NPS Photo

Gateway volunteers cleaning out a Tree Swallow nest box in the Grassland Management Area of Floyd Bennett Field in the park's Jamaica Bay Unit.

The Volunteer in Park Program

Volunteering is just one way that people can get involved with their national parks. Volunteers serve many important roles throughout Gateway. They staff information desks, give public tours, monitor and conserve the park's diverse natural and cultural resources, help design exhibits and brochures, and rehabilitate historic aircraft, among other duties. Their support of the park makes it the wonderful place that it is today. 

How Do I Sign Up?

E-mail the Gateway NRA Volunteer Coordinator or call 718-354-4564 for information on current volunteer opportunities throughout Gateway. Or complete and mail a Volunteer Application to: Volunteer Coordinator, Gateway NRA, 210 New York Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10305-5019. 

For more information on volunteer opportunities throughout Gateway, go to the links below:

• Jamaica Bay
• Sandy Hook
• Staten Island

Volunteer Spotlight

Here are some great examples of the types of work volunteers do at Gateway National Recreation Area:

• Jamaica Bay:
• • Historic Aircraft Reservation Project (HARP) Leads Way in Preservation, Research and Restoration
• Sandy Hook:
• • Wildlife Viewing Platform Rebuilt at Park by Team Effort
• Staten Island:
• • Citizen Science Program at Great Kills Park Helps Build Dragonfly Database
  • Community Resources, Exceptional People Doing Exceptional Park Work

Student Conservation Association

Students in high school and college are encouraged to participate in service internships and volunteer opportunities with the National Park Service. We work with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to engage students who wish to take part in the meaningful conservation of our National Parks. Discover more about the Student Conservation Association.

Volunteering at Sandy Hook

Volunteers working with the public at Sandy Hook staff the Visitor Center, Fort Hancock Museum, History House, Battery Potter, the Nike Radar Site, and the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. Others contribute by monitoring the piping plover, cleaning the beaches, putting up fences and painting historic structures. Internship opportunities are also available for college students. Please call 732-872-5959 to learn more.

View/Print Sandy Hook Volunteer Newsletter, The Sandpiper, March 2009

View/Print Sandy Hook Volunteer Newsletter, The Sandpiper, September 2008

Volunteering at Jamaica Bay

Gateway National Recreation Area is actively seeking people interested in joining the Volunteer In Parks program. Gateway's Jamaica Bay Unit offers prospective volunteers a wide variety of opportunities for service. These include assisting with public and education programming, sailing and boating programs, visitor center operations, natural resource management, historic aircraft restoration, trail maintenance, and many others.