Land Trust 101: Volunteers
Volunteers Make it Happen—Q: How does CPF protect more than 3,800 acres of land, maintain 14 miles of trails, and host over 20 community events each year? A: Our volunteers.
A volunteer team, led by Ken Reger, installs a new trail kiosk at the Gorge Trail Gateway.
From its founding in 1967 by a group of passionate local residents, every aspect of CPF’s work was carried out by volunteers until 2014, when CPF hired its first paid staff member. Today, our staff team is small but mighty. Still, it’s the energy, heart, and dedication of volunteers—140 of you in 2024—that make CPF’s work possible.
At the core of this volunteer network are those who serve on CPF’s Board of Directors and four key committees: Architectural Preservation & Land Use, Development & Community Engagement, Finance, and Land Stewardship. These dedicated individuals prioritize conservation projects, lead fundraising efforts and community events, manage CPF’s finances, and plan trail improvements.
Why Volunteer?
You’ll spend time in beautiful places, meet people who share your love for nature and community, learn new skills, gain experience, and make memories. Whether you have an hour or a season to give, your time and talent help protect the landscapes we all cherish.
Trail stewards work together to remove invasive plants.
Office volunteers prepare a mailing of CPF’s biannual newsletter, the Upland Journal.
Trail Work Thursday volunteers clear dumped trash from a CPF property.
Here’s what our volunteers say:
“While I am volunteering, I get to work with wonderful people from all walks of life, of different ages, with stories and interests, and they are all FUN. I get a lot of personal enjoyment out of that.” –David Beam
“I’ve used CPF trails for many, many years and trained on them. So, when I volunteer, I am giving back to what I love.” –Chary Griffin
“Volunteering with CPF gives me a great excuse to be outside and to use my backhoe!” –Chuck Stormon
“The work we do in addressing preservation in this community—especially related to the natural habitats—is the most important thing that I can imagine.” - Jim Dungey
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
There’s a role for everyone at CPF—whether you love getting your hands dirty outdoors or prefer helping from behind a desk. Here are ways to get involved:
Trail Work Thursdays (last Thursday of the month, April–October) and Stewardship Saturdays offer hands-on opportunities to care for our trails.
Trail stewards adopt a section of trail, walking it regularly, reporting issues, and doing maintenance like trimming brush or removing invasive plants.
Chainsaw-certified sawyers help clear storm damage and downed trees to keep trails safe and accessible.
Winter trail volunteers ensure that the trails are in top condition for skiing and snowshoeing throughout the snowy season.
Alert volunteers monitor local government agendas for topics related to land use and conservation.
Office volunteers lend their skills to help with mailings, digitizing records, organizing materials, and providing critical behind-the-scenes tech support.
History buffs assist with researching Cazenovia’s history for our house sign initiative and for events like Walk Among the Spirits.
Carpenters build and maintain bridges and benches, and craft welcoming trail kiosks.
Event volunteers help plan galas, beloved community traditions like the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, and new events like Music in the Meadow, which help us raise funds to support conservation.
Creative volunteers contribute talents in writing, graphic design, photography and more.
Join Us!
We welcome individuals, families, and groups of all ages to lend a hand. High school students can earn community service hours. All volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
To volunteer, email us at info@cazpreservation.org, or just come to a volunteer event.