Volunteer

Volunteer at Fort Clatsop!

NPS PHOTO

Fort Clatsop has an outstanding team of Volunteers in Parks (VIPs). These VIPs assist the park with a wide variety of tasks. These include greeting and orienting visitors, assisting with special events, fee collection, invasive plant control, answering visitors' questions, data entry, filing, answering phones, designing curriculum, library and inventory projects, archive/collections/archeology work, and conducting living history and education programs. 

Volunteers are encouraged to participate in park training. This includes the annual staff training in June as well as monthly staff safety meetings.

RV sites with no hookups are available for VIPs with RVs who don't live locally. RV sites at a nearby campground can sometimes be arranged for RVers who work at least three days per week for a month or more.

If you are interested in applying to be a Lewis and Clark National Historical Park VIP please read some sample job descriptions below or at www.volunteer.gov/gov and complete the application at www.nps.gov/volunteer ; or mail your completed application with your resume to Sally Freeman,  Volunteer Program Manager, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, 92343 Fort Clatsop Rd., Astoria, Oregon 97103.

Current VIP opportunities at Lewis and Clark NHP

• Custodial Assistant: Assist staff with cleaning buildings, recycling, sweeping sidewalks, and the daily opening of parking lots. This work starts early each day and occurs year round.
  
• Education assistant: Assist rangers with organizing school groups and conducting activities with school children. Share lessons relating to the Lewis and Clark Expedition with education groups visiting the park. Assist with the park's traveling trunk and video loan programs. This work occurs mostly in the spring and fall of each year.
  
• Visitor information assistant: Greet and orient visitors, collect admission fees, & answer questions about the area including the winter the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped at Fort Clatsop as well as give tours to tour groups. This work occurs all year.
  
• Cultural resource assistant: Assist rangers with library projects as well as occasional archive/collections or archaeology work. This work occurs all year.
  
• Trail maintenance assistant: Assist staff with trail patrolling and maintenance. This work occurs all year.
  

If you are interested in applying to be a Fort Clatsop VIP please read some sample job descriptions and complete the application. Please send your completed application with your resume to:

Volunteer Program Manager
Fort Clatsop National Memorial
92343 Fort Clatsop Road
Astoria, Oregon 97103

For more information contact: Sally Freeman at [phone].

Mission Statement for LEWI's Volunteers in Parks Program

The mission of the Volunteers in Parks program of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is to provide individuals opportunities to commemorate, preserve, and communicate the stories associated with the Corps of Discovery and its winter near the mouth of the Columbia River. Volunteers are important team members of the park staff and are encouraged to participate in all trainings, meetings, special events, etc. that are available to staff. This program will affirm their ownership and stewardship of this park and the entire National Park Service and will honor their specific contributions.