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Manomet’s volunteers amplify the impact that Manomet has on the world. Manomet has volunteers throughout the western hemisphere and they assist us with shorebird research, gardening, education, and so much more.
Kathy Lyons is a certified Massachusetts Master Gardener whose greatest interest is in Native Plant Gardening, making her the perfect volunteer for Manomet’s Garden for Wildlife. Kathy generously donates a few hours every week throughout the season, not only gardening but also recruiting and coordinating a team of students from the Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association (MMGA) to work along-side her. In 2019, Manomet was awarded a $250 grant from MMGA due to Kathy’s efforts. Her gentle, warm spirit brings a ray of sunshine to the garden whenever she’s there. We are so very grateful to her and her team of MMGs. “She is such a gem and so dedicated to Manomet,” says Kim Goggin, Manomet’s Administrative Coordinator and Master Gardener.
To know where conservation is needed—and if initiatives have been effective—shorebird scientists require a broad understanding of species populations and trends. In 1974, Manomet organized the volunteer-based International Shorebird Survey (ISS) to gather information on shorebirds and the wetlands they depend on. Through the work of dedicated volunteers like Antônio Coimbra de Brum of Brazil, the ISS provides hemispheric data on shorebirds. “Migratory shorebirds thrill me,” says Coimbra de Brum. “I decided to become an ISS volunteer to help protect migratory shorebirds and try to change the behavior of those that impact coastal habitat ecosystems that are of key importance to these long-distance travelers.”
Paulo Frederico Oliveira is another ISS volunteer in Brazil. “The idea that these small, winged beings travel such long distances to spend part of their lives close to where I live motivated me to contribute to monitoring these migratory species. Bird watching is a way to connect with nature. To be able to do that and contribute to a scientific program at the same time is even better!”
Tom Dolloff graduated from the University of Southern Maine last spring and volunteers with U360 “so I can pass on my experience with the program and guidance to enter the professional world knowing I am helping create the next generation of sustainability leaders.”