The Department of Parks and Recreation has many wonderful volunteer opportunities, such as Live-in Park Host, Volunteer Park Patrol, Docent/Naturalist, Day Volunteer, Community Center Volunteer, Group Volunteer Projects, Volunteers in History, and Youth Volunteer Opportunities. To receive more information about these and other volunteer opportunities, please contact Cheryl Wegner, Volunteer Coordinator, at 858-966-1335 or Cheryl.Wegner@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Good news! You can now get a volunteer application on-line. Here is a PDF format version of the application. Simply print it, fill it out, and send it to our office, attention Cheryl Wegner. Thanks for your interest, and we'll be in touch.
The San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation offers many volunteer opportunities to fit your skills and interests. These fun and challenging assignments include:
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Live-in Park Host - This position requires 20 hours per week of scheduled duties in exchange for a free campsite and utilities for a motor home or trailer. Duties vary at the individual parks and may include grounds and equipment maintenance, greeting the public, general clean up, and other assignments specific to the park.
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| Group Volunteer Work Events- We provide great team building volunteer opportunities for organizations, corporations, and civic groups. Park clean ups, trail building, and planting native vegetation and trees are just some of the rewarding activities for our group volunteers. |  |
| Day Volunteer - These are volunteers who have time during their day to come and assist with all types of activities and tasks, such as gardening, weed abatement, trash pickup, and assisting with park programs. They may live near the park or give of their time to a particular park they especially enjoy. |  |
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Park Docent/Naturalist - This volunteer provides interpretive programs at the parks, historic sites, and open space areas, and may be involved in research and development as well as presentations. Positions are also available in the environmental education library and resource center. Tends to bring out the creative side in participants.
Volunteer Docents are being recruited for Rancho de los Peñasquitos Adobe and Rancho Guajome Adobe. Docents lead tours of the historic adobes, create public presentations and brochures, work with school children, and help coordinate special events. Ongoing training is provided. For more information on the docent training, please call Cheryl Wegner at 858-966-1335.
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| Park Patrol - Open space areas and park preserves are served by volunteer foot, bicycle, and equestrian patrols. Patrol members assist the public with information on Park resources and policies, help to ensure visitor safety and aid in the maintenance of trails and open areas. Patrol members provide their own bicycles and horses. |  |
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- Positions include clerical, maintenance, gardening, coaching, and special events. Centers are located in Fallbrook, Lakeside, and Spring Valley. Not all positions are available at each site.
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Student/Youth Volunteers - Students, Scouts, interns, and other volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome to apply for volunteer work, or to complete a required project.
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Volunteers in History - These positions assist the County Historian in the management of archaeology sites and historic structures, educational outreach, and the development of interpretive programs.
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The Parks and Recreation Volunteer Program has been mutually beneficial for volunteers and the County for more than 20 years. It allows the Department to increase services to visitors, provides on-the-job experience, and raises the public's awareness of how we operate to protect and preserve the natural and historic resources. Positions are not limited to those listed above. Training is provided for all volunteer positions, and work records are maintained. Some positions require extensive training and a small fee may be charged for materials. The County provides Worker's Compensation to all volunteers. State law requires a background check on all volunteers placed in County Parks and Recreation. For additional information and applications, call Cheryl Wegner, 858-966-1335.
To see the summary of the annual report for the Volunteer Program for the Department of Parks and Recreation, go to this page.
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