Message From Director Sams: Thank You, Volunteers

Making Our Great Places Better: Celebrating National Volunteer Week

Director Sams with volunteer award recipients, Community Volunteer Ambassadors, and NPS staff who support volunteers.

NPS / Claire Hassler

Dear Volunteers,

As we prepare for National Park Week, I’m so pleased that we first have the opportunity during National Volunteer Week to honor the hundreds of thousands of people who give their time and talent to help accomplish our mission across the National Park Service.

The Volunteers-In-Parks program officially began under Director George Hartzog in 1970, though the noble efforts of private citizens have always been a force behind the movement to preserve and protect America’s special places. What started with a few hundred volunteers over 50 years ago has grown significantly, and the National Park Service now relies on many thousands of volunteers in a typical year. We are truly fortunate to have so many citizen stewards supporting our work.

Director Sams visits with Park Ranger Scott Irvine and Volunteer-in-Parks Nancy Funk at the Fort Vancouver Kitchen in March of 2022.

I’m honored to have this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the many who have given their time and talent over the years. From a family with young children who decide to volunteer together on National Public Lands Day, to a young professional seeking to gain new skills, to a retired couple writing their second chapter as botanists, historians, librarians, or campground hosts, we truly could not do what we do without our volunteers.

I also want to take this chance to say ‘join us!’ to those who have thought about volunteering in the past or who used to volunteer, but haven’t in a while. From one day volunteer projects to weekly or months-long commitments, there is a place for everyone to give back to their favorite national park. The possibilities are as diverse as our national parks themselves.

And your help is needed more than ever—many volunteers were unable to continue serving in the last few years, which means fewer friendly faces greeting park visitors, fewer services at campgrounds, fewer miles of maintained trails, fewer Junior Ranger badges distributed, more dangerous interactions with wildlife, less data to track the impacts of climate change, more invasive plants, and fewer artists celebrating our nation’s parks. Just as importantly, fewer volunteers also means that people are missing out on incredible connections and unforgettable experiences.

I encourage you to consider how you might give back to your favorite national park by becoming a volunteer. Learn more about the Volunteers-In-Parks program at NPS.gov/volunteer.

Thank you for making our great places better,

Charles F. Sams III

Director, National Park Service