Rowe Get Involved

Volunteer at Rowe Sanctuary

Assist with habitat management and grounds maintenance activities, crane migration tourism operations, education programs, and community outreach events.

There are many exciting ways to get involved at Rowe Sanctuary year-round. Volunteers primarily assist with habitat management and grounds maintenance, crane migration tourism operations, education programs, and community outreach events. Volunteer training is provided by staff members, and no experience is required! 

The first step to become a Rowe Sanctuary volunteer is to complete the volunteer application located at the bottom of this page or . If you want to volunteer for crane season, you must submit your application by December 15 to allow staff adequate time to complete all the necessary paperwork and so you can be trained on all the volunteer expectations and jobs. 

Upon receiving your application, the Volunteer Coordinator will contact you to complete a background check and schedule a volunteer onboarding call. 

Here are a few ways volunteers can help:

Rowe Sanctuary's Habitat Steward Volunteer Program provides opportunities for those of all skillsets and abilities to get outdoors and be a part of creating and improving wildlife habitat in Kearney, Nebraska and the surrounding communities. Volunteer opportunities are held at different locations on one Saturday morning each month, and are focused on education regarding various habitat topics, demonstrations on techniques to promote better wildlife habitat, and providing opportunities for nature enthusiasts to work together on impactful projects. 

Click here to learn more about this program.

Guide crane tours out to our crane discovery stations on the Platte River. Guides receive training that will prepare you to answer questions, facilitate crane tours, and provide information on Sandhill Cranes and Rowe Sanctuary’s mission.  

Work our Visitor's Center information desk to provide information about cranes and the natural history of the area, directions to local attractions, and upcoming events to visitors and help schedule crane tour reservations.  

Operate our  crane camera at dawn and dusk so viewers from around the world can witness the cranes on the Platte River. The crane camera operator also answers questions from viewers on the crane camera blog. 

Help our conservation staff manage the grounds around the Visitor's Center and assist with habitat management activities across Rowe's 3,000 acre habitat complex such as prescribed fire, invasive species removal, seed collection and processing, native plant propagation, and grazing infrastructure maintenance.  

Help us plan and deliver our K-12 education programs year-round at both on the sanctuary and in local communities.  

We look forward to getting to know you and working together to advance Rowe Sanctuary’s mission; to conserve and restore the Platte River ecosystem for the birds that depend on it. 

Questions? Contact Rowe's volunteer coordinator at rowevolunteercoordinator@audubon.org

Volunteers working on habitat management.

Apply by Dec. 15 to volunteer for the upcoming crane season.