Nature Guides
Guiding Field Trips
Join our team of dedicated volunteers and become a Nature Guide with us! Share your knowledge and love of the outdoors with local elementary students. In spring and fall of each year, Mount Pisgah Arboretum offers a free training program for volunteers interested in becoming Nature Guides. The goal of this program is to make the students’ classroom science education come alive out on the trails and reconnect them to the natural world.
Time/Commitment: Discovery Tours field trips happen Tuesday-Friday 9:30-11:30am. Nature Guides are asked to lead a minimum of one morning tour per week during the school program (mid-April through mid-June in spring and late September through early November in fall).
New Guide Training: Training for new Nature Guides begin every year in March and September. Training sessions are free and cover natural history, basic plant and animal ID, storytelling, environmental education games and activities, teaching techniques and group management on the trails. Guides are provided with a comprehensive training manual and will shadow an experienced guide at least once before leading a walk on their own.
Arboretum walks scheduled for the general public are free for nature guides and nature guide trainees! These walks are excellent opportunities to increase your knowledge of the natural history of the area.
To RSVP or for more details, contact Sara Spoden, Education Manager at 541-741-4110 or [email protected]
Outdoor Education Internship
(2 – 4 credit internships available)
Get outside. Work with kids. Share your love of the outdoors!
Engage with students and community members in the outdoors at Mount Pisgah Arboretum! Outdoor Education Interns build on local ecology and science knowledge to lead small groups of elementary aged children on nature walks, curriculum development, and help with festivals and afterschool programs. Training and orientation provided for all interns. Roles can also include aiding with various other natural-resource based projects depending on interest and credit needs. More information here
To apply: Send an email and short cover letter to [email protected]
Must be available: weekday mornings 9am-noon
*Carpooling may be available
Questions? Contact Sara Spoden, Education Manager at (541) 741-4110 or [email protected].
Directions to Mount Pisgah Arboretum: 34901 Frank Parrish Rd. Eugene. Meet at the Education Building. Follow 30th Avenue east, over the I-5 freeway. Follow the signs to the park.