About this manual

This manual has been developed by the Volunteer Co-ordinators Network (Natural Areas) ("The VCN") as a best practice guide for not-for-profit organisations running long-term environmental volunteer programs. In these programs, the organisations have made an ongoing commitment to support volunteer participation and volunteers from the local community have made an ongoing commitment to participate and provide their labour.

The information, tips and case studies presented here are based on current information about volunteering and the experiences of staff from organisations which are already managing environmental volunteer programs. This information can benefit the organisations starting from scratch or those reviewing or building on what they already do. This Manual does not aim to be a standard for what every environmental volunteer program should look like. Many volunteer programs are at different stages of development and the information presented here may save organisations from "reinventing the wheel".

This Manual (CD version) supersedes the green hardcover folder Developing a Bushcare Program (1998), which focussed on Bushcare volunteers working in the Sydney region and South East Queensland. Since the first edition, there have been significant changes in legislation, safety and insurance requirements, and community attitudes toward volunteering. This CD/ website is the second edition and looks at the broader range of environmental volunteer programs in urban and rural areas throughout Australia.

Developing a successful volunteer program is an evolving process, as it takes time to put procedures in place, spread the word in the community and get things working correctly. Many of the large and successful environmental programs operating today have evolved in different ways and over a number of years.

Large organisations cannot be compared to small organisations and individual groups - the amount of staff, resources, funding, areas managed, the current politics and the level of commitment from each organisation can be very different

The users of this Manual are encouraged to share ideas and experiences with the VCN See Email Networks

Forms of unpaid work not dealt with in this Manual
This Manual does not address how to manage volunteers who are members of corrective services programs, employment programs, formal work experience programs for secondary and tertiary institutions and award / badge programs for youth.

These programs are subject to particular arrangements with other organisations, can have different objectives to "volunteering" (as defined in The National Standards for Volunteering) and involve different insurance arrangements and supervisory requirements. Information on how to manage volunteers as part of these programs and events is best sourced from the government and environmental organisations themselves.



This manual has been developed by the Volunteer Co-ordinators Network (Natural Areas) ("The VCN") as a best practice guide for not-for-profit organisations running long-term environmental volunteer programs. In these programs, the organisations have made an ongoing commitment to support volunteer participation and volunteers from the local community have made an ongoing commitment to participate and provide their labour. The information, tips and case studies presented here are based on current information about volunteering and the experiences of staff from organisations which are already managing environmental volunteer programs. This information can benefit the organisations starting from scratch or those reviewing or building on what they already do. This Manual does not aim to be a standard for what every environmental volunteer program should look like. Many volunteer programs are at different stages of development and the information presented here may save organisations from "reinventing the wheel". This Manual (CD version) supersedes the green hardcover folder Developing a Bushcare Program (1998), which focussed on Bushcare volunteers working in the Sydney region and South East Queensland. Since the first edition, there have been significant changes in legislation, safety and insurance requirements, and community attitudes toward volunteering. This CD/ website is the second edition and looks at the broader range of environmental volunteer programs in urban and rural areas throughout Australia. Developing a successful volunteer program is an evolving process, as it takes time to put procedures in place, spread the word in the community and get things working correctly. Many of the large and successful environmental programs operating today have evolved in different ways and over a number of years. Large organisations cannot be compared to small organisations and individual groups - the amount of staff, resources, funding, areas managed, the current politics and the level of commitment from each organisation can be very different The users of this Manual are encouraged to share ideas and experiences with the VCN See Email Networks Forms of unpaid work not dealt with in this Manual This Manual does not address how to manage volunteers who are members of corrective services programs, employment programs, formal work experience programs for secondary and tertiary institutions and award / badge programs for youth. These programs are subject to particular arrangements with other organisations, can have different objectives to "volunteering" (as defined in The National Standards for Volunteering) and involve different insurance arrangements and supervisory requirements. Information on how to manage volunteers as part of these programs and events is best sourced from the government and environmental organisations themselves.
The Volunteer Coordinators Network (Natural Areas) Manual © 2004

The Volunteer Coordinators Network (Natural Areas) Manual © 2004