National Parks Need You.

By Marilyn Machlowitz

While I was touring the African Burial Ground in downtown Manhattan, a ranger asked if I wanted to volunteer there.

That question suggested there might be volunteer opportunities at many other National Park Service (NPS) sites. It turns out, there are! In fact, the National Parks Service website lists 458 varied opportunities.

Currently, there are 429 NPS sites in the US and its territories. Not all are traditional parks; many are historic sites, monuments, battlefields, and seashores. You have probably been to some, whether or not you realize it. The Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in Manhattan is one such site as is the Frederick Law Olmsted home in suburban Boston.

The mission of the NPS is to preserve and protect US national parks. Volunteers are welcome to volunteer virtually or on-site, once or on an ongoing basis, close to home or at a dream location.

The NPS website states that volunteers can do many things, including:

• Lead or support public-facing educational programs.

• Maintain or rebuild trails or historic buildings.

• Conduct research or monitor wildlife to preserve natural resources.

• Help families make memories.

Other opportunities including serving as an Artist-in-Residence. Artists have included musicians, poets, painters, writers and more.

Among the specific opportunities for volunteers are:

• Providing interpretation and education at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA.

• Writing articles for the volunteer newsletter (virtual position).

• Photographing scenic shots in the US Virgin Islands.

• Educating visitors about black bears in Asheville, NC.

• Tending a garden on St. Simons Island, GA.

• Revegetating Joshua Tree National Park.

• Recording observations of invasive species in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC.

The first step is to register online here, where you will be directed here, to a delightful, and patriotic, set of opportunities!

Let us know if you do something fabulous.

Marilyn Machlowitz lives, works, writes travels, and volunteers from New York City.