The York County Park system is comprised of over 4,500 acres in 11 parks, which provides a variety of opportunities that engage volunteers in meaningful service that furthers our mission.

Opportunities Include:  

• Front Desk Greeter at Nixon County Park: Ensure visitors’ experience at Nixon Park is positive.  Assist guests, answer phones, and complete other duties as assigned by staff. Training is provided.

• Maintenance: Share your project, construction, and outdoor skills!  With miles of trails, parking lots, and bird feeders, there is always work to be done.

• Adopt-a-Trail: Adopt a section of trail at one our parks to help keep it passable for visitors.  

• Park Ambassador: To provide a presence on park grounds in a non-enforcement capacity. Ambassadors will provide information/trail ethics for trail users, advise of violations or public safety concerns, and take an active role in protecting/ preserving the parks to assist the full-time Ranger department. Training is provided. 

• Garden: Work to fight invasive species, use your gardening and weeding skills.

• Special Events: Assist during special events such as Reptile Week, Feederwatch, Bluebird trail monitoring, Christmas Magic, Maple Sugar Days, and more.

• Museum Docent/Friends Groups: Consider joining the Friends of Wallace-Cross Mill and/or Friends of the Heritage Rail Trail. Become a docent at the mill or open the train station museums during the summer months.

• Tree Care: Adopt a group of young trees in the park and check on them periodically to ensure their best change of survival.

• Scout Projects: Scouts can complete their Eagle Scout or Gold Award in the parks.

• Civic Group Projects: Your civic group can schedule a special project within the parks such as trash pick-up or tree plantings.

• Field Trip Assistant: Help naturalist staff engage students in environmental education lessons. Helpers are needed with large groups and hands-on activities. Federal and state child safety clearances are required.

• Nature Discovery Camp: Become a leader in training (LIT) or an adult camp volunteer. Assist with summer camp programming including nature hikes, games and explorations. Federal and state child safety clearances are required.

• Internships and Practicums: There are a variety of internships and practicums available in the environmental education field.

• Forest Habitat Restoration Team: Volunteers work to locate, map, monitor, and eradicate invasive plants and plant native plants in their place.

• Play Area Monitors: Monitor and remove dangerous plants from the forest play areas at Nixon Park or Rocky Ridge.

• Christmas Magic Lights Technician: Help hang Christmas lights at Rocky Ridge. Must be 18 or older and comfortable on ladders.

For Eagle Scouts, Scout Groups, Community or Company Groups, Including Service Days: 

Please contact the park headquarters for more information at (717) 840-7440 or parks@yorkcountypa.gov