Help the NYSBS by Volunteering
Trail Monitoring | SC/CC/BA Program | Empire Farm Days | Other Projects
Route 11 and Route 20 Trail Monitoring
Assistance is needed on all sections of the two NYSBS-Sponsored trails.
The Rt. 20 trail consists of nest boxes placed from the eastern border of New York State at the Massachusetts line to the western border of New York State at the Pennsylvania border. The trail needs volunteer monitors for all of the counties in which Rt. 20 passes through. If you would like to help restore and monitor a section of this trail, please contact the trail coordinator at .
The Route 11 trail runs from the northern border of New York State at the Canadian border to the southern border of New York State with Pennsylvania. It also includes a section of Essex County. If you would like to volunteer to monitor a section of this trail in the counties of Broome, Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego or Jefferson, contact the southern portion of the trail’s coordinator at . If you would like to volunteer to monitor a section of this trail in one of these counties: St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton or Essex, then contact the northern trail coordinator at
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Please include in your e-mail the following information:
- Your Name
- Your address including your County
- Email address
- Phone No.
Note: Rt. 11 does not pass through Essex County. This Essex County trail was added on to the “Rt. 11” trail several years ago.
State Coordinator/County Coordinator/Bluebird Ambassador Program
The New York State Bluebird Society has a volunteer State Coordinator(SC)/County Coordinator(CC)/Bluebird Ambassador(BA) program. The State Coordinator, oversees the CC’s and BA’s in their assigned area of the state. This is an on-going program. The original volunteers were recruited in early 1996 and the Coordinator Committee, with Jim Kunz as chairman, began its work in the Summer of 1996. It was expanded in 2007, with Judy Derry as State Coordinator. The program has been successful as it provided local contacts for information on the conservation of bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds.
The goal of the SC/CC/BA program is to strengthen our conservation efforts where there are County Coordinators and Bluebird Ambassadors and expand our membership in every county of New York State. The keys to this objective are providing our members and potential members with information, education, training and nest box suppliers. Every SC/CC/BA has been given a link to a digital Handbook that provides the program members with basic information on Eastern Bluebirds, along with the history of the organization, a contact listing, articles on How to Write a News Article, Sample News Releases, forms and handouts along with other resources for programs. The Handbook can help the CC or BA answer questions along with promoting membership in the NYSBS.
In order to become a SC/CC or BA, you need to be a member of NYSBS. New volunteers are given the resources necessary to assist in educating others about bluebirds (and other cavity nesters). By educating people outside the organization about bluebirds through programs and memberships, we hope to expand the membership in NYSBS, and with that, the resources to help others interested in bluebirds and other cavity nesters.
The SC/CC/BA volunteers are supported by the NYSBS’s Officers, Board Members, Committee Chairmen and the Speakers’ Bureau.
A brief description of each position follows.
The State Coordinator provides leadership and management of the entire County Coordinator and Bluebird Ambassador Program. This individual is a person who has knowledge and enthusiasm about bluebirds and other cavity nesters and is willing to promote programs and develop quality information to support those programs.
The County Coordinator position, under the direction of the SC, provides leadership for programs and activities of the NYSBS in their assigned county. The CC is the primary source of information about the Eastern Bluebird for many people in NYS. This individual is a person who has knowledge and enthusiasm about bluebirds and other cavity nesters and is willing to promote and share quality information furnished by the NYSBS. The County Coordinator is the representative of NYSBS in the assigned county.
The Bluebird Ambassador (BA) is a source of information about the Eastern Bluebird for people in local neighborhoods. This individual is a person who has knowledge and enthusiasm about bluebirds and other cavity nesters and is willing to promote and share quality information furnished by the NYSBS. The Bluebird Ambassador is a source of local information and support for the County Coordinator; they represent NYSBS in the many neighborhoods throughout NYS. The Bluebird Ambassador position is overseen by the County Coordinator and/or State Coordinator. At the discretion of the CC and/or SC there may be one or more BAs in a county.
All positions require membership in NYSBS.
If you have a question about bluebirds, contact your local representative, preferably your CC or BA or you may contact one of our members at . If they cannot answer your question, they will find someone who can.
If you would like to become a County Coordinator or Bluebird Ambassador, or would like further information, please contact Sarah at .
The NYSBS mans a booth at Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls in early August each year. The event runs from Tuesday through Thursday and volunteers are needed to help man the booth. The shifts are usually split into the morning or the afternoon, but we can be willing to work with the volunteers’ availability. The booth is educational and provides some income for the society through the sale of merchandise. It is a great experience and you come away from it with the feeling that not only did you help to teach others about bluebirds but that you learned from their experiences. Please contact Sarah Hodder if you are interested in helping out. She can be reached at ()
The NYSBS occasionally needs help with various short-term projects such as staffing NYSBS Exhibits, or helping out at another local NYSBS program. If you’d like to add your name to our pool of possible volunteers, contact Sarah at , and include your name, contact information, and the county or area you live in.