Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are a vital part of our mission of providing high quality environmental educational programming for local youth, Hudson River research, and community events. We are currently seeking volunteers for the following positions:

● Education Assistant—Assist education staff with everyday school work, after-school environmental clubs and community group visits every Wednesday afternoon.

● Marsh Assistant—Help maintain Riverfront marsh on Thursdays and Saturdays. Work on occasional marsh repairs including the removal of foreign species of plants and rubbish clean-ups. (Seasonal)

● Research Assistant—Participate in water quality monitoring, the sea life study, and other projects as they are developed. Eight hours each week on workdays.

● Aquaria Assistant—Provide care for the Center's collection of aquatic wildlife including tank maintenance and animal feedings at the weekend.

Volunteer positions are available throughout the year! Previous experience is not required. Training will be provided upon the start of volunteer service. For more information about our volunteer program as well as single day volunteer events, call 9140-377-1900 or visit www. centerfortheurbanriver. org.

There's nothing quite like putting down roots and tending a garden. But what happens if you don't have a backyard? Or you're suddenly uprooted? Or you decide to go on a road trip and can't get anyone to watch your plants?

Just whip up a portable container garden. Sure, it's not the same thing as a plot of land, but it's easy to build and you can move it on demand. In this design, created by researchers at the University of Maryland Extension, a water reservoir helps keep the plants healthy and watered-even if you forget to water them while you're traveling. 

Tools & Materials

●Two five-gallon food-grade buckets

●Drill with 1/2-inch hole saw and 1/36-inch bit

●Sandpaper

●Cloth strips

●PVC pipe, 3/ 4 - to 1-inch wide, 18 inches long

●Saw

●1b quarts of soil

●Seedlings or plants

Instructions

⒈Trace the mouth of the pipe on the bottom of one bucket, less than an inch from the edge. Drill and sand out that circle. 

⒉Drill the additional 1/2-inch holes—one in the center and four evenly spaced around the edge. For drainage, add eight smaller holes spread around the bottom. 

⒊Tie a knot(结) at one end of each cloth strip. Feed the strips through the 1/2-inch holes so the knots sits on the inside and the cloth hangs down. 

⒋Put the holey bucket into the second one, mark a spot on the outer bucket where the holey base hits, and separate them. Drill a small overflow hole at the mark and restack the buckets. 

⒌Cut one end of the pipe at a 45-degree angle. Push that end through the pipe-size hole in the inner bucket. 

⒍Fill the inner bucket with damp soil and plants, and keep them hydrated by pouring water down the pipe. Stop adding water when the overflow hole starts to leak. 

TIME 2 hours

COST $50DIFFICULTY... 

When you are about to go to a boarding school in England, there are many different questions that may come to mind. But once you look at them with some perspective, you will certainly feel easy. Here is a normal boarding day.

Early Morning:

Usually boarders get up around 7: 00 am and have around an hour to take a shower and put on their uniform before breakfast.

Lessons:

Classes start at 9: 00 am and every lesson lasts for 50 minutes. After two lessons, at 10: 40 am, you'll have a short break. The next period of classes will include two more lessons.

Lunch:

Lunch is usually held around 12: 30 pm at the dining hall, where you'll join your friends to enjoy a hot dish. After an hour of lunch, you'll have three or four more lessons to attend.

Dinner:

At 5: 00 pm you will have finished your school lessons for the day. Most boarding schools in the UK offer their full boarders different kinds of hot meals to choose from.

Activities/ Sports:

All boarding schools in the UK provide many different kinds of activities for their boarders, such as football, swimming, golf or art.

Prep:

An important part of boarding school life is the supervised homework session known as "prep". Although prep might sound stressful, it's a great way for you to keep up with your studies.

Free time:

Once you are done with all your classes and activities, it's time to relax.

Bedtime:

In most boarding schools, the lights go out around 10: 30 pm.

Being nervous just before you go to a boarding school is completely normal and understandable. Hopefully, being aware of the usual routine you'll be following can help you. Once you are there, you will also see how exciting life in a boarding school in England can be.