Riverkeeper Roundtable review: Keys to keeping volunteers include knowing your audience and what excites them

Riverkeeper note: The following review of the Feb. 10 Riverkeeper Roundtable was written by Northern Tier Regional Director Emily Shosh. She can be contacted at [email protected].

On Feb. 10, 2025, the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association hosted its second Riverkeeper Roundtable webinar, covering Watershed Volunteerism.

Travis Wingard, the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Coordinator of the PA Wilds Region, presented an overview of the Master Watershed program and the program’s recruitment and retention methods that have proven effective in rural areas.

Wingard’s large, unique region of Master Watershed Steward (MWS) volunteers covers Elk, Cameron, Mckean, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, Jefferson, Clearfield, Centre, Clinton, Forest and Clarion counties. The program was launched in 2013 to increase capacity for watershed protection and functions as a collaborative effort between Penn State Extension, County Conservation Districts, and local environmental organizations. 

As of 2023, the program has supplied 144,00 volunteer hours and planted more than 75,000 trees. In addition, the ground has offered rain barrel classes, invasive species control, macroinvertebrate sampling, organizing educational events and more.

“We want to give the power to the volunteers,” Wingard said. While some volunteer opportunities are already existing projects needing additional support, “some opportunities we actively go out and pursue."

All volunteers are trained virtually through a 40-hour program which costs $125, with scholarships available. Training topics include but are not limited to: water chemistry, native and invasive plants, flooding, wildlife, climate, geology and steam ecology. Volunteer hours and continuing education credits are required on a yearly basis to remain an active volunteer.

Wingard stressed that “we want to build a program where volunteers are actually enjoying themselves and excited to get out there, do things and learn. I noticed very early on that I needed to run this program differently than other programs in the state, given how remote we are.”

With that remoteness comes several other challenges and considerations. While the PA Wilds volunteers still do many projects for partners, the program has grown to be very volunteer-based - focused on what projects volunteers want to see in their communities. Wingard stressed that choice and ownership of the projects is key to successful volunteering experiences.

Wingard also mentioned several other common issues in rural volunteering and some solutions, one being knowing the audience and matching language and messaging to the audience.

“When you replace mainstream language with ‘heritage,’ ‘generations,’ ‘preserving,’ ‘hunting’ and ‘fishing’ - you really need to have the message resonate with that audience. You really need to pay attention to what that audience is,” Wingard shared. 

In terms of recruitment, Wingard often identifies areas of weaker representation to engage with. This sometimes occurs when an organization needs volunteers in an area where none seem to exist. Wingard thus works to build up a volunteer base to fill the need.

Promotions are kept “local and smart” and in different physical and technological formats that cast a wide net. Wingard also recommends knowing the interests and skills of each individual volunteer as a means to guide their experience and help steer volunteers to the right volunteering opportunities.

Read a recap of Master Watershed Steward accomplishments in 2024 here.

One more wintertime Riverkeeper Roundtable is scheduled, for Monday, March 3, looking at grant-writing success and pitfalls. Learn more and register for this Zoom session by clicking here.

Check out a full recording of the Feb. 10, 2025, Riverkeeper Roundtable discussion here:​