Volunteers at Acadia have a wide variety of duties.

Current volunteer and internship opportunities are listed on this page. Full listings for most openings are included on the volunteer.gov website; please click on the links below to go to that website. Descriptions of other opportunities—including resource management volunteers, trail work days, and the volunteer bike patrol—are listed below.

(If you're in high school or college, be sure to check out the list of youth job opportunities; the park offers lots of fun summer jobs and internships.)

Internships at Acadia
Acadia offers a number of internship opportunities for students. College credit may be available through your school. Internship opportunities include education interns, raptor interpretation interns, and Schoodic Education Adventure teaching assistants/interns. Available internships, if any, are listed below.

Resource Management Volunteers - Intertidal Habitat Condition Assessment
Several volunteers are need for an observational study of visitors and their activities at five sites on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula from mid-May through mid-October 2008. The data collected will be part of a two-year study to determine how the intertidal zone is being used and, combined with ecological data, will help guide management of the shore within the park.

Volunteers will record the number of visitors, activities, and other information about their visit. Some sites have relatively little traffic, which provides an opportunity to birdwatch, read, and watch the waves. Other sites are very busy, and volunteers will have little “free time.” Most sites require a 10-20-minute walk to reach the site.

An initial meeting and training will occur in late April or early May, and a wrap-up session for all volunteers will be held at the end of the summer. Volunteers will all be acknowledged by name in reports and publications that result from the work.

For more information, contact Dr. Susan Brawley of the University of Maine at 207-581-2973 or via e-mail.

Trail Work Days - Spring, Summer, and Fall
Volunteers are needed to work on trails and/or carriage roads every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June through mid-October. Others days and times can often be arranged for groups. Considering the camaraderie that develops during these mornings, seldom has the term "work party" been more appropriate! No training or prior experience is required. Bring water, snacks, and lunch and wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes. For a recorded message of updated information on work locations and projects, please call 207-288-3934.

For details about volunteering at Acadia, please contact the volunteer coordinator via e-mail or at 207-288-8716.

Volunteer Bike Patrol
In coordination with the division of Resource and Visitor Protection, volunteers may sign up to help patrol Acadia’s carriage road system. The primary purpose of bike patrol volunteers is to help visitors to the park enjoy this amazing resource in a safe and enjoyable manner. Most of the patrols will focus on high-use areas such as Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond. Through contact with other cyclists, volunteers can help to spread the word about safe riding techniques, provide directions to confused riders, and serve as extra eyes and ears when emergencies or accidents do happen.

To participate in the Volunteer Bike Patrol program, riders must complete two formal training courses. No minimum time commitment is necessary, but volunteers will be scheduled based on need.

Although the training is complete for 2007, the information below will provide an idea of the training content and requirements.

Session I Description (pdf - 9kb)
Session II Description (pdf - 9kb)
Skills Checklist (pdf - 9kb)