Volunteer

Volunteers assist the staff at Fort Necessity in many ways. Many Fort Necessity staff members have responsibilities at Friendship Hill National Historic Site, giving interested volunteers and interns unique opportunities to expand their experience.

Volunteer and Intern Positions at these parks include:

Interpretation/Guide –Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Training and research materials are provided to volunteers to develop a variety of interpretive talks and programs relating to Fort Necessity’s primary themes of George Washington at Fort Necessity; French and Indian War; the French, British and American Indian participants; the Mount Washington Tavern and the National Road. Friendship Hill themes include statesman/diplomat Albert Gallatin; Western Expansion and the Whiskey Rebellion.

• Fort Necessity – Living History soldier: presents talks and musket or artillery firings on a regular basis to adults and children. These programs are usually conducted April-October.
• Fort Necessity – Mount Washington Tavern: on a regular basis presents talks or guided tours to adults and children. These programs are usually conducted April-October.
• Fort Necessity- Fur Trade Station: on a regular basis presents talks and hands-on activities to adults and children about 18th century fur trade; teach American Indian games and teach corn grinding. Usually conducted June-October
• Fort Necessity – Staffing the Visitor Center desk; collecting entrance fees; providing information and assistance to visitors. Fill in for the Eastern National bookstore clerk. Year round.
• Friendship Hill – Staffing the Visitor Center desk and relating the story of Albert Gallatin and his connection to southwestern Pennsylvania. Daily April-October and weekends November-March.
• Friendship Hill – House tours conducted daily April-October and weekends November-March.

Education Aid – Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Work with the Education Specialist on curriculum development; setting up conferences; tourism promotion; conducting curriculum based education programs for all grade levels.

Technological Aid-Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Work with Park staff and Press Information Officer on press releases; website development; podcast development; video taping; photography and other projects as needed.

Library Aid-Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Assist the Librarians on a variety of projects including: preparing new books to be processed into the collection; library inventory; re-shelving books and magazines; and check for overdue items.

Administrative Aid – Fort Necessity
Work in the office providing clerical assistance. This would include typing, filing, copying, computer data entry and working on projects as assigned.

Resource Management Aid – Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Work with the Resource Management Specialist on a variety of projects including: monitoring and data collection for water quality; wildlife and fisheries population and habitat management; vegetation and pest management; and human impact assessment.

Curatorial Aid - Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Assist Curatorial Specialist with preservation of the museum collections. Projects could include: photographing museum objects; measuring museum artifacts; recording information on computer; properly storing collection; inventory; cataloging new additions to the collection; and collection and exhibit maintenance.

Maintenance Aid-Fort Necessity/Friendship Hill
Assist the permanent office staff in computer data entry. Other projects could include: assist maintenance in trail rehabilitation; grounds mowing/grooming; carpentry; plumbing; electrical; historic preservation and other related tasks.

Training of interns and volunteers may consist of formal classroom training and/or on the job informal shadowing of experienced volunteers and rangers. Black powder training is usually held the first week of June.

You may download and print a volunteer application here. Please return completed applications, with references, to: Volunteer Coordinator, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, 1 Washington Parkway, Farmington, PA 15437.

If you prefer, you may complete an on line application by clicking on the "FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD" link below.

For further information call: 724-329-5512 or 724-329-5473.

 

Current Volunteer Opportunities

 

American Woodcock nesting habitat is preserved by the removal of invasive honeysuckle bushes.

Project Weed Whack

The National Park Service is a proud member of the Southern Laurel Highlands Plant Management Partnership. This group is working together to help protect native plant and animal species by controlling the spread of non-native species that compete with native plants. Click here for more information. To learn how to participate, contact the Natural Resource Management Specialist at Fort Necessity National Battlefield via e-mail or at 724-329-5812.