The benefits of volunteer programs to environmental conservation and enhancement on Beale AFB

Presented by Chadwick A. McCready (CEMML) at the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association’s 2019 annual meeting and training workshop. Beale AFB routinely conducts volunteer events and programs as part of its natural resource management, and its education and outreach programs. By engaging Airmen and their families in natural resource management, Beale AFB fosters a strong sense of land stewardship, as well as educating volunteers about the local ecosystem. Volunteers participate in various activities on base including riparian restoration, pollinator habitat enhancement, installing and monitoring nest boxes for birds, land clean-ups, salmon passage enhancement, hunting and fishing monitoring, and invasive species control. In addition to the direct benefits to the environment and wildlife that volunteer activities provide, volunteers gain knowledge about the importance of natural resources and the Air Force’s role in conservation. In the last 3 years alone, volunteer events have provided more than 20,000 hours of labor to support natural resources events and programs that otherwise could not be completed.