Becoming a BirdLife Australia volunteer by giving your time can strengthen your local community, save endangered birds and enrich your own life.
Who wouldn’t want to help save these cuties? Photo: Glenn Ehmke.
Volunteering is often described as an act of service, but its rewards flow both ways. Whether you are helping BirdLife Australia through recording sitings of birds, helping with events, or lending your skills to BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds Staff, volunteering creates practical benefits for others while also building connection, confidence and purpose for you, the volunteer.
Friends of the Hooded Plover are a passionate and dedicated group working to protect Hooded Plovers across South Australia. Working under the direction of BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds Program, they assist with delivering Hooded Plover recovery actions by monitoring, gathering data, providing community education and supporting measures to protect the beloved ‘Hoodies’.
Building stronger communities
Volunteers help fill real needs in the places where you live. Your time can support Hooded Plover recovery by educating beach users, making special events possible such as training SLSC members and caring for vulnerable and endangered birds through your observations and recordings. Every hour given contributes to a larger culture of kindness and cooperation.
Improving wellbeing and sense of purpose
Giving time to a cause can lift you own wellbeing by creating a sense of meaning, gratitude, and accomplishment. Research on volunteering has linked it with greater life satisfaction, stronger social connection, and a deeper sense of purpose. For many people, volunteering becomes a positive routine that reminds them their skills and presence matter. Many of the volunteering opportunities with BirdLife Australia’s Beach-nesting Birds Program gets you out in the fresh air, walking and meeting others and all these things have been shown to improve mental health.
Creating friendships and belonging
Volunteer roles bring people together around shared values. They offer a natural way to meet people outside regular circles and feel part of something bigger. This sense of belonging can be especially valuable for people who are new to a community, retired or looking for new social connections.
Making a difference, one small action at a time
Types of roles available There’s a variety of ways you can get involved, counting birds as you walk along the beach or educate future generations about how they can make a difference; there’s a role for everyone! You’ll be guided, trained and supported by staff and experienced volunteers, every step of the way.
Ready to get involved? Start by emailing beachnestingbirds@birdlife.org.au or registering at the Beach-nesting Birds Hub: https://beachvol.birdlife.org.au/
Volunteers enjoying a day on one of our many pristine beaches (this one is Chinaman’s Hat on the Yorke Peninsula in the Dhilba Guuranda Innes National Park.) Photo: Mel Sheedy.