How to Volunteer

Volunteering with the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department

The volunteers of the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department serve over 90,000 hours annually in the parks and along the trails. The many roles filled by volunteers are important in keeping the parks and vast trail system working as effectively as possible.  There are many ways to serve as a volunteer in the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department.  

Core Volunteers

These volunteers, also known as Parks Hosts or Community Volunteers, are often interchangeable with park staff and perform similar functions including, but not limited to running the nature and/or entry stations, providing customer service/resolving customer complaints, checking in campers, maintenance, interpretive or conservation activities, and special projects under the supervision of the park supervisor.  Some of our Community Volunteers serve as Trail Ambassadors and Desert Defender Stewards. Due to the level of responsibility and training required, core volunteers must agree to volunteer for a set amount of time and complete the following:

• Criminal & Driving History Check
• Annual MVD/Driving records clearance
• Safety and park specific training

For more information on Core Volunteer opportunities, CLICK HERE.

Service Volunteers

Being a Service Volunteer is an excellent way to serve Maricopa County Parks and Recreation if you cannot commit to a required amount of service hours each month.  This area of our volunteer program provides the most flexibility and acts as a community pipeline for introductory service experiences with our Department. Service Volunteers represent the following:

• Working professionals
• Corporate and/or community groups
• Community partner volunteers

The service experiences that we have available support all who want to give back to their community in a manner that is meaningful and beneficial. We are the largest regional park system in the country with a wide variety of volunteer opportunities in the following areas:

• Education and recreation programs
• Educational exhibits/displays
• Park maintenance
• Natural resources management programs
• Community events

To learn more about service opportunities with our system, we invite you to contact the Volunteer Coordinator to schedule a telephonic volunteer orientation.  

Additional opportunities

Still not quite finding the right fit?  

• We offer Special Days of Service throughout the year.  These opportunities are park specific and can be found on our volunteer calendar.  CLICK HERE to view the calendar and register for an event.
• Corporate or community groups:  Corporate or community groups that are interested in scheduling a clean-up or trail maintenance day are asked to work directly with the volunteer coordinator. The volunteer coordinator may be reached at parkvolunteer@maricopa.gov or (602) 506-9500. 

Minors  

• Any minor wishing to volunteer with the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department must sign and submit a Waiver of Liability for Minor Participants form prior to volunteering. Completed forms must contain a guardian signature. To download a copy of the form, CLICK HERE.