Volunteering at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute gives you the wonderful opportunity to meet new people and attend and participate in educational programs, all with the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference!
Volunteers, Making an Impact
As a small organization, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute relies on volunteers to help with daily activities and special events. Whether you would like to volunteer on a regular basis or occasionally at special events, we will find an opportunity that fits your interests.
Please fill out the Permission to Obtain Information form and attach it to the volunteer application. Filling out this form is standard procedure to becoming a volunteer at the Institute. Once we have received and processed the form, you will receive a welcome email with a link containing our volunteer opportunities. Your name and email address will be added to our list of volunteers as well as our email list. In the future, you will periodically receive emails, or you could be contacted by one of our staff to be asked to do a specific volunteer job.
Volunteers in Action!
For the past year, PCCI has been tracking the restoration progress of two areas on our property with the help of volunteers. Over an extended period, we monitor how the ecosystem responds to prescribed burns and invasive plant species.
See how the landscape changes in a little over one year (July 2024 to October 2025) in the videos above!
Thank you to all volunteers who took photos and contributed to this crowd-sourced record of change. Get involved by visiting PCCI and signing up to become a volunteer today!
The Stewardship Experience
Join the Stewardship Department to collect and clean native seeds or to do other stewardship work. Participants may learn about plant identification, seed collection, seed processing, or invasive plant removal. Exact details will be sent before each event date. Please wear appropriate field clothing and bring water. Gloves and tools will be provided. We may be outside, weather permitting. Please meet inside the Visitors Center.
Questions? Contact Stewardship Coordinator Drew Vandegrift at dvandegrift@cedarcreekinstitute.org.
Click the link below for dates and times for the Stewardship Experience!
Have a large group or business that is interested in volunteering?
We have opportunities to host large volunteer groups at PCCI. Fill out the Google form linked below, and we will find a service project that fits your group!
Community Science
There are many options to choose from. Find one that fits your schedule, interests, and abilities.
Get Involved with Community Science!
Photo Monitoring
Help PCCI monitor our restoration efforts and document changes in our ecosystems by taking photos year-round at two locations on the property. We are tracking how two ecosystems respond to prescribed burns and invasive plant species removal: a former field restored to native tallgrass prairie (behind the Visitor Center’s deck) and a former pasture restored to a native sand prairie (along Cedar Creek Trail). Place your phone or camera horizontally into the bracket above the sign. Take a photo. Follow the instructions on the sign to easily submit your photo. All photos are compiled into a crowd-sourced time-lapse video that will help PCCI monitor the ecosystem’s recovery.
Bird Projects
Help us understand Michigan’s bird populations by tracking how habitat, predators, and competitors affect their reproductive biology.
Birdhouse Brigade
Monitor our birdhouses once or twice a month from April to August to document the bird species using the birdhouses and the number of eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings present. This project involves hiking about 1.5 miles on uneven terrain. Average time per visit is approximately 2 hours.
Purple Martin Watch
Monitor our Purple Martin house once or twice a month from April to July to track purple martin reproduction (number of eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings). Average time per visit is approximately 30-60 minutes.
Water Quality Projects
Help us understand Michigan’s bird populations by tracking how habitat, predators, and competitors affect their reproductive biology.
Barry County Water Quality Monitoring Program (BCWQMP)
Do you live on a lake and want to know more about the health of your lake? The Barry County Water Quality Monitoring Program aims to support lake residents and community members in actively promoting the health of inland lakes by monitoring changes in water quality over time. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute is proud to partner with Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) and its Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) to train volunteers to collect water-quality measurements in their lakes. Collect lake water-quality measurements at least 8 times between May and September. Average time per outing is approximately 30-60 minutes, depending upon which parameters you measure. Must have access to a boat and attend a free training in April.
Stream Monitoring
PCCI partners with the Barry Conservation District to monitor water quality in the Thornapple River Watershed. See project description and sign up for sampling other streams here: https://www.barrycd.org/waterways/water-quality
Learn how to collect and identify macroinvertebrates in various streams around Barry County (macro - big enough to be seen by the naked eye, invertebrate - animal without a backbone). Because some macroinvertebrates are highly sensitive to pollution, their presence or absence is a good indication of stream health.
The average time commitment is approximately 3 hours per monitoring session (once in the spring (April) and once in the fall (September)).
Want to Get Started?
Fill out our volunteer application and indicate your interest in volunteering for our community science projects.
Already a volunteer or have questions? Fill out our Google Form using the button below and let us know what projects you are interested in.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
- Community Programs and Education: At the Institute we provide a variety of community and educational programs including: workshops, hikes, field trips, and classes. These programs all require additional support by volunteers.
- Public Relations: Help organize and promote programs through graphic design work.
- Reception/Gift Shop/Bulk Mail: Help out with the cash register, phones, large mailings or perform general office work.
- Land Stewardship: Help steward the land by planting, digging, chopping and burning.
- Facility Assistant: Assist our Facility Manager with scheduled work.
- Facility Rental/Group Visit/Brunch: Assist with kitchen prep, set-up and guest services.
Don't see your interest here? Call us and we'd love to talk with you about your specific volunteer interests.
To sign-up and learn more information, please contact:
Barb Matyasic, Guest Services and Graphic Design Coordinator
Phone: 269-721-4191
Email: bmatyasic@cedarcreekinstitute.org