Columbia Cascades

Volunteers in Parks

All of the parks of the Columbia Cascades utilize volunteers. Availability of housing, stipends/reimbursement, kinds of work available, etc. will vary at each park. If you are interested in a position, contact that park's Volunteer Coordinator and inquire about their specific needs. You may also wish to send a completed copy of the Volunteer Application for Natural Resources (form OF-301, available at all parks) to each park that interests you. If you decide you wish to volunteer you are encouraged to do so as early as possible. Availability of positions is limited and they go quickly. Listed below are some of the main areas in which volunteers are utilized:

Interpretation

Working in the field of interpretation consists of positions that directly deal with park visitors. This includes answering questions at visitor centers by working the information desk, giving guided walks and talks, presenting evening campground talks, taking photographs for the park collection, giving presentations to school groups, doing historical costumed demonstrations, and providing information to individuals you may encounter outdoors on the trails.

Some or all of this work is available at: City of Rocks National Reserve, Coulee Dam National Recreation Area, Crater Lake National Park, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Nez Perce National Historical Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, San Juan Island National Historical Park, and Whitman Mission National Historic Site.

Maintenance

Maintenance work consists of duties associated with preservation and restoration of facilities, trails, historical structures and grounds. This includes such things as erosion control, fence construction and maintenance, trail maintenance (removal of overgrowth and restoration of damaged paths), carpentry, trail inspection, maintaining recreational areas, gardening, and small engine maintenance.

Some or all of this work is available at: City of Rocks, Coulee Dam, Crater Lake, Ebey's Landing, Fort Clatsop, Fort Vancouver, Hagerman Fossil Beds, John Day Fossil Beds, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic, Oregon Caves, San Juan Island, and Whitman Mission.

Resource Management

Work in the area of Resource Management consists of duties related to both the protection and study of plant and animal life and their environment in the parks. This includes such assignments as compilation of data on trout research/restoration, native plant identification, fuel inventory, subalpine meadow research/protection, control of non-native plants, development of bird species lists, cave water quality and climate monitoring, herpetology, and insect surveys.

Some or all of this work is available at: City of Rocks, Crater Lake, Craters of the Moon, Ebey's Landing, Fort Clatsop, Hagerman Fossil Beds, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic, Oregon Caves, and San Juan Island.

Adminstrative

Adminstrative work are those duties that assist both the operation of the National Park Service and the public. This includes such work as library cataloging and other assistance, word processing, providing information to visitors on the park and activities such as camping, data entry, newsletter production, education assistance, media-specialist work, and arching.

Some or all of this work is available at: Ebey's Landing, Fort Clatsop, Klondike Gold Rush-Seattle, Mount Rainier, Nez Perce, North Cascades, Oregon Caves, San Juan Island, and the Columbia Cascades Library.

Campground Host

Campground Host duties consist of the operation of campsites. This involves greeting visitors upon their arrival at the campground, processing their fees and reservations, and assigning sites. Duties also may include maintaining campground sites, working with concessioners that supply provisions, providing tourist and travel information to visitors, and maintaining contact with park headquarters concerning any situations that require special assistance such as law enforcement situations. Campground Hosts are required to be on-site and must have their own recreational vehicle.

The following areas utilize Campground Hosts: Coulee Dam, Craters of the Moon, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic.

Many volunteer positions available at national parks do not fall into standard categories. Such work includes blacksmithing, rockclimbing (for search and rescues), ski patrol, laboratory preparation of fossils, archeologist, historian, fire lookouts, and fire fighting.

Some or all of this work is available at: City of Rocks, Crater Lake, Fort Vancouver, John Day Fossil Beds, and San Juan Island. Fire lookout and fire fighting positions are sometimes available through the Ranger Activities Program of the Seattle System Office.

Internships

There are no specific internships available at any of the parks in the Columbia Cascades. However, if a student wishes to obtain educational credit for volunteer work done in a park, arrangements should first be made with the educational institution where the student wishes this credit to apply. If an internship can be arranged by permission of the educational institution, the student should then contact the park which best suits the student's academic needs. If the park is able to provide the student appropriate work, the student may be able to arrange an internship.

International Volunteers

An international applicant must furnish additional information when applying to volunteer. If a park has work available and offers it to an individual who is not a resident of the United States, that individual must obtain a J-1 Visa before entering the country to work. In addition, all international applicants must possess an insurance policy which contains specific coverages. Without this insurance the individual cannot work in the United States. Specifics on these additional requirements can be obtained from the park's Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteers For All National Parks

For more information on volunteering for other parks across the country, please visit the national Volunteers page.

Contact the Parks directly for more information or try the Outdoor Recreation Information Center.

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