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Every year, more than one hundred individuals from all over the world volunteer in America's National Parks. The International Volunteers-in-Parks Program (IVIP) benefits both the individual volunteer and the National Park Service (NPS): the volunteer receives training in park management, wildlife research, environmental education, etc., and the National Park Service gains a fresh perspective on park management in addition to assistance with carrying out the Service's mission.

If you are a college or university student from another country, work for another country's park agency, or have a background in environmental or cultural related fields, and might be interested in volunteering for the U.S. National Park Service - we want to hear from you!

NPS welcomes all who apply to the IVIP program; however, we may only select those who meet visa and immigration requirements. Additionally, national parks’capacity to train and house international volunteers, limits the number of IVIP programs. Thus, NPS selects candidates who have the educational and professional backgrounds to benefit from the training and who have the best the potential to share it with colleagues and scholars when they return to their home countries.

The International Volunteers in Parks Program is not only about learning new skills and making new friends, it's about sharing your passion to help us protect the natural and cultural resources of US National Parks.

Experiences from the field: Volunteer Stories

My name is Natalie and I'm a forestry graduate from the University of Freigburg in Germany. I wanted to gain practical experience and applied for an internship in the US and ended up at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. Click here for Natalie's Story.

Working for five months as an international volunteer will remain a great memory for me. I discovered a beautiful place with an amazing wilderness. My name is Martin and I served as an international volunteer at Olympic National Park, Washington. Click here for Martin's Story.

My name is Aurelien and I am from France. I am a student in a Landscapes design school and was looking to do an internship with plants in an American National Park. I found an exciting experience working for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Click here for Aurelien's Story.

During the summer of 2006 I undertook a 6.5 week internship from August 7th till September 20th with the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. My name is Alexander and I got the possibility to expand my biological knowledge tremendously. Click here for Alexander's Story.

To see more IVIP Experiences from the field, click here.

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