Eco-Buddy Volunteers are responsible for maintaining the monarch gardens and kindergarten trees on their respective elementary school property in Anne Arundel County. The monarch gardens are an integral part of the first-grade curriculum. They contain milkweed and nectar flowers to support the monarchs throughout their lifecycle. First-grade classrooms raise caterpillars and then release the butterflies in the garden. Each kindergarten class plants a tree as part of the Trees are Terrific program. The trees, hopefully, do not require as much attention as the garden. Once the gardens are well established, most of the work involves weeding and trimming seasonally. 

When a volunteer decides to participate, the Environmental Literacy & Outdoor Education office provides education and training. We also establish communication between the school and the Eco Buddy. Eco-Buddies are not required to interact with the students, nor are the teachers required to include the Eco-Buddy in curriculum-based activities unless both are willing. Eco-Buddy Volunteers are required to pass a commercial background check with AACPS and keep it up to date every 2 years. They are responsible for logging and reporting their monthly hours to the volunteer coordinator at Arlington Echo.

Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at Volunteer-ELOE@aacps.org or 410-222-3822 if you have any questions. 

If your school is need of an Eco-Buddy and you know of a parent or another individual who is interested, feel free to send them a copy of the flyer above or send them to our volunteer interest form. Once they have filled it out our Volunteer Coordinator will get them set up with an orientation and materials to get them started.