Welcome!

We welcome you and thank you for joining our team of dedicated SELT Volunteers. Your services are highly appreciated. Your enthusiasm, hard work, and commitment add so much value to SELT’s work.

Thank you for the time and energy you are willing to share with the SELT. We appreciate your efforts very much!

Volunteers are viewed as the most valuable SELT resource. You have the right to be given meaningful assignments, the right to be treated as equal co-workers, and the right to effective supervision. Volunteers have the right to full involvement and participation, and to recognition for work done well.

In return, volunteers agree to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. They will remain loyal to the goals of SELT and operate according to its procedures. Please remember that at SELT our standards of excellence include safety, respect, compassion and joy. These standards extend to our volunteers and our staff. Thank you for being a SELT ambassador.

By volunteering at SELT I agree to:

- Be open and honest regarding intent, goals and skills

- Accept only realistic assignments and have a clear understanding of their assignment and responsibility

- Carry out duties promptly and reliably

- Accept the guidance and direction of your supervisor and of other senior volunteers as appropriate

- Participate in any training required by the SELT

- Respect confidentiality

- Discuss satisfactions, dissatisfactions, and suggestions for upgrading or changing of assignments with the Volunteer Manager

- Be punctual, and notify your supervisor of absences as much in advance as possible

- Be alert, sober and drug free while volunteering

It is the policy of SELT that there will be no discrimination or harassment in its programs, activities or employment based on race, color, national or ethnic origin, age or genetic information, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, mental or physical disability, or veteran status. Questions or concerns related to affirmative action, nondiscrimination or equal opportunity should be directed to the Volunteer Manager.

There is a first aid kit located in the office. It is kept on top of the defibrillator in the kitchinette for easy access. In the field, the staff member leading the volunteer activity will have a first aid kit with them.

If a volunteer is injured the accident should be reported at once to your supervisor or the Volunteer Manager. An incident report must be completed within 24 hours and an Accident Report will be filed. Medical assistance or treatment will be given if necessary. Report any unsafe conditions or defective equipment you observe to your supervisor or the volunteer manager.

In a life-threatening emergency or if there is an accident, remain calm and call 911. Tell your staff supervisor immediately. Follow the 911 operator’s instructions while you await emergency personnel to arrive. Be prepared to give your location and phone number, your name, and the nature of the emergency. In the event of a fire or other emergency requiring the evacuation of a building, remain calm. Assist other staff in helping to direct others out of the building safely and quickly. Make sure your work area is secure ONLY if time and safety allow.

Records will be maintained on each volunteer including dates of service, positions held, duties completed, and awards received. Volunteer personnel records are confidential.

Support and training will be offered to prepare you for your volunteer assignments. Training will be required for certain tasks, such as the use of certain tools, equipment, and software training.

Dismissal from volunteering at SELT is at the sole discretion of SELT. If at any time the SELT staff determines that volunteering at SELT is no longer appropriate for an individual, SELT may remove a volunteer from the Program. SELT will not tolerate any volunteer who engages in disruptive conduct, exhibits behaviors that are unacceptable or unsafe, is disrespectful to others, or fails to follow directions.

With volunteers outnumbering staff by a large margin, it is very likely you will be the person who represents SELT to our members, supporters, and other interested parties across our 52-town service area. As such, we ask that you represent SELT positively in the community and in a way that reflects the pride we feel in our vision, mission, and work. If you have concerns about any aspect of SELT’s operations, please discuss them with your supervisor or the Volunteer Manager.

I have volunteered to assist the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (“the Trust”), a non-profit conservation organization organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Hampshire, with work on its behalf.

I have volunteered my time and services and the use of my vehicle because of my support for the Trust and because of my desire to participate actively in the furtherance of that work. I understand that my activities as a volunteer may entail a risk of property damage, physical injury or death, and I may be exposed to hazards including, by way of illustration but not limitation: weather, driving on roads and highways, travel over bodies of water, unimproved topographic hazards such as cliffs, ravines, caves, loose or falling rocks, poisonous animals or plants, wild animals, and hazards associated with strenuous manual labor. I understand and assume all such risks. I further represent that I have no medical condition or restriction that would prevent me from participating in volunteer activities. Because the assertion of claims against the Trust for personal injury or property damage occurring during my volunteer service would be antithetical to my support of the Trust and its goals and would reduce the ability of the Trust to accomplish its charitable purpose, I am granting this release.

I agree to abide by all generally accepted safety rules, guidelines, and regulations. I understand that no drugs or alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by volunteers during volunteer activities.

I agree to allow the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire the use of my name and likeness in connection with the Southeast Land Trust's volunteer program, for any purpose related to advertising or promotion of the Southeast Land Trust's volunteer program worldwide in perpetuity in all forms of media now and forever known.

On behalf of myself, my estate and the personal representative thereof, my heirs and assigns, I hereby forever release The Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire, a non-profit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Hampshire, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and other volunteers from any and all costs, claims, losses, liabilities or damages arising from or in any way related to, my service as a volunteer for the Trust. I intend this release to be effective, regardless of whether the claim of liability is asserted in negligence, strict liability in tort, or other theory of tort recovery. For myself, my estate and the personal representative thereof, my heirs and assigns, I covenant and agree to make no claim, nor to institute any suit, action or proceeding against the Trust, its officers, directors, employees and agents, relating to any accident, incident or occurrence arising out of or in connection with, my volunteer activities.

This agreement provides guidance to volunteers on addressing issues of Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality when volunteering with the Southeast Land Trust (SELT). SELT relies on the trust of the community, donors, and landowners to be effective and successful in its land protection efforts. Volunteers may occasionally encounter situations where a real or perceived conflict exists or where they have access to confidential information. It is important that volunteers hold to the highest ethical standards.  

Volunteer Limitations 

Volunteers shall not receive financial benefits from their volunteer association with SELT, or profit from SELT, its name, or operations. 

Volunteers shall not use property owned or managed by SELT unless it is directly related to supporting the organization, or is a privilege available to the public.  

Volunteers shall not accept gifts or gratuities from individuals or corporations doing business or seeking to do business with SELT, unless they are of nominal value, and the volunteer immediately discloses to SELT the receipt of the gift.  

Volunteers shall keep confidential, information learned during the course of Land Trust business when the information concerns administration and activities of the Land Trust that are not generally a matter of public record. This includes, but is not limited to: 

Financial data (excluding tax and audited financial reports); 

Personal information regarding staff, board members, volunteers, contractors, and landowners/clients; 

Personal observations of clients and donors; 

Computer password, documents, files, and email messages, and 

Information regarding SELT conservation easements and fee-owned lands such as monitoring reports, correspondence, management plans, violations, disputes, appraisals, and sensitive cultural and natural resource attributes and management information and activities. 

Volunteer Responsibilities 

Volunteers shall fully disclose their direct or indirect interest immediately to SELT, if a volunteer has financial interest in a SELT project or activity. 

Volunteers shall fully disclose their organizational interests if they serve another organization where they have a conflict in organizational loyalties. 

Volunteers shall abide by SELT’s internal confidentiality policies and procedures regarding the access, dissemination, input, and collection of confidential and private information with regard to data collection, SELT records, and the SELT computer system, email, the internet, facsimiles, and other methods of transferring or recording information.  

Upon terminating relationships with SELT, volunteers shall continue to treat information as private, privileged, and confidential, and will not release any such information to any person, firm, corporation, or other entity, written or verbal statements, except upon direct written authority from SELT.  

Volunteers shall consider all information relating in any manner to SELT, whether prepared by the Undersigned or otherwise coming into the Undersigned’s possession, to be the exclusive property of SELT and shall be returned immediately to SELT upon termination of the Undersigned’s relationship with SELT or upon SELT’s request at any time. 

Thank you for being a SELT ambassador. SELT is a community-serving organization dedicated to conserving land in southeastern New Hampshire. Participation in the organization's programs is subject to the observance of the organization's rules and procedures. The activities outlined below are strictly prohibited. Any participant or staff member who violates this Code is subject to discipline, up to and including removal from the program.

Abusive language towards a staff member, volunteer, or another participant.

- Possession or use of alcoholic beverages while volunteering and/or while under the legal age (21), or possession or use of illegal drugs on SELT’s property or reporting to the program while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

- Bringing onto SELT’s property dangerous or unauthorized materials such as explosives, firearms, weapons or other similar items.

- Discourtesy or rudeness to a fellow participant, staff member or volunteer.

- Verbal, physical or visual harassment of another participant, staff member or volunteer.

- Actual or threatened violence toward any individual or group.

- Conduct endangering the life, safety, health or well-being of others.

- Failure to follow any agency policy or procedure.

- Bullying or taking unfair advantage of any participant.

- Failing to cooperate with an adult supervisor/leader/mentor.

- Misrepresenting or poorly representing SELT to supporters, community members, or other interested partners. Volunteers shall agree to perform their duties to the best of their abilities and will remain loyal to the goals of SELT and operate according to its procedures.

Please remember that at SELT our standards of excellence include safety, respect, compassion and joy. I have read and I understand the SELT’s Code of Conduct. I agree to abide by the rules described above and understand that I may be removed as a participant if I violate any of these rules.