It’s National Volunteer Week — an annual celebration established in the U.S. in 1974. The National Park Service marked the occasion by recognizing those who already choose to spend their time volunteering in parks and urging others to consider doing so.
Join Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) to support the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect our national parks. You can volunteer for a day or year-round; on your own or with friends and family; close to home or at a dream destination. Volunteer opportunities are available nationwide including in U.S. Territories.
What Can Volunteers Do?
The possibilities are as diverse as the national parks themselves. Here are some example volunteer activities:
- Lead or support education and public-facing programs
- Maintain or rebuild trails or historic buildings
- Conduct research or monitor wildlife to preserve our natural resources
- Help families make memories happen as a campground host
- Teach others about the park and swear in new Junior Rangers in the visitor center
- Support libraries, archives, and museums in parks to preserve our cultural resources
- Produce art while staying in a park as an Artist-In-Residence
- Educate train travelers on the natural and cultural heritage of a region through the Trails & Rails program
You can check out some of the National Park Service’s volunteering opportunities here.
Alternatively, if the prospect of making the country a greener and cleaner place sounds like an intriguing full-time gig for you, learn how you can apply to be one of the inaugural members of the newly formed American Climate Corps.