Volunteer
The Florida Park Service manages 160 state parks consisting of more than 700,000 acres. With more than 21 million visitors a year, it is a challenge to provide quality visitor services with just a little more than 1,000 employees. The fact is we could not do as good a job without the help of thousands of volunteers. Volunteers contributed more than 1.2 million hours last year, which is the same as 581 additional full time positions.
Volunteers can do many things -- greet visitors, conduct tours, help rangers remove exotic plants or maintain the natural beauty of a beach, waterway or trail. Groups can adopt trails, portions of a park or even an entire park. Students can participate in internship programs or bring a group to a park to provide service as an alternative "spring break."
Campground hosts are "special" volunteers who aid the managers of a state park camping area. They answer campers' questions, help with maintenance and are available for late-night emergencies. In return, campground hosts get a free campsite and the satisfaction of performing an important and much-needed job.
To find out more about volunteer programs in individual parks, including available positions, please check out the volunteer link on each state park home page. The Florida Park Service does not recruit or place volunteers from the central office in Tallahassee. Each park screens and selects its own volunteers. So keep the following in mind:
- Study the Park Guide on this Web site and locate the parks which might interest you, or a region of the state you like, and contact those parks first.
- Persons interested in volunteering should contact the park directly by telephone and inquire about available volunteer positions.
- Those interested in accommodations for camping rigs, in particular, should know that most parks in the state book winter volunteers as far as one year ahead. You should contact those parks at your earliest opportunity.
- Small isolated parks, parks in north Florida and parks in the panhandle are more likely to have sites in the winter than south Florida parks.
- Many parks are seeking camper volunteers in the summer.
If you would like to become a state park volunteer, ask a staff member for an application form or download one from this page and return it to the park of your interest or contact:
Coordinator of Volunteer Services
Bureau of Operational Services
Division of Recreation and Parks
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 535
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-300
(850) 245-3076
If you would like to volunteer in the Florida State Park system, please review the volunteer opportunity descriptions and use the following online form, which will provide greater efficiency in matching you to available opportunities.
- ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
This electronic application goes to the Florida Park Service's Volunteer Coordinator who then forwards the application to parks for consideration. - VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK
This is the handbook which is provided to all Florida Park Service Volunteers and provides a reference for policies and requirements.
- Group Volunteer Agreement Form(PDF)
