Our lab is driven by the starpower in our communities. Join us to make a difference in kelp forest conservation.
Image by Ian Sedgebarth
Why Volunteer with Sunflower Star Laboratory?
Impact
As a small community-based non-profit just hitting the rocketship phase of our growth, the effort of a single volunteer can change the course of sunflower star conservation. Thanks to volunteers welcoming walk-in visitors, we’ve connected to major donors that fund our mission. Volunteers don’t just keep our stars alive, but also build the foundation for crucial discoveries. Finally, thanks to volunteer-generated content, our merch and digital presence help us make new starfriends and communicate our mission around the world.
Community
Sunflower Star Laboratory emerged from the community of divers and scientists who directly witnessed the dramatic sunflower star population decline and its devastating impacts, but we have been broadening that community ever since. We are a passionate, scrappy fellowship welcoming anyone who wants to join us on our journey to recover resilient kelp forests and are committed to clearing obstacles to participation. Also, we really know how to celebrate our wins with art, nerding out, and star cookies.
Innovation
The dire challenges facing the kelp forest demand new solutions and Sunflower Star Laboratory is on the leading edge. There was very little research on these stars prior to their population collapse in 2014, so volunteers in our laboratory will be participating in scientific discovery. Restoration ecology and policy are emerging fields, where we will be writing some of the first chapters in the story for California’s marine environment. As a focused, community-based conservation non-profit, we are a unique entity, inventing new ways to accelerate progress in the gaps where bigger institutions cannot tread.
Mission
We lead research and conservation to recover the sunflower star, building kelp forest resilience with our communities. Caring for the stars, and learning more about them, and driving public awareness about their conservation are all crucial to the species recovery plan. Their recovery in turn drives kelp forest recovery and resilience and helps many communities of stakeholders both intimately connected to the Pacific Coast and far away.
Sunflower Star Laboratory offers 3 main volunteer tracks both in-person in Moss Landing and virtually with varying time commitments, required skills, and flexibility. We strongly suggest that you carefully read the below descriptions and apply only to the one track that best fits your passion, skills, and availability. You will be able to cross-train once you are established as a volunteer.
Volunteer Tracks
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Laboratory
Lab volunteers are responsible for most of the life-sustaining care for our stars and other animals and algae held in the lab. Volunteers will culture micro-algae, feed stars and other animals, maintain healthy water and habitats, and collect data that will be used in research.
We ask that lab volunteers commit to a 4-hour shift weekly on a specific day for 6-months minimum after training. Volunteers must be over 18 and should be capable of strictly following protocols with minimal supervision after a period of training/mentoring.
Lab volunteers primarily assist with critical but routine lab tasks. If you are interested in experiment design, scientific publication, independent study, or individual career mentoring, we suggest an internship. If you do not have recent or extensive marine laboratory experience, you should start as a lab volunteer before interning.
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Outreach
Outreach volunteers are Sunflower Star Laboratory’s representatives when interacting with the public and are often the first to connect with new starfriends. Without them we could not provide our communities with the unique opportunity to observe a working conservation aquaculture lab. Volunteers will tell our story, answer questions, give tours, assist with large group visits, host or table at onsite and offsite events, and sell merch.
We ask outreach volunteers to commit to two shifts per month for at least 6 months after training. Regular shifts are 3.5-4 hours, but can be shorter or longer when doing scheduled tours or for events. All shifts are in-person in Moss Landing or at a special event offsite. Volunteers must be over 18 and should be able to handle cash and interact with the public without direct supervision.
No experience is required. We will teach you everything you need to know and support you with mentoring until you feel comfortable.
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Content
Content volunteers help us spread the word and keep our communities updated on our work. Depending on their abilities and interests, volunteers will draft blog posts, design art and merch, craft communication materials, capture and organize images and video, and work on special projects.
We ask writing volunteers to commit to producing one blog post (or equivalent) every other month and artistic volunteers to spend 6+ hours per month on assignments. Content volunteers need not be 18 or older with parental permission, but should be able to meet deadlines and be responsive and proactive with online asynchronous communication.
Artists should have experience digitizing their work in common formats. Writers need not have formal experience, just a passion for communication and willingness to accept feedback and learn. Use of Google Drive to store, version, and collaborate on work is mandatory.
Other ways to join the starteam
As a growing community-based non-profit, we rely on wisdom and expertise from our starfriends. If you have special professional skills in accounting, legal, fundraising, grant writing, human resources, curriculum/training design, non-profit or business operations and management, or something we need but don’t yet know about, we’d love your help on board sub-committees or individual projects. Please add yourself to our volunteer skills database.
Sunflower Star Laboratory CAN NOT currently support volunteer participation in SCUBA diving, boating, or fieldwork. If you are interested in volunteering only in such capacity, please subscribe to our newsletter, where we will announce any new volunteer tracks as soon as they emerge.