What Our Volunteers Do

Current Colorado State Parks volunteers work in various capacities. These include campground host, park host, park naturalist, interpreter, special project volunteer, researcher, trail crew worker, trail crew leader, volunteer service group and much more. The following list is far from complete, however it represents the most popular volunteer opportunities available at Colorado State Parks. The descriptions below are general and may change depending upon the parks specific needs.

Campground Host 

• Collect fees and dispense park information at an entrance station.
• Greet and assist campers with information about the park and facilities.
• Assist in daily campground operations and in posting campground reservations.
• Clean campsites, bathrooms, and laundry facilities and assist with light maintenance.
• Dispense park information and assist with campground programs.
• Download our Campground Host Information Flyer (PDF) for additional information.

• Present park interpretive and educational programs such as campfire talks, nature walks, multi-media shows, living history programs, evening programs and others.
• Lead school group programs on-site.
• Visit local students in their classrooms or other groups and conduct interpretive programs off-site.
• Conduct public workshops or classes.
• Conduct roving interpretive patrols in campgrounds, on park trails, at park facilities, or in the backcountry.
• Support park staff in educational endeavors and programming.

Park Maintenance & Construction

• Repair and construct fences.
• Clean up park grounds and facilities.
• Complete special or seasonal maintenance tasks as needed (for example: boat dock repair).
• Do carpentry, remodeling or other construction projects.
• Provide landscape design expertise.
• Make park information signs.
• Assist with minor vehicle/boat/equipment repairs and maintenance.

Resource Specialist

• Assist park staff in reclamation projects or wildlife habitat improvements.
• Monitor wildlife and habitat, including activities like bat and raptor monitoring.
• Monitor air and water quality or other important environmental parameters.
• Participate in routine management of agricultural lands.
• Participate in weed control efforts.
• Collect field data. 
• Do resource inventories.
• Interview or observe park/program users for visitor use survey.
• Conduct oral history interviews and other historical research.
• Prepare research on natural history topics.
• Carry out a creel census or other wildlife data collection.
• Update and maintain the park library, artifact collection,
  botanical and educational specimen collections, and slide files.
• Serve as a Natural Areas steward.

Special Projects

• Help write and develop outdoor interpretive signs for self-guiding trails or roadside exhibits.
• Coordinate volunteers.
• Photograph or video tape park programs, special events, visitors, or resources.
• Assist in planning volunteer recognition or social events.
• Train other volunteers.
• Provide equipment, donated funds, or expertise on special
• projects. Design and create puppets,
• historical costumes, and more.
• Trails Support
• Serve as trail host.
• Assist with the design, building and maintenance of park trails.
• Perform as crewmembers or crew leaders
• on trail construction, renovation, and maintenance.
• Design or install trail signage.

Visitor Center/ Office Support

• Answer phones, do word processing and data entry on the computer, file, or perform clerical tasks.
• Provide computer training; trouble-shooting or computer program design.
• Staff a visitor center information desk or sales outlet.
• Help coordinate special events.
• Help design and prepare exhibits, displays, and bulletin boards.
• Help market and advertise park programs.
• Write and edit newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, and manuals.
• Produce artwork or graphic design for publications, signs, flyers, or exhibits.
• Help train staff and/or volunteers in desktop publishing software and techniques.

Group Opportunities

• This includes boy scouts, girl scouts, corporations, 4-H clubs, school community service groups, church groups, environmental groups and so forth. Duties are usually project specific and will be designed around the interests of the group as well as the needs of the park or program.
• We understand that every group interested in volunteering has different priorities and requirements. For more information on group volunteering, please call (303) 866-3437 or e-mail: parks.volunteer@state.co.us