Northeast Ohio Outdoors

Volunteer Opportunities at Ohio State Parks

By Lou Yuhasz on May 30th, 2009

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Parks and Recreation values its dedicated volunteers and welcomes others to help keep Ohio State Parks in top condition.

Each year, more than 7,000 volunteers of all ages play a vital role in the promotion and maintenance of Ohio’s 74 state parks. They happily serve, offering campers friendly smiles, assisting naturalists with education programs and welcoming hikers onto litter-free trails. Outdoor enthusiasts of any age, skill and experience level are invited to become Ohio state park volunteers today.

Ohio State Park volunteer opportunities include:

Individual Volunteer – These volunteers take on a variety of tasks. They assist park staff with nature programs, trail maintenance, litter control, beautification, special events and more. Children between 5 and 12 years old, who work alongside their parents or guardians, can help as Junior Volunteers. Teenagers, age 13 to 18, may participate as Green Teens and can work individually or with family or friends on park projects.

Campground Hosts – Individuals who enjoy camping and meeting people are invited to apply to be campground hosts. In exchange for 20 hours of work per week, hosts receive a complimentary campsite. Duties include greeting campers, helping them at their sites, campground beautification, special events planning and being a model camper.

Group Volunteers – An increasing number of civic, school, scout and church groups have found satisfaction by completing service projects in state parks. The groups are welcome to come one time or they may prefer to be involved on a long-term basis with the park. The variety of duties is limited only by the imagination and the park’s needs. They can get involved in shoreline cleanups, trail work (hiking, bridle and mountain biking trails), beautification projects and more.

“Our quality volunteers are essential to successful park operations,” said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. “The quality services they proudly provide for park visitors are important contributions to Ohio State Parks and a tremendous assistance to park staff.”

In 2008 volunteers worked more than 350,000 hours in the parks.

Volunteering with Ohio State Parks is easy and fulfilling. Contact an Ohio State Park office or visit www.ohiostateparks.org. Volunteers of all ages, skills and experience levels are welcome and appreciated.

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