Resource Library:
Small conservation organizations face many of the same challenges, and run into many of the same questions. From volunteer management to board development, half the battle can simply be finding the right information. With this in mind, the Conservation Stewardship Collaborative and the Land and Water Partnership have collaborated to create this resource library of materials and links for conservation organizations in Rhode Island.
Items marked with a 
are particularly recommended as the most useful sites or documents within a given category, usually because they provide thorough but general coverage of the topic.
The library includes documents in Microsoft Word format, so they are easily adaptable for your use, and in Adobe Acrobat format, in case you cannot open Word documents. There are also some documents in Microsoft Excel format and many links to websites with useful resource materials. To access the documents for a particular topic, click on the plus sign next to the heading, and then click on the Word, Excel, or PDF link to open the document in each format, or click on the "website" link to go to the website. Once you have opened a Word or Excel document, make sure to save it to your own computer if you want to edit it. Changes you make will be lost if you do not save a copy of the document to your own computer.
If you have suggestions or have documents you would like to contribute, please contact us!
- Baseline Documentation/ Property Inventory
- Data Collection
- Collection of Internet Map Servers with Rhode Island data (website)
Source: NarrBay.org
- Collection of RI Internet Map Servers: Environmental Resource Map, Topo Map and Aerial Photo Finder, and Brownfields Map (website)
- Digtal Atlas of RI containing natural resource data and maps (website)
Source: University of Rhode Island
- Natural Communities of Rhode Island by Rick Enser (PDF)
- Soil maps and data (website)
- Technical Tools for Conservation Restriction Stewardship: Includes sections on digital cameras, GPS units, GIS, aerial photography, topographic maps, boundary location. (PDF)
Source: Mass Audubon
- Collection of Internet Map Servers with Rhode Island data (website)
- A Landowner's Guide to New England Cottontail Habitat Management (PDF)
Source: Environmental Defense Fund
- Baseline documentation checklist (website)
- Baseline Documentation for Protected Lands, A presentation from The 2008 Land and Water Conservation Summit by Scott Ruhren and Carol Lynn Trocki (PDF)
- Baseline Documentation Using the CSC Protocol: Example from the Ballard Property in Portsmouth (PDF)
- Baseline Documentation Using the CSC Protocol: Example from the Bradner Preserve in Richmond (PDF)
- Baseline Documentation Using the CSC Protocol: Example from the Hopkins Property in Foster (PDF)
- Baseline Documentation Using the CSC Protocol: Example from the Ray Preserve in Westerly (PDF)
- CE and Baseline documentation report form (PDF)
- Collection of LTA publications on Baseline Documentation: Baseline Documentation and Monitoring: Keys to a Successful Future Defense; "Baseline Documentation" from Model Conservation Easement and Historic Preservation; Appendices A and B from The Conservation Easement Stewardship Guide; etc. (PDF)
Source: Gathering Waters Conservancy
- Inventorying, Monitoring, and Managing Natural Resources on Conservation Lands, a RI Conservation Stewardship Collaborative manual by Scott Ruhren, Audubon Society of Rhode Island (PDF)
- Model Baseline Documentation Report prepared by Carol Lynn Trocki, from 2008 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
- Rhode Island Ecological Communities Classification Guide, prepared by Rick Enser in 2011 to help people with detailed mapping of ecological communities for various conservation needs in Rhode Island. This Guide establishes a nomenclature that can capture details of the nature and status of ecological communities and provide commonly understood terms that foster comparisons, generalizations, and other analytical statements benefiting communication and planning for any land conservation or management purpose. (PDF)
- Sample content for a baseline documentation report (website)
- Stewardship Plans for Conservation Sites by James Gass and Jonathan Twining, a presentation from the 2008 Land and Water Conservation Summit. Includes section on Baseline Documentation (online data and physical investigations for specific habitats) (PDF)
- Data Collection
- Clean Up Projects
- American Rivers tip-sheet on planning a river clean up (PDF)
Source: American Rivers
- This guidebook from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists is a great resource for planning clean-up projects. It covers the actual planning, leading volunteers at the event, and safety tips. (PDF)
- American Rivers tip-sheet on planning a river clean up (PDF)
- Donor/Member Management Materials (incl. Salesforce Tip Sheets and Recipes)
- Donor/Member Recruitment and Retention
- Getting the Most from Your Annual Appeal, a presentation by Gayle Gifford and Jonathan Howard of Cause & Effect, Inc. on October 8, 2009 (PDF)
Source: Cause & Effect; Inc.
- Sample appeal letter drafts from The Barrington Land Conservation Trust, with feedback from Cause & Effect, Inc. (PDF)
Sources: Barrington Land Conservation Trust, Cause & Effect; Inc.
- Sample appeal letter drafts from the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, with feedback from Cause & Effect, Inc. (PDF)
Sources: Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, Cause & Effect; Inc.
- Getting the Most from Your Annual Appeal, a presentation by Gayle Gifford and Jonathan Howard of Cause & Effect, Inc. on October 8, 2009 (PDF)
- Salesforce Recipes
- Overview of 'recipes' used for reports in Salesforce. From a presentation on donor/member retention prepared by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. This overview includes tips on using Salesforce to create these reports and it includes Gayle's 'top data picks' for conducting an assessment of your organization's fundraising history. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Part 1 of 'recipes' for reports in Salesforce. From a presentation on donor/member retention prepared by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. Part 1 includes instructions for creating donor pyramids for the past two years by donation count and donation amount along with instructions for converting this information into pie charts and stacked bar charts. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Part 2 of 'recipes' for reports in Salesforce. From a presentation on donor/member retention prepared by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. Part 2 includes instructions for creating LYBNT and SYBNT reports for the past two years or more years. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Parts 3 to 8 discuss extracting information from Salesforce and other sources as mentioned in a presentation on donor/member retention prepared by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. Parts 3 to 8 includes tips on preparing the remaining items on 'Gayle's Top Data Picks' list including: Last Year's Income by Gift Type and Donor Type, Last Year's and All Year's Donors by Town and Zip, Last Year's New and Dropped Donors and Total Donors/Members. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Overview of 'recipes' used for reports in Salesforce. From a presentation on donor/member retention prepared by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. This overview includes tips on using Salesforce to create these reports and it includes Gayle's 'top data picks' for conducting an assessment of your organization's fundraising history. (PDF)
- Salesforce Tip Sheets
- Tip Sheet 1: Manual Data Entry of Contacts and Accounts in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 2: Entering Donations including Membership Renewals into Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 3: Using Campaign and Event History in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 4: Entering Organization Accounts and Using Contact Affliations in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 5: Tracking Volunteers including Land Tracker App within Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 6: Entering Mailing Options in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 7: Adding a Contact Data Field in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Tip Sheet 1: Manual Data Entry of Contacts and Accounts in Salesforce (Word)(PDF)
- See the donor/member management page on this website for more information on the Land and Water Partnership's program to help conservation organizations with management of their membership programs and donor relations. (website)
- Fund Raising Performance and Methods, a presentation by David Francis at a workshop on donor/member management software on October 7, 2008 (PDF)
Source: Westerly Land Trust
- How Software can Improve your Organization, a presentation by Claudia Swain at a workshop on donor/member management software on October 7, 2008 (PDF)
Source: South Kingstown Land Trust
- Part 1 of a presentation on donor/member retention using a customer relationship database (CRM) such as Salesforce. Presented by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. Part 1 looks at the data and information management needs, and getting started; and provides two examples. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Part 2 of a presentation on donor/member retention using a customer relationship database (CRM) such as Salesforce. Presented by Helen Hersh Tjader as part of a collaborative workshop with Gayle Gifford. Part 2 looks at conducting an assessment of your fundraising history using a CRM database. (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Procrastinator's Guide to Year-end Fundraising, an article posted on the Network for Good website. (website)
Source: Network for Good
- Using a Salesforce Database to Build Membership & Donations (Part 1), a presentation by by Helen Tjader at the 2009 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Using a Salesforce Database to Build Membership & Donations (Part 2), a presentation by by Helen Tjader at the 2009 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
Source: Acorn Nonprofit Solutions
- Donor/Member Recruitment and Retention
- Easement and Property Monitoring
- A Guide to Conservation Easement Monitoring: frequency, scheduling, procedure, follow-up (PDF)
- Annual Report Form for Property Monitoring (Word)(PDF)
- Basic map and compass skills (PDF)
- Collection of LTA resources on Conservation Easements: Creation, Stewardship & Enforcement Funds (PDF)
Source: Gathering Waters Conservancy
- Detailed guidance on Easement Monitoring (Word)
Source: Land Trust Alliance
- Easement monitoring checklist (website)
- Informational booklet given to landowners of Conservation Easements (PDF)
- Sample Conservation Easement Enforcement Policy (PDF)
Source: Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- Sample document for Conservation Easement owners to use to welcome new land owners (PDF)
- Sample Monitoring Procedure (website)
Source: Ten Towns Committee (New Jersey)
- Sample newsletter sent to landowners of Conservation Easements - gives updates, info on stewarship issues, monitoring schedules, case studies (PDF)
- Stewardship by Property Number Spreadsheet (Excel)
- Stewardship Volunteer Info Update Form (Word)(PDF)
- Technical Tools for Conservation Restriction Stewardship: Includes sections on digital cameras, GPS units, GIS, aerial photography, topographic maps, boundary location. (PDF)
Source: Mass Audubon
- Forest Management
- A Stewardship Handbook for Family Forest Ownerships: A Handbook For Planning, Managing and Protecting Your Woods. Intro to forest stewardship and management concepts (PDF)
- Collection of forest stewardship publications for the northeast (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Comprehensive collection of web-based resources (publications, brochures, fact sheets) for woodlot owners in the Northeastern US (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Detailed descriptions of the elements of a forest management plan (PDF)
- Guide to writing forest stewardship plans (PDF)
Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension
- How to develop and implement a forest stewardship plan (PDF)
Source: US Forest Service
- Intro to managing forests for fish and wildlife. Includes timber harvest management, detailed guidance on improving habitat, source list for technical and financial assistance. (PDF)
- List of Rhode Island Forestry Consultants (PDF)
- Moving Toward Sustainable Forestry: Strategies For Forest Landowners (PDF)
Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Resources on RI-Based forest management (website)
- Sample forest management plan from Shutesbury, Massachusetts. (Word)
Source: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Saved web-conferences and internet seminars on forest management. New offerings weekly. (website)
- Selection of publications on Forest Management (website)
- State Forest Stewardship Program (website)
- StewPlan: Free Forest Stewardship Planning Software that guides the user through a process of selecting forest stewardship goals with limited recommendations on management for those goals. Contains basic information about forests and their management. (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Funding
- Grants & Other Funding Sources
- American Hiking Society National Trails Fund: Grant program that funds trail construction and maintenance. (website)
Source: American Hiking Society
- Catalog of Funding sources for watershed protection, includes stewardship and restoration programs (website)
- Coastal and Estuary Habitat Restoration Program and Trust Fund (website)
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): NRCS program that offers land trusts funding to hire a qualified forester to do forest management planning (website)
- Funding opportunity for water trail development (website)
Source: American Canoe Association
- Norcross Wildlife Foundation Grants. Grants up to $10,000 can be used for office equipment, tools, signage, fencing, trail construction materials, etc. (website)
Source: Norcross Wildlife Foundation
- Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP): Cost share program offered through RI NRCS for restoration and management of various habitats (website)
- American Hiking Society National Trails Fund: Grant program that funds trail construction and maintenance. (website)
- Cost analysis for land management (PDF)
- Determining Stewardship Costs for Land Trust Properties (PDF)
Source: Land Trust Alliance
- Fund Raising Performance and Methods 2006 - 2008 (donor management, mailings) by David Francis, a presentation from the 2009 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
Source: Westerly Land Trust
- Grant Proposal Writing for Small Organizations by Jonathan Howard, a presentation from the 2009 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
Source: Cause & Effect; Inc.
- Guidance on the basics of stewardship funding plans (website)
- Sample stewardship fund policy (PDF)
- Sample stewardship fund policy and reasons for it, uses of it (PDF)
- Sample worksheet to use to determine the costs of monitoring easements (PDF)
Source: Medina County (Ohio) Soil and Water Conservation District
- Techniques for funding land stewardship programs, for determining costs (Word)
Source: Land Trust Alliance
- Grants & Other Funding Sources
- General Land & Water Conservation
- A network of resources that connects landowners to qualified professionals about real estate transactions, tax and estate planning, and regional land conservation activities - as well as local land trusts, nonprofit conservation organizations, and federal and state financing and technical assistance programs. (website)
Source: The Private Landowner Network
- An online, public library, created and maintained by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with other conservation organizations. Conservation tools and techniques, stewardship information (website)
Source: ConserveOnline
- Collection of resources for conservation land owners: guidance on Invasives, stream alteration permits, wetlands regulations and soils, signs, forestry, habitat, agricultural use (website)
Source: Vermont Land Trust
- Courses, publications, digital library, resources on all aspects of land conservation, including stewardship. (website)
Source: Land Trust Alliance
- Extensive collection of presentations and materials from local conservation experts in water quality monitoring, conducting a watershed assessment, fish passage, developing trails, and other topics. (website)
Source: Rhode Island Rivers Council
- Publications on reserve management, GIS mappers (website)
- Sharing Back Office at Small Nonprofits: A Case Study of Conservation Organizations in Rhode Island (PDF)
- Stewardship of Land: An Investigation into the State of the Art (PDF)
- A network of resources that connects landowners to qualified professionals about real estate transactions, tax and estate planning, and regional land conservation activities - as well as local land trusts, nonprofit conservation organizations, and federal and state financing and technical assistance programs. (website)
- Habitat Restoration
- Funding
- Case study of how a land trust funded a restoration project (PDF)
Source: Defenders of Wildlife
- Coastal and Estuary Habitat Restoration Program and Trust Fund - Grant program offered through CRMC according to state restoration priorities (website)
- Collection of in state funding and technical assistance resources for wetland restoration projects (PDF)
- Community Based Habitat Restoration Project Grants - financial and technical assistance to communities for the restoration of fisheries habitat (website)
- DEM's Narragansett Bay & Watershed Restoration Bond Fund Riparian Buffer Restoration Projects can be used for riparian restoration projects (website)
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): NRCS program that provides cost-share funding for land management activities (website)
- Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program: supports community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship (website)
- Funding opportunities for habitat restoration projects (website)
- Wetlands Habitat Incentive Program - Cost share program offered through NRCS that deals with Coastal Wetlands & Eelgrass Meadows, Freshwater wetlands & Riparian Buffers, Fish Passage Restoration, Early Successional Upland Habitats-Native Grasslands (website)
- Wetlands Reserve Program - Easement and cost share program offered through NRCS for restoring and protecting wetland function (website)
- Case study of how a land trust funded a restoration project (PDF)
- Collection of resources for nation-wide wetlands and river corridor restoration (website)
- Collection of resources for RI-based wetlands restoration (website)
- Detailed guide to river corridor restoration - downloadable book (website)
- Example of an in-state comprehensive riparian buffer restoration project (website)
- Fact Sheet for state regulations and permitting requirements associated with restoration (PDF)
- Introduction to concepts of wetland restoration (website)
- Introduction to Salt Marsh habitat restoration concepts for Rhode Island - includes resources and case studies (Word)
Sources: Coastal Resources Management Council, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
- Introduction to Seagrass restoration concepts for Rhode Island (PDF)
Sources: Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, Save the Bay
- Introduction to upland habitat restoration concepts for Rhode Island (Word)
Sources: Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, RI Department of Environmental Management
- Report that describes restoration programs in other states, introduces the science of wetland restoration, describes methods to identify and prioritize sites in RI (PDF)
- Restoration atlas that enables user to overlay restoration data with other data sets (website)
Source: NarrBay.org
- RI-based Mapper and database that helps determine where restoration potential exists (website)
Source: URI Environmental Data Center
- Funding
- Invasives
- Database of Aquatic Invasives in the Northeast - with color photos (website)
- Database of invasive plants in New England with photos, management and control suggestions (website)
- Fact sheet on the Asian Longhorned Beetle (PDF)
- Information on aquatic invasive species in RI (website)
Source: RI DEM Office of Water Resources
- Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States with multiple photos, management and control resources, distribution maps. (website)
Sources: National Park Service, University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
- Invasives Preparedness for Land Conservation Organizations, a presentation by Hope Leeson and David W. Gregg at the 2007 Land and Water Conservation Summit (PDF)
- Pest alerts - descriptions and color photos of common invasive pests and plant diseases found in RI. Includes forest pests (website)
- Pulling Together Initiative: Grant opportunity (match required) for invasive species eradication (website)
- Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (website)
Source: Rhode Island Wild Plant Society
- RI Invasive Species Portal (website)
- Management Plans
- A Land Manager's Guide to Improving Habitat for Tanagers and other Forest-interior Birds. For advanced land managers (PDF)
Source: Cornell Lab of Orinthology
- Basic components of a management plan as required by the MA Open Space Grant program (PDF)
Source: Common Pasture
- Collection of resources for managing grasslands for bobolinks and other wildlife (website)
- Creating a Habitat-Based Management Plan for your Open Space - Step By Step Outline for a Management Plan (website)
Source: Connecticut NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials)
- Example of Land Management stategies and priorities - by Clarkson Collins, Land Management Director, South Kingstown Land Trust. (PDF)
Source: South Kingstown Land Trust
- Extensive guides to land management. (website)
Source: UNH Cooperative Extension
- Intro to Early Successional Habitat: Its importance and wildlife value, management considerations and practices, descriptions of applicable NRCS programs. (PDF)
- List of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflets: Introductory guidance on managing ecosystems and improving habitat for specific species. (website)
- Management plan guidelines from DEM's Local Open Space Grant Program (PDF)
- Managing Grasslands, Shrublands and Young Forest Habitats for Wildlife: A Guide for the Northeast. (website)
- Sample Management Plan that utilizes form required by the MA Open Space Grant program (website)
- Selecting Plants for Pollinators: A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners In the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Oceanic Province (PDF)
Sources: North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, Pollinator Partnership
- Stewardship Plans for Conservation Sites by James Gass and Jonathan Twining, a presentation from the 2008 Land and Water Conservation Summit - Includes section on Management Plans: sample goals, objectives, and what to include (PDF)
- A Land Manager's Guide to Improving Habitat for Tanagers and other Forest-interior Birds. For advanced land managers (PDF)
- Safety Information
- Information about ticks and vector-borne disease, what to do when you find a tick (website)
- The Kids Health website has helpful instruction sheets on dealing with common outdoor and seasonal safety concerns (website)
Source: KidsHealth
- Ticks (Word)(PDF)
Source: Westerly Land Trust
- Species ID
- Butterflies of Massachusetts. Identification guide with many color photos (website)
Source: Massachusetts Butterfly Club
- Common Mosses and Liverworts of New England Woodlots (PDF)
Source: US Forest Service
- Edible Fungi that grow on trees in Northeastern woodlots (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Guide to conifers in the Eastern US (website)
Source: nearctica.com
- Guide to Lichens that grow on stone walls (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Lichens growing on Red Oaks (website)
Source: US Forest Service
- Quick Guide to the Common Ferns of New England (website)
Source: Connecticut Botanical Society
- RI Coastal Plant Guide - includes photos (website)
Sources: Coastal Resources Management Council, URI Cooperative Extension
- Weed images (website)
Source: Rutgers University
- Wildflowers of Eastern North America - with photographs (website)
Source: nearctica.com
- Butterflies of Massachusetts. Identification guide with many color photos (website)
- Trails - Land
- 10 Trail Mistakes to Avoid (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- 12 Trail Design Principles - Human & Physical, adapted by John Monroe from Natural Surface Trails by Design by Troy Scott Parker of NatureShape, LLC (PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- A local resource for accessing the outdoors via trail, river, bike (website)
- American Hiking Society National Trails Fund - grant program that funds trail construction and maintenance (website)
Source: American Hiking Society
- Blazes on Walking Trails, a short article by Roy Najecki on recommended methods for blazing walking trails (PDF)
Source: Glocester Land Trust
- Collection of resources on planning, creating, managing and maintaining land trails (website)
Source: American Trails
- Designing an 'Experience' into a Trail, from the October 2008 issue of Connections, the newsletter of the Massachusetts Greenways and Trails Program (PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Detailed manual on land trails: visioning, planning, creating, maintaining, fundraising, media outreach. PA based but useful anywhere (PDF)
Source: Pennsylvania Greenways
- Guidance document on maintenance of land trails with illustrations (website)
Source: California Parks Department
- Introductory Trail Construction and Maintenance Handbook. Includes chapters on trail planning, design, surface water control, crossing streams, signs, etc. (website)
Source: Federal Highway Administration
- Laminated Trail Junction Signs, a short article by Roy Najecki on making inexpensive laminated trail signs (PDF)
Source: Glocester Land Trust
- Menu of Guiding Principles for Trail Design: a checklist to help guide your thinking (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Model Trail Easement: a template for a legal trail easement. This template should only be used in consultation with knowledgeable legal council (Word)(PDF)
Source: Aquidneck Land Trust
- Safety Checklist for Trail Work Days (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Sample trail master plan that covers construction, signage and maintenance (PDF)
Source: Northern Bonneville Shoreline Trail
- Ticklers for an Annual Trail Maintenance Calendar (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Trail Construction and Maintenance References: a bibliography of additional resources (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Trail Log Gear List: Tools for Monitoring and Planning Trails (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Trail Log Template: a form to use to log trail conditions and record where work is needed (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Trail Monitor Report: a more detailed form to use to plan trail work at a specific location (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Trail Specifications and Standards Menu: a list of trail specifications from which you can pick which to use for your trails (Word)(PDF)
Source: National Park Service
- Various Trail Grant opportunities through RIDEM (website)
- 10 Trail Mistakes to Avoid (Word)(PDF)
- Trails - Water
- A list of paper publications about water trails (website)
Source: America's Water Trails
- Blue Trails Guide - informational guides that cover planning, funding, access, launches, camp sites, maintenance, signage, maps, media outreach, case studies (website)
Source: American Rivers
- Collection of RI resources on water trails (website)
Source: Rhode Island Blueways Alliance
- Funding opportunity for water trail development (website)
Source: American Canoe Association
- How to design logical lasting canoe launches (website)
Source: National Park Service
- Information on accessing the Blackstone River with examples of paper-based river tours. (website)
Source: Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission
- Water Trail Toolbox: How to Plan, Build, and Manage a Water Trail (website)
Source: Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
- Water Trail Toolbox: How to plan, create, install, and coordinate water trail signs and exhibits (website)
Source: Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
- A list of paper publications about water trails (website)
- Volunteers & Volunteer Management
- Volunteer Handbooks
- Sample Handbooks
- Barrington Land Conservation Trust's volunteer handbook (Word)(PDF)
- Evergreen - Hands for Nature: A Volunteer Management Handbook: Great tips on working with volunteers with a focus on conservation volunteer projects (website)
Source: Evergreen
- John H. Chafee Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor Coalition Volunteer Page: This is a very successful local volunteer program of the National Park Service with another good example of a volunteer handbook. (website)
Source: John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
- Lexington MA Conservation Commission: This is an excellent example of a volunteer handbook/information manual with information on safety, proper trail trimming, invasive species, and more. (PDF)
Source: Town of Lexington (Massachusetts) Conservation Commission
- Volunteer handbook outline (Word)(PDF)
- Sample Handbooks
- Volunteer Management Materials
- Benefits of having a volunteer policy (Word)(PDF)
- Short five question volunteer survey (Word)(PDF)
- Step by step volunteer program planning (Word)(PDF)
- Tips and concerns related to administrative volunteers (Word)(PDF)
- VCRI volunteer hours tracking info sheet (Word)(PDF)
Source: Volunteer Center of Rhode Island
- Volunteer interest form/application (Word)(PDF)
- Volunteer program planning (Word)(PDF)
- Volunteer Position Descriptions
- Administrative Assistance Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Assistant Stewardship Chair Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Creating a Volunteer Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- General Stewardship Volunteer Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Invasive Plant Management Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Newsletter basic position description (Word)(PDF)
- Newsletter basic position description and with BLCT adaptation (Word)(PDF)
- Property Monitor Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Sample Board Job Descriptions (Word)(PDF)
- Volunteer Coordinator Position Description (Word)(PDF)
- Energize Inc: An extensive, free resource library of volunteer management materials on everything from volunteer recruitment to membership development. (website)
Source: Energize Inc
- Independent Sector: Every year Independent Sector, which is a national forum for charities and foundations, calculates a standard rate for valuing volunteer time. This information is posted on their website and is considered the standard when figuring the value of in-kind contributions from volunteers for use on grants and similar things. (website)
Source: Independent Sector
- Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network: Another helpful resource library of volunteer management articles and resources, including a Volunteer Economic Impact Calculator that allows you to calculate volunteer economic benefit by specific job performed. (website)
Source: Points of Light Foundation
- Seniors Helping Others: A South County organization that works in various ways to support volunteering, especially among seniors (website)
Source: Seniors Helping Others
- Volunteering in America: State Trends and Rankings: The Corporation for National and Community Service has compiled national, regional, and state profiles on volunteer statistics and demographics. (website)
Source: Volunteering in America
- Volunteer Handbooks
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Blackstone River Coalition - Watershed-wide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring (website)
Source: Blackstone River Coalition
- URI Watershed Watch Program (website)
- Blackstone River Coalition - Watershed-wide Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring (website)
Resources made available at this website have been provided in the spirit of networking among our nonprofit organizations in an effort to inform each other of new developments, best practices and to generally spare each other from 'reinventing the wheel.' In some cases, links are provided to copyrighted websites. Please contact that website's organization for any use protected by copyright law. For original materials included on this website, we ask that you respect all copyrights. While you are welcome to share and adapt this material for noncommercial purposes, you must give credit to the author and any referenced sources. We welcome you to likewise share any materials that you develop with our partnership.
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