Save Sibley Prairie Coalition is an all-volunteer, community effort focused on protecting a vital part of Michigan’s natural beauty. In addition to financial help, to achieve our mission we need the drive and passion of enthusiastic volunteers — people who care and want to raise awareness, build community support, and extend our efforts.
Thank you very much for your interest in saving Sibley Prairie! Every hour you give volunteering for Sibley Prairie will amplify our impact. Your efforts will directly build the momentum necessary to permanently protect this extraordinary landscape.
We have three basic ways for you to help – through publicity, fundraising, and outreach. The following descriptions outline the essential tasks of each committee. If you would like to join us to save Sibley Prairie, please get in touch with Nicky Marcot or Jeff Vornhagen (addresses below) depending on your interest. You are of course welcome to help on more than one committee!
Publicity Committee
As a Publicity volunteer, you will play a key role in helping people learn about and connect with Sibley Prairie by:
- Crafting and distributing compelling messaging that tells the story of Sibley Prairie — why it matters, what’s at stake, and how people can help protect it.
- Developing promotional materials like flyers, social media content, press releases, and visuals that spread the word in creative ways.
- Reaching out to media and press outlets, seeking out event opportunities, and building our network of supporters.
–>To join the Publicity Committee, please write Nicky Marcot at nicky.marcot@gmail.com.
Fundraising Committee
As a Fundraising volunteer, you will help the Coalition achieve our goal of raising $6 million by the end of 2026 as well as the funds for ongoing stewardship and restoration. Here you can help us by:
- Organizing and supporting fundraising campaigns, from grassroots drives to community partner sponsorship outreach.
- Reaching out to foundations and large donors.
- Tracking and sharing impact so donors and community members can see how collective efforts really do make a difference.
Here, too, your work will strengthen our voice and grow financial support — a vital component in securing the prairie before it’s lost to development.
–>To join the Fundraising Committee, please write Jeff Vornhagen at jvornhagen01@gmail.com.
Outreach Committee – Tabling at Events & Distributing Posters
Volunteering to table at events is a meaningful and fun way to connect with our community. Some of the things you’ll do as an Outreach volunteer include:
- Sharing information about Sibley Prairie’s ecological value and the urgent campaign to protect it.
- Engaging passersby in conversation, answering questions, and helping the public understand how their support will make a real and lasting impact.
- Distributing Coalition materials that help people take action long after the event ends, e.g., brochures, posters, flyers, and sign-up sheets.
- Collecting email addresses and pledges from interested supporters, to nurture our growing advocate network.
These face-to-face interactions are powerful and deeply rewarding for volunteers. Your presence will humanize the campaign, broaden our reach into new communities, and turn curiosity into commitment.
Distributing posters: We are looking for several people to commit to distributing posters to local organizations and businesses, and at parks and other public spaces.
–>To join the Outreach Committee and/or distribute posters, please write Nicky Marcot at nicky.marcot@gmail.com.
Save Sibley Prairie Coalition 