Volunteer Opportunities
What’s your passion? Preserving local endangered species or maintaining trails and facilities for visitors? Guided hikes or paperwork? Whatever your strengths, you can help more visitors enjoy these parks more deeply! Learn about volunteer opportunities below, then use our volunteer signup form to sign up for one-time or recurring volunteer gigs with PCRF.
Wilderness Roving
Wilderness Roving volunteers hike our trails and report on trail issues (such as downed trees), perform light trail maintenance (e.g. trim plants so they don’t intrude on the trail), and give directions and other information to visitors. Wilderness Roving combines some of the duties of docents (below) and trail crew. Training is normally in Spring.
Docent
A docent is a volunteer interpreter: they help visitors understand the park, and demonstrate a passion for the natural world. Docents often lead guided hikes. Docent training normally occurs in Spring.
Trail Crew
Portola Trail Crew volunteers meet monthly on the second Saturday. The work includes brushing (cutting back vegetation), tread restoration (to improve trail width), and other trail maintenance. Check out our Portola Trail Crew page for all the details on this fun and essential volunteer opportunity!
Rare and Endangered Species Team
We are part of an effort to save the endangered Dudley’s Lousewort. We’re currently working with Parks and San Jose State University to improve the what’s known about this very rare plant, as a basis for future efforts to save it.
Help Staff the Portola Visitor Center!
The Portola Redwoods Park visitor center includes a gift shop, which depends on volunteers to help staff it. Help create a warm, welcoming experience for visitors while supporting environmental education in our community. Your time and friendly smile can make a real difference in keeping the park thriving for everyone to enjoy!
Cleanup Days and Special Events
Want to help get the parks ready for visitors and/or hep with special projects and events? Check the Bay Area Outdoor Volunteering Meetup Group! Special cleanup days and other events at Portola Redwoods and Castle Rock parks will be posted to this group.
