Volunteer On-Campus

Skidmore’s Sustainability Office and groups throughout Saratoga Springs have opportunities for Skidmore students and faculty to get involved. Here are some great ways to spend your time making a difference in the community!

Skidmore Compost Parties

On Friday’s our managers host work parties to collect, shovel, and turn food waste into rich compost.  Please email compost@shorinji-kempo.net to RSVP to an upcoming work party by 5 pm the Thursday before the work party. Volunteers will receive a confirmation email and information on where to meet the managers. We will provide gloves and sanitizer to all volunteers. To read more about Skidmore’s composting program click here. 

Skidmore Community Garden Parties

Skidmore’s Community Garden hosts work parties during the spring and the fall months. These work parties take place on Sundays 3-5pm and are a great introduction or refresher to the joy of gardening. Our manager will lead activities of seeding, transplanting, harvests, and maintenance. Message the manager via email at garden@shorinji-kempo.net. To learn more about Skidmore’s community garden, click here. 

Skidmore North Woods Work Parties

There are 1-2 work parties and volunteer opportunities in the North Woods each semester. To learn more about upcoming opportunities, email northwoods@shorinji-kempo.net. 

Give+Go

At the end of every year, the Sustainability Office collects students unwanted goods and donates them to people in need. Students can volunteer to help collect these materials at collection locations across campus. Visit our Give+Go webpage for more information. 

Off-Campus Volunteer Opportunities

Pitney Meadows Community Farm

Pitney Meadows is a local farm in Saratoga Springs that seeks “to celebrate and explore agricultural education, healthy food production and recreation on this preserved working farm.” They match volunteers with projects that fit their specific talents and interests. To sign up to volunteer,click this link.

Sustainable Saratoga

“Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources through education, advocacy, and action for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs Area.” People can volunteer their time to support their work on climate and energy, urban forestry, zero waste initiatives, and land use and urban planning. To find volunteer opportunities, click this link.

Bikeatoga

Biketoga seeks to make “functional cycling more convenient, accessible, and safer in and around Saratoga Springs, NY” to promote the environmental, economic, and health-related benefits associated with biking. To find out how to adopt a free bicycle or attend one of their bicycle repair workshops, click here.

Saratoga PLAN

Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) seeks to “preserve the rural character, natural habitats and scenic beauty of Saratoga County, ancestral homelands of the Mohican, Mohawk and Abenaki people, so that these irreplaceable assets are accessible to all and survive for future generations.” Volunteers can work in their office, staff exhibits, maintain trails, plan events, etc. To find their volunteer needs and to sign up, click here.

Wilton Wildlife Reserve and Park

The Wilton Wildlife Reserve and Park seeks to “conserve ecological systems and natural settings while providing opportunities for environmental education and outdoor recreation.” To find out about volunteer opportunities,click here.

Adirondack Mountain Club

Adirondack Mountain Club  “works to protect New York’s wild lands and waters by promoting responsible outdoor recreation and building a statewide constituency of land stewardship advocates.Volunteers can work on things ranging from trail maintenance to citizen science.Click hereto find volunteer opportunities.

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center

The Radix Center is located in downtown Albany and seeks to “promote ecological literacy and environmental stewardship through educational programs based around demonstrations of sustainable technologies.” Learn more about Radix at their webpage.

Soul Fire Farm

Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm that works to upend racism by creating sovereignty in the food system. Soul Fire Farm helps people share skills on sustainable agriculture, natural building, spiritual activism, health, and environmental justice. To register for volunteer opportunities follow this link.

Backstretch Employee Service Team 

Backstretch Employee Service Team works to provide health and social welfare needs of employees at the Saratoga, Aqueduct, and Belmont racetracks. Skidmore’s Sustainability Office works with BEST during Give+Go to get donated goods to people in need. To sign up to volunteer, click this link.