Volunteer Opportunities
The Invertebrate Club of Southern California is a volunteer-run grassroots nonprofit. Discover opportunities to support our mission through your time in these volunteer roles!
Please apply through the form below. Questions can be emailed to invertclubsocal @ gmail.com.
Description: responsible for posting an iNaturalist observation of the week on Band, the club iNat project, and social media (while making sure to get permission from the observer). Writing one journal entry a month for the club project focused on SoCal native species and conservation. Advertising the club to iNatters and other naturalists through networking with other iNaturalist projects. Other miscellaneous tasks related to marketing the club on iNaturalist such as organizing observation contests.
Requirements: self-starter, capable writer and researcher, experienced with iNaturalist, strong networking skills, able to work without regular reminders, and creative in developing the club’s presence on iNaturalist and member interest in the platform. Interest and experience in photography and/or California invertebrate biodiversity a plus.
Commitment: choosing one observation from the club project each week to write a one-paragraph description about and post to all relevant club platforms. Writing one 300-600 word journal entry a month for the club project about California invertebrate biodiversity or conservation (get creative). Networking as the opportunity arises with other projects and researchers. Other miscellaneous tasks related to the club’s conservation and iNaturalist initiatives. To last one year.
Description: responsible for organizing and attending 3-4 club events in a given region (especially LA, Orange, and San Diego counties) over a timeframe of one year, including all planning (place, time, date, supplies), set-up, break-down, volunteer/vendor coordination (as necessary), and posting a recap on Band.
Requirements: self-starter, good planner with a creative vision for growing the club through interesting events, strong understanding of the invertebrate keeping/studying community, excellent communicator and networker, able to work without regular reminders, detail-oriented, and knows how to organize people and things for a great time.
Commitment: responsible for all aspects of coming up with, getting approval for, planning, and then attending 3-4 events in a region. Event ideas could be meetings, swap meets, bioblitzes, collecting trips, trash clean-ups, or visits to an entomological collection. Planning would involve all aspects of the event itself, including figuring out parking, planning the agenda, inviting guest speakers/vendors, getting permissions, organizing free raffles, and so on as relevant to the specific event. Being at the event would involve making sure the plan is executed, ensuring everyone arrives and that everything runs smoothly. This position requires close communication with other club leaders to prevent double-booking events on the same day and to make sure events properly represent the spirit of the ICSC. To last one year.
Description: responsible for editing various footage of club events together into either a trailer for the club or a few small videos that we can share on Instagram (or both). Also might help with editing some club meeting recordings for posting on the club YouTube channel.
Requirements: experience editing video, access to video editing software (nothing fancy), high standards for quality, a self-starter able to work without frequent reminders, and a creative vision for promoting the club through video.
Commitment: able to edit together videos on an as-needed basis as footage becomes available over the course of one year. First project would be using existing GoPro, phone, and drone footage to craft a 1-3 minute trailer that represents the spirit of the club for YouTube. Further projects as the opportunity arises, but the video editor should also brainstorm ideas for other videos that can further promote the ICSC and push forward its goals of cultivating community, understanding, and conservation.
Description: responsible for getting the numbers about club revenue, expenses, and donations after reptile shows, bug fairs, preorder drives, etc. in order to maintain a record of all flows of money in either Google Sheets or Excel. Responsible for creating clear spreadsheets and charts that clearly highlight gains, losses, and trends over time in order to help leadership to identify the smartest use of club money for things like reptile show tables, business cards, merch, and other materials. Might be asked to make recommendations for the club given its grassroots, unincorporated nature for making best use of what money does come in.
Requirements: experience with accounting techniques, a nous for numbers, excellent skills with Excel/Google Sheets, a commitment to the ICSC’s grassroots, community-based culture, and strong analytical and communication skills to help guide the ICSC’s financial decisions. Experience with nonprofits a plus.
Commitment: getting numbers from Jessiah after reptile shows, other events, and outlays without being reminded to ask, inputting and organizing this information into shared spreadsheets, and discussing with Jessiah and other leadership the results. Must be prepared to answer questions and brainstorm ways to best use money made from reptile shows and other events. To last one year.
