Volunteer Program

Volunteers play a vital role in sustaining the treasure that is Washington state parks, providing more than 275,000 hours of service each year (the equivalent of 145 full-time employees). Helping hands are needed everywhere for a wide variety of short- and long-term projects, providing interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunities for individuals, couples, schools, families, corporations, citizen groups and service organizations. Read on to learn about specific volunteer opportunities, benefits and our outstanding volunteers for last year.

Volunteer application: Contact Sarah Oldfield by phone at (360) 902-8583 or e-mail volunteers@parks.wa.gov. Remember to include your mailing address.

Volunteer timesheets: Individuals or group volunteers who have received permission to perform volunteer service at a state park, but did not have contact with park staff at the time of service, may use the following timesheets to record their hours. Complete the appropriate form below and return it to State Parks Volunteer Services.

 Volunteer Opportunities

Host Programs
Volunteer hosts help park staff with routine visitor services such as greeting guests, answering questions, and dispensing information in exchange for free camping or boat moorage. (See "Volunteer Benefits" below.) Hosts are used in campgrounds, marine parks, interpretive centers and programs and Environmental Learning Centers.

Camp Host Opportunities (MS Word format)

Annual Events
Extra hands are always needed at once-a-year maintenance events. Many parks celebrate Earth Day in April with cleanups and one-day projects. National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June, offers a chance to help with restoring and improving State Parks trails. All coastal parks take part in Operation Shore Patrol, an annual beach cleanup, the third weekend in September.

Group Volunteers
Clubs and organizations can help with specific park improvements: trail renovation, tree planting, stream restoration, litter cleanup, minor repairs and more. Perfect for Scout troop service projects or corporate team-building efforts. Call your local state park to get involved.

Adopt-a-Park Program
Groups can also "adopt" a favorite park and offer it longer-term care. Volunteer groups are asked to commit to two service projects in a given year or to a single annual service project for two consecutive years. Call your local park or email adoptapark@parks.wa.gov.

Friends of Individual Parks
A number of nonprofit groups have been formed to benefit specific state parks. Funds raised on-site by these Friends Groups - through gift shops sales, special events and other activities - are used toward improvements and programs at that particular park. For more information email pam.mcconkey@parks.wa.gov. Currently there are 17 parks or properties with support from official Friends Groups:

• Bridle Trails
• Camano Island state parks
• Cape Disappointment State Park
• Dalles Mountain Ranch
• Flaming Geyser State Park
• Fort Casey State Park
• Fort Flagler State Park
• Fort Worden State Park
• Goldendale Observatory State Park
• Moran State Park
• Mount Spokane State Park
• Old Fort Townsend
• Olmstead Place State Park
• Riverside State Park, Centennial Trail
• Saint Edward State Park
• South Cle Elum Depot and Rail Yard
• Scenic Beach State Park

Gifts to Washington State Parks
Since the first Parks Board was established in 1913, the people of Washington have benefited from many generous donations made to Washington State Parks. Gifts of land, surplus equipment and historic artifacts, as well as financial bequests, all help to improve and strengthen Washington's cherished state parks.
 

 Volunteer Benefits

Thanks to your donated time and skills, your favorite state park sees improvements NOW, instead of sometime in the future.

Community groups can use volunteering in state parks to teach their youth to protect and care for the environment while giving back to the community.

Volunteers earn "Service Awards" - keychains, coffee mugs, fanny packs and more - based on the total number of hours donated in a calendar year.

Campground Hosts receive free campsite and utility hookups at the park where they volunteer (minimum 30-day stay with a commitment of 28 hours each week per host site).

Marine Park Hosts receive free boat moorage at the park where they volunteer (minimum 14-day stay).

 Volunteer Recognition

Last year, volunteers performed more than 291,000 hours of work, equal to 139 full-time employees. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks everyone who gives of their time and energy to support and improve our parks!

We'd especially like to recognize the following volunteers who received the 2007 Volunteer Recognition Awards for outstanding volunteer service.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Award of Excellence: Tab Tabacek (Renton, Wash.) – Tabacek volunteered for Washington State Parks since 2002 and donated more than 5,393 volunteer hours. This award was presented in memoriam for his outstanding volunteer service, commitment to the State Parks mission, Centennial Plan, the individual parks he volunteered at and his determination to continually recruit new volunteers.

Volunteer of the Year: George and Lynn Meredith (Kirkland, WA) – The Merediths started volunteering at Blake Island State Park as marine hosts in 2004. In 2005, the Merediths began volunteering at Saint Edward. They helped identify downed trees, raked and mowed the park grounds, tended gardens and provided tours of the seminary building.

Lifetime Achievement Pat Gillen (Port Townsend, Wash.) – Gillen has volunteered at Fort Worden State park for the past 21 years. He has shared his time and extensive knowledge of the fort and its history as a park and Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum volunteer and board member. Gillen's volunteer time is conservatively estimated to exceed 17,000 hours. He has been a regular contributor to the enhancement, organization and operation of the museum and has conducted innumerable tours.

Lifetime Achievement Robert and Patty Plowman (Livingston, Texas) – The Plowmans have volunteered at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center every January through March for the past three years. The Plowmans have performed many duties at the center including assisting visitors through interpretive talks, providing information and directions within the park and local area, assisting with emergencies, cleaning the center, picking up litter, handing out information, collecting fees and helping to recruit other volunteers for the center.

Host(s) of the Year: Barbara Humphreys (Carson City, Nev.) and Jean Nolet (Carson City, Nev.) began hosting at Nine Mile Resort at Riverside State Park in 2007. They helped transition the privately operated resort into a state park. They directed traffic flow during busy times, assisted with visitor parking, kept old electrical and plumbing systems working, watered lawns, cleaned out fire rings and picked up litter. Humphreys and Nolet also hosted at the Bowl and Pitcher campground selling firewood, giving directions to visitors and offering recreational opportunities in the park.

Outstanding Contribution by an Individual: Steven Kobylk (Coupeville, Wash.) – Kobylk has been volunteering at Fort Casey since 1999. He prepared and painted the 10-inch disappearing rifles, cleared brush, restored and painted historical features in the battery storage room. Kobylk owns a number of the historical artifacts on display and donated phones, lanterns, spotting scopes, uniforms, replica post lanterns, shell casings and more. Kobylk also developed a booklet to tell the story of the life and career of Mathew L. English, a Coupeville native who served in World War I and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Significant Volunteer Achievement: Julie Wurden Jablonski (Port Townsend, Wash.) – Wurden Jablonski assisted park staff to raise $18,000 to resurface Fort Worden State Park's tennis courts. She worked with several local agencies, companies and private individuals to raise funds through donations and grants. Wurden Jablonski also helped park staff administer a pilot project to offer adult tennis drill lessons and introductory group lessons weekly throughout the summer.

Special Mention: Ron Greening (Port Hadlock, Wash.) – Greening has volunteered at Fort Flagler since December 2005. He has worked as a campground and marine host. Greening has repaired and replaced picnic tables, installed security systems, repaired broken windows and replaced the asphalt numbers for the campsites. He photographed individual campsites to be used on the agency's reservation system and handcrafted a wooden boat for the park's gift shop.

GROUP AWARDS

Outstanding Group of the Year: The Friends of Moran have spent thousands of hours rallying community support and putting on work parties at Moran State Park. In 2007, they advertised and organized a large work party to help clean up after winter storm damage. Community members, teachers and students came out for two days of cleaning, removing limbs and storm debris to get the park ready for the upcoming season. The Friends also participated in the Fourth of July parade, organized the annual fishing derby for children, raised $5,000 from local businesses to print the park's brochure and trail map and organized the first annual family bike ride.

Significant Group Achievement: USS Emory S. Land (Bremerton, Wash.) – Forty-two sailors from the USS Emory S. Land completed a variety of projects at Fort Flagler State Park. The sailors picked up litter and debris from the beach, removed branches and downed trees from several miles of trail, scraped paint from the exterior of one of the buildings and worked at the retreat center taping, scraping caulking and painting the interior of the former Bachelor Officer's Quarters.

Outstanding Contribution by a Group: Cama Beach Quilters – In January 2003, the Camano Island Quilters formed an elite group of quilters with a goal of making 100 quilts for Cama Beach State Park. They researched quilt styles and patterns from the 1930s and 40s, donated and received donations of quilting material and completed 35 quilts. The quilters put nearly 2,700 hours into this project, and the value of the quilts is estimated to be $50,000 to $60,000.

Scout Award: Boy Scout Troop 4058 (Coupeville, Wash.) – The troop performed a service project at Pearrygin Lake State Park. They removed of an old vault toilet in the group camp area, prepared the ground for grass, painted 50 feet of fence and repositioned the fire pit.

CENTENNIAL AWARDS

David and Alice Weaver (Livingston, Texas) – In 2007, the Weavers served as volunteer coordinators for Fort Flagler and created the foundation for an introduction/orientation class for new and returning volunteers. They created detailed binders for the different volunteer areas/roles, including camp host, museum or gift shop, office assistant and marine host, ensuring each volunteer has the tools needed to do a good job.

Grinnell College – Ten students from Grinnell College in Iowa spent their spring break in a college sponsored "Alternative Spring Break" program volunteering on the Willapa Hills Trail in Pacific County. During their week in Washington, the students put in nearly 600 hours preparing six of seven railway bridges and spreading gravel on a 12-mile stretch of the trail.

Copyright © 2009 Washington State Parks
Please review our privacy policy.
Contact us.