Last updated: May 12, 2026
Article
Sarah Corning, 2025 Volunteer Management Staff Award
Volunteer programs in national parks thrive when there is a strong manager or coordinator leading our amazing team of volunteers. They keep volunteer activities safe and running smoothly, work across park teams to meet shared goals, and help connect nearby communities with the park and its mission.
Sarah Corning is one of our amazing leaders of a volunteer program serving as the Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) program manager at Rocky Mountain National Park. She is the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Volunteer Management Award celebrating excellence in leading a volunteer program in a national park.
NPS Photo
This award highlights the significance of a person’s continued leadership and diligence in creating lasting impacts that directly strengthens a park’s volunteer program.
“I was shocked, truly surprised, when I heard I had received this award. I was told that I was being recognized nationally for the work I love doing each day! It was overwhelming, I teared up! I did not believe it.
There are so many great people who manage wonderful programs that have mentored, supported, given me so much of their knowledge, and shared their talents so that I could learn and grow. Hugs to everyone who helped me get here!” - Sarah Corning
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
- Duration:
- 57.891 seconds
Sarah Corning, a volunteer program manager at Rocky Mountain National Park, is the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Volunteer Management Staff Award.
Power in the Pause
Sarah guides Rocky Mountain National Park’s Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program, a dynamic and flourishing program that emerged stronger on the other side of the COVID pandemic. In 2024 alone, she welcomed 113 new volunteers to the program along with 300 returning volunteers. Her leadership helped drive a remarkable jump in group volunteer events, powered by her innovative approach and talent for building meaningful partnerships.
“I arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park from the U.S. Forest Service in May of 2020, in the peak of the COVID pandemic. Our program, like all others, had to rebound afterward, which took some time. In 2024, we were ready to bring back group events. We worked with staff to find and support work that was already happening in the park, providing extra support with volunteers to increase the impact.” - Sarah Corning
Successful programs, don’t always need to start from scratch and can instead bloom from existing practices. Collaboration with a park’s partner organizations can create strong connections with communities and the park.
“We continued building upon this effort in 2025 with help from our partner, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and increased our group events by 233%! This is especially amazing given the timing constraints for group events at our park—we can only host group events four months of the year, due to weather conditions.” - Sarah Corning
Building on a foundation of partnership and mutual purpose, Rocky Mountain National Park designed a truly unique volunteer experience where volunteers hiked in remote and rugged areas of the park to contribute to a limber pine sapling planting project over eight days. This is a species of management concern in the park as it provides a source of food for wildlife and improves soil stability.
During this experience, volunteers experienced camping overnight in the backcountry. This one in a lifetime opportunity was made possible both by the staff of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. The result: 70 volunteers, along with National Park Service staff, planted 1,769 seedlings.
NPS Photo
The Work Continues
Rocky Mountain National Park prioritizes safety, especially having one of the largest volunteer programs in the National Park Service. Sarah speaks to the standard of creating a secure environment for volunteers at all times.
“Safety is always a top priority for our program. We work hard to provide a safe place for our volunteers to serve. We perform background checks, update videos in our training library, improve safety messaging in service descriptions and job hazard analyses, and provide for emotional resiliency with continuous appreciation to our volunteers.”
It is clear that Rocky Mountain’s VIP program excels in prioritizing safety, but it doesn’t stop there. Sarah and the park’s VIP staff center the program on encouraging kindness.
“We also strive for joyful customer service for volunteers and staff alike. This combination has been very rewarding for our program. The more we can show up, open and willing to help, the better our days and service become.” - Sarah Corning
When inspiration and motivation is needed, Sarah looks to the volunteers themselves.
“It is a blessing to see people doing things they love for the park. Volunteers come to the park with so much passion, experience, and willingness to donate their precious time. They give all of this so freely in stewardship for Rocky!” - Sarah Corning
NPS Photo
Thanking Volunteer Management Staff
Sarah Corning’s contributions to Rocky Mountain National Park’s volunteer program reflect a deep commitment to the park, its volunteers, and the communities that surround it. Her devotion to efficiency, safety, and meaningful engagement has strengthened the program in ways that will continue to benefit the park for years to come.
When asked what advice she would offer to fellow volunteer program staff, Sarah’s answer speaks directly to the value of shared learning:
“Talk with one another! Each of us have talents, knowledge, and skills to share that will bless the work of our volunteers across the National Park Service, as we listen to our peers and implement what we learn.”
Thanking Our Volunteer Staff
Thank you to Sarah and all volunteer program management staff across the National Park Service! They dedicate their time and talent to developing volunteer programs that enhance parks and connect the public with their national parks.
If you would like to join the fun and make a difference in national parks, look for a volunteer opportunity near you at Volunteer.gov.
Learn About the Volunteers-In-Parks Program
The Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program, established by the Volunteers in the Parks Act of 1969, enables the National Park Service to engage members of the public directly through volunteer service. In 2025, nearly 138,000 volunteers donated almost 3.6 million hours of service across the National Park Service for a value of over $125 million.