What does volunteering involve?

Our patrols run during newt breeding season, October through mid-March, with shifts beginning around dusk when the newts start moving.

Plan on about two hours, one evening a week. Volunteers work in pairs for safety, with each pair covering roughly a half-mile stretch of Chileno Valley Road. Every shift has a captain who coordinates the patrol and keeps track of what we find.

No experience is necessary. Before your first patrol, you’ll attend a short training and accompany an experienced volunteer on the road. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to work safely and help the newts. Volunteers are also asked to sign a liability waiver.

We’re also collecting important data

Helping newts safely across the road is only part of what we do. We photograph and document the animals we encounter using iNaturalist, creating a valuable record of their migration that helps us better understand what’s happening on Chileno Valley Road and work toward long-term solutions.

We’ll show you how to use iNaturalist during training. If you’d like to get a head start, you can download the app for your phone: (iPhone — iNaturalist Classic | Android — iNaturalist). Once you’ve installed the app, search under Projects for “2026–2027 Chileno Valley Newt Brigade Winter” and click Join.

Ready to become a Newt Brigadier?

New volunteer trainings are held at 10:00 a.m. at Chileno Valley Ranch, 5105 Chileno Valley Road, Petaluma.

Fill out the short form below and we’ll be in touch about an upcoming training. We look forward to having you join us!