Climate Adaptation & Water Management Volunteer Opportunities
New Orleans faces unique water and climate challenges that require community involvement to address effectively. If you're interested in helping the city adapt to climate change and better manage water resources, here are numerous volunteer opportunities available:
Water Management Organizations
The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans
- Volunteer Activities: Rain garden installations, water monitoring, drain cleaning, community education
- Time Commitment: Monthly volunteer days (3-4 hours) and special projects
- Skills Needed: No special skills required for most activities; training provided
- How to Join: Sign up for their volunteer newsletter on their website
- Contact: info@nolawater.org or watercollaborative.org
Urban Conservancy - Front Yard Initiative
- Volunteer Activities: Help homeowners remove concrete and install permeable surfaces, flood risk assessment
- Time Commitment: Weekend project days (4-6 hours)
- Skills Needed: Physical labor ability; landscaping experience helpful but not required
- How to Join: Email frontyard@urbanconservancy.org
- Contact: urbanconservancy.org/project/fyi/
Groundwork New Orleans
- Volunteer Activities: Green infrastructure installation, maintenance, monitoring
- Time Commitment: Weekly volunteer opportunities
- Skills Needed: No experience necessary; training provided
- How to Join: Register through their website
- Contact: groundworknola.org/get-involved
Citizen Science & Monitoring Projects
Water Watch NOLA
- Volunteer Activities: Water quality monitoring, data collection, flood reporting
- Time Commitment: Monthly monitoring sessions (1-2 hours)
- Skills Needed: Basic training provided; data entry skills helpful
- How to Join: Attend a training session (offered quarterly)
- Contact: waterwatchnola.org
ISeeChange Community Weather Monitoring
- Volunteer Activities: Document local flooding, temperature trends, and climate impacts
- Time Commitment: As little as 5 minutes whenever you observe something relevant
- Skills Needed: Smartphone or computer access; observational skills
- How to Join: Create an account on their platform
- Contact: iseechange.org/new-orleans
Wetland & Coastal Restoration
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
- Volunteer Activities: Marsh grass planting, oyster reef restoration, tree planting
- Time Commitment: Weekend restoration events (usually full-day)
- Skills Needed: Ability to work in outdoor/wetland conditions; transportation to sites needed
- How to Join: Register for specific events through their website
- Contact: crcl.org/volunteer
Common Ground Relief - Wetlands Program
- Volunteer Activities: Native plant propagation, wetland planting, seed collection
- Time Commitment: Regular weekday and weekend opportunities
- Skills Needed: Outdoor work capacity; training provided
- How to Join: Sign up on their website
- Contact: commongroundrelief.org/wetlands-restoration
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
- Volunteer Activities: Shoreline restoration, water quality monitoring, litter cleanup
- Time Commitment: Monthly volunteer events
- Skills Needed: Various roles for different abilities
- How to Join: Register through their website
- Contact: saveourlake.org/volunteer
Neighborhood-Specific Climate Initiatives
Gentilly Resilience District Projects
- Volunteer Activities: Green infrastructure maintenance, community education, site monitoring
- Time Commitment: Monthly volunteer days
- Skills Needed: No special skills required for most activities
- How to Join: Contact through Gentilly Resilience Network
- Contact: nola.gov/resilience/gentilly-resilience-district/
Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development
- Volunteer Activities: Green infrastructure installation, maintenance, community education
- Time Commitment: Regular volunteer days (Saturdays)
- Skills Needed: Various skills welcome; training provided
- How to Join: Email volunteer@sustainthenine.org
- Contact: sustainthenine.org/volunteer
Neighborhood-Specific Climate Initiatives
Broadmoor Improvement Association - Water Management
- Volunteer Activities: Rain garden maintenance, water monitoring, resident education
- Time Commitment: Monthly volunteer opportunities
- Skills Needed: No special skills required
- How to Join: Contact BIA directly
- Contact: broadmoorimprovement.com
Urban Forestry & Heat Island Reduction
SOUL (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape)
- Volunteer Activities: Tree planting, tree care, neighborhood reforestation planning
- Time Commitment: Seasonal planting events (Nov-Feb) and year-round tree care
- Skills Needed: Physical ability to plant trees; training provided
- How to Join: Register for planting events on their website
- Contact: soulnola.org/volunteer
NOLA Tree Project
- Volunteer Activities: Tree planting, tree giveaways, tree inventory
- Time Commitment: Seasonal events
- Skills Needed: Various roles for different abilities
- How to Join: Sign up through their website
- Contact: nolatreeproject.org
Cool Blocks NOLA
- Volunteer Activities: Heat mapping, tree planting, cool pavement installation, community education
- Time Commitment: Project-based commitment
- Skills Needed: Various roles available; some technical skills helpful
- How to Join: Contact via the Urban Conservancy
- Contact: urbanconservancy.org/cool-blocks
Professional Skills Volunteering
Climate Action Equity Project
- Volunteer Activities: Climate vulnerability mapping, community outreach, policy research
- Time Commitment: Regular committee involvement
- Skills Needed: Research, GIS, policy analysis, or community organizing skills
- How to Join: Contact Foundation for Louisiana
- Contact: foundationforlouisiana.org/climate-justice
Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance Program
- Volunteer Activities: Design assistance, project planning, engineering support
- Time Commitment: Project-based commitment
- Skills Needed: Engineering, landscape architecture, environmental science, planning
- How to Join: Contact through Water Collaborative
- Contact: nolawater.org/technical-assistance
Community Education & Outreach
Climate Action Ambassadors
- Volunteer Activities: Community presentations, tabling at events, school programs
- Time Commitment: 4-8 hours monthly
- Skills Needed: Communication skills; climate knowledge (training provided)
- How to Join: Complete training program through Alliance for Affordable Energy
- Contact: all4energy.org/get-involved
Rain Barrel Workshops
- Volunteer Activities: Help residents build and install rain barrels
- Time Commitment: Monthly workshops (3-4 hours each)
- Skills Needed: Basic tool skills helpful but not required
- How to Join: Contact Green Light New Orleans
- Contact: greenlightneworleans.org/volunteer
Flood Risk Communication Network
- Volunteer Activities: Door-to-door outreach, flood insurance workshops, community meetings
- Time Commitment: Monthly commitment
- Skills Needed: Good communication skills; flood insurance knowledge (training provided)
- How to Join: Contact through NOLA Ready
- Contact: ready.nola.gov/volunteer
How to Get Started
Assess your interests and skills: Are you interested in hands-on restoration work, community education, technical assistance, or monitoring?
Consider your availability: Some opportunities are one-time events, while others require regular commitment.
Start local: Consider beginning with projects in your own neighborhood that address local flooding concerns.
Build your knowledge: Attend workshops and training sessions to better understand New Orleans' unique water challenges.
Connect with multiple organizations: Different groups focus on different aspects of climate adaptation and water management.
By volunteering with these organizations, you'll help New Orleans become more resilient to climate change while developing valuable skills and community connections. Your involvement can make a real difference in how the city manages water and adapts to our changing climate.
On this page
- Climate Adaptation & Water Management Volunteer Opportunities
- Water Management Organizations
- Citizen Science & Monitoring Projects
- Wetland & Coastal Restoration
- Neighborhood-Specific Climate Initiatives
- Neighborhood-Specific Climate Initiatives
- Professional Skills Volunteering
- Community Education & Outreach
- How to Get Started