say, much more fun than a school trip!
Promotional volunteer
You are part of our promotion team for recruiting new members during open days and other events in the province. During the summer, you drive through Friesland with the special promotional trailer letting those interested know what It Fryske Gea does, and providing information about the natural areas.
Inventory volunteer
You help to monitor the quality of nature data via up-to-date inventory information from the natural areas. Your plant and animal counts help when it comes to drawing up management plans and evaluating policies. This data also guarantees the Natura 2000 status of some areas.
Management volunteer
You make sure that various duck decoys, parks and natural areas are well maintained. Work includes placing reed screens, removing plant growth from catch pipes, removing young trees, clearing cuttings, and cleaning fauna tunnels.
Voluntary supervisor
You supervise the natural areas: you check whether visitors respect the opening rules, talk to walkers who don’t have their dogs on leashes about disturbing nature, and let people know all the do’s and don’ts.
