Mountaintop Nursery

The U.S. Forest Service and the Southern California Mountains Foundation are seeking volunteers of all ages who would enjoy working both in the forest and in the Forest Service’s commercial size greenhouse to assist with an ecological restoration program in the San Bernardino Mountains.
For over 20 years, volunteers in the Greenthumbs Program have restored disturbed lands across the San Bernardino National Forest. The volunteers work in the Forest Service’s native plant facilities at the Mountaintop Ranger Station in Big Bear to grow and then out-plant thousands of native plants to improve habitat and watershed conditions across the forest. Volunteers learn native seed collection, cleaning and germination techniques, plant propagation, site preparation, direct seeding, and out-planting of container plants. Volunteers also assist in the monitoring and maintenance of restoration sites which includes watering, weeding and mulching to promote restoration success. Activities vary from month to month as the seasons change. This summer a major project will consist of planting milkweed for monarchs!
How to get involved:
Join the Forest Service and the Southern California Mountains Foundation once a month on the third Saturday of each month (March through October) to conduct ecological restoration projects at the Mountaintop Ranger Station Native Plant Nursery and surrounding National Forest lands.
Greenthumb volunteer days are scheduled for March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, and October 21st, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. On September 23 the Forest Service and the Southern California Mountains Foundation also sponsor a National Public Lands Day event with lunch provided.
Project information and logistics is emailed a week before the volunteer dates to those on the volunteer mailing list.
Volunteers meet at the flagpole on the left upon entering the Mountaintop Ranger Station located at 41374 North Shore Drive, Highway 38 in Fawnskin, CA 92333. It is a ¼ mile east of the Big Bear Discovery Center. On maps it is also shown as Big Bear Ranger Station and Fawnskin Ranger Station, so don’t be confused. The big sign out front says Mountaintop Ranger Station.
For all days, please bring lunch, water, hat and sunscreen. Gloves and tools will be provided.
Contact Deveree Kopp at dkopp@fs.fed.us or call (909) 382-2831 to confirm attendance to the volunteer days or to request to be added to the mailing list.
For additional information, please check out the USFS’s website (which will be updated with current dates soon) https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/workingtogether/volunteering/?cid=fsbdev7_007778