Opportunities From: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Volunteers are encouraged to share their passions and expertise. Working with the volunteer coordinator, this opportunity allows volunteers to substitute for educators, help with educational field trips, or lead their own programs. 

Perform trail maintenance at Sawmill Trail. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Perform trail maintenance at Sawmill Trail. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Perform trail maintenance at Sawmill Trail. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Perform trail maintenance at Sawmill Trail. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

This opportunity is for existing fire fighters and fire related programs.

There are many ways to volunteer to help maintain the trails at Nolde Forest.

During the Spring, Summer, and Fall, our volunteer trail crew meets on Sunday evenings. If you are interested in joining this group, please call the park office for more information as meeting location and times change weekly depending on park needs. Trail Crew members, please record your weekly hours here.

If working independently is more your style, we also have a volunteer "Adopt-a-Trail" program. You will be assigned a trail in the park and you can come volunteer on your trail as your schedule allows. There is no set time, though we ask that you come out and check the trail at least once a month. But this option allows you to volunteer on your own schedule when it works for you. After an orientation with park staff you will simply show up when convenient for you, access the volunteer tools, and work for as long as your day allows. Please record your independent volunteer hours here for any trail work duties.

The Moraine, McConnell’s Mill and Jennings Commission (3MJC) is on a mission! We are a community 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing support for Moraine and McConnells Mill State Parks and Jennings Environmental Education Center in beautiful Western Pennsylvania. Our mission is to enhance the appearance and function of these parks and to help educate the public and park visitors on park operations. We invite you to browse our website and attend one of our free monthly public meetings to learn more about our organization and the projects we manage. https://www.3mjc.org/

The mission of the Friends of Tyler State Park is to support the park in preserving, promoting, and maintaining the educational, recreational, natural, and historical resources of the park. The Friends of Tyler State Park hosts community service, recreational and educational events. 

Typical trail work which involves trail maintenance, tree removal, blazing, and approved trail reroutes.

Typical park trail work that involves trail maintenance, trail rehab, and approved trail reroutes.

Invasive plant species degrade the ecosystem functioning in our parks. At Samuel S. Lewis State Park, the understory has been completely replaced by these plants. They are not valuable to wildlife and prevent native species from regenerating. Because these plants take up space, nutrients, and sunlight sections of the woods at Sam Lewis will not be able to regenerate as trees age and die. 

Contact the GRT team to see how you can help!
The GRT will offer four events to provide participants a choice of distances to match their experience, early-season fitness, and season-long goals – the 20 Mile Trail Run, the 50K and 50 Mile Ultramarathons and the 50-Mile 5-person relay. Except for a short stretch at the start and near the end, the 20 Mile and 50K events will be entirely on an exceptional single-track trail. In addition to the single-track, the 50 Mile course also includes a section of very runnable, yet very hilly, double-track/fire roads through beautiful hardwood forests. This race is held annually to celebrate our local trails and to provide a donation of all net proceeds to Moraine State Park, Jennings Environmental Center and McConnells Mill State Park. Our generous race sponsors have offset many of the race costs so that $140,000 could be provided to these parks over the race’s lifespan of thirteen years.

Moraine Preservation Fund (MPF) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that supports Moraine State Park. MPF has helped to develop important wildlife restoration projects like Project BATitat, the Osprey and Barn Owl Reintroduction Programs, along with the creation of a Native Plant & Butterfly Trail near the Giftshop.
MPF operates the Owlet Gift Shop located at McDanel’s Boat Launch, located off the North Shore park exit on Rt. 422 in Portersville. Moraine Preservation Fund also operates Preston’s Pearl, an enclosed pontoon boat that offers interpretive boat tours around Lake Arthur.  
Our Mission:
To promote community stewardship of natural resources within Moraine State Park, McConnells Mill State Park and Jennings Environmental Education Center.

Occasionally we need assistance with on-going research within our American Chestnut orchards.  This may include harvesting nuts, measuring, mowing, cutting, or pruning trees. 

This opportunity is for logging hours from last year's Women in the Wild program. Please do not sign up for this opportunity if you are interested in helping with 2026. 

This project is to help us maintain and weed our flower beds at the park office. No knowledge of plants needed for basic weeding and maintenance. If you prefer to work on your own over time, we do ask that you become familiar with the plants in the beds. This opportunity may also include mulching once a year. 

Help us install our charismatic cartoon characters throughout the Covered Bridge Trail for Light Up Little Buffalo! This job requires pounding in stakes and use of a drill to secure the figures to the stakes. It is generally done in November before the ground freezes. 

We're looking for volunteers with an eye for interior design to help us wow our visitors! Our Outdoor Classroom, Train Car, Pavilion, and Shoaff's Mill will all need decorated, and it could be up to you to determine how! Coordinate with our staff to get access to our indoor decorations and you decide when a good time is for you to help us bring some holiday cheer to these buildings. 

The National Horse Lovers Assn, which is locally headquartered, maintains the trails used by horses in Moraine.  Contact them at www.nationalhorselovers.com

McConnells Mill is an historic treasure.  Many stories are still out there, waiting to be told. Help capture the photos, stories, and facts about the rich history of this park. Follow your interests and use your talents for gathering this rich history.

This opportunity is for firewood processing for the campground at Little Buffalo. 

This opportunity is for the care of the Blue Ball Tavern Trail. This trail mostly just requires occasional trash cleanup. We ask that adopters walk the trail monthly from April through October to keep it clean and provide monthly feedback on its care. 

Art in the Park is a fundraiser held several days throughout the year.  Assistance is needed with set-up and tear down.  Also, if you are an artist, there is the opportunity to lead visitors through a painting of the park. 

This opportunity is for any individual who wants to help us protect our native plant communities and improve habitat in the park! Little Buffalo is plagued with several invasive plants, including mile-a-minute, honeysuckle, autumn olive, privet, multi-flora rose, barberry, and oriental bittersweet. These plants need to be regularly controlled in order to maintain the diverse flora of the park! Help us tackle these invasives by signing on today!

When you sign on to this opportunity, you'll be contacted by park staff for your availability. You will need to meet with park staff to learn what plants to remove and what to protect. We can supply tools and gloves. 

Various trail work at Ridley Creek State Park.

Do you want to help maintain the trails at Black Moshannon State Park?  If so, then sign up for this opportunity!  The trail crew meets once a month from April until October to help keep the trails in the best shape possible.  Trimming, removing small fallen trees, weed whacking, and other tasks are completed.   You will receive emails that will list the dates that the trail crew will be meeting.  If you are available for any of the dates, you can then sign up to help those days.  

This opportunity is for individuals who would like to help pick up litter around the property! Gloves, trash bags, and trash pickers can be provided. Groups or families who want to volunteer, please contact the volunteer coordinator.

Volunteers maintain this site, and interpret it's history for visitors. An operating central power is tucked in the woods just beyond Muskrat Cove where a stream crosses under the service road. Built at the turn of the century, it contains a Bessemer engine, pumping jacks, and other equipment used during the early days of the oil industry. The engine is operated several times a year, typically second Saturdays of summer and fall months.

This is a volunteer opportunity to help with general park maintenance by cleaning up downed tree limbs, trash and other debris in the park.

The gristmill bakers share their baking knowledge, demonstrate baking and outdoor cooking, and showcase the historic grains that may have been ground in McConnells Mill.

The Native Plant Butterfly Trail is a demonstration garden for educational purposes that is managed by dedicated Master Gardeners who work to remove destructive invasive plants, maintain the trails, and restore plants that are historically native to Butler County, Pennsylvania.   Our goal is to create an appreciation for and understanding of the importance of native plants, the interconnection with pollinators and wildlife, and to encourage their adoption in the home environment. To learn about volunteering in the butterfly trail gardens, visit https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/butler

Volunteer opportunities for the Haunted Lake Loop Trail include haunters, registration, decorating, tear down, assistance with the line, handing out candy at the end of the trail, or providing an education table towards the end of the hike.  We do have some costumes to loan, if needed.  More details will be provided to those that sign up to volunteer.  This event takes place rain, snow, or shine.  

Help beautify Black Moshannon State Park!  Projects include litter pickup, painting and sealing, gardening, and trail maintenance.  A free lunch will be provided.  Free camping is available for that weekend for those that volunteer from 9 am to 1 pm.  Please contact the Black Moshannon State Park Office at 814-342-5960 or email blackmoshannonee@pa.gov for the camping.  

Help monitor Bluebirds and other species nesting in over 20 cavity nest boxes throughout the park. Volunteers check each box weekly and record data that is then compiled and included in the Statewide Cavity Nesting Report. One volunteer per week, coordinator will contact you to schedule shifts that work for you.

Help us remove the invasive plants around the park!  This crew meets periodically throughout the year to remove (pruning, cutting, lopping) species such as Japanese Honeysuckle, Callery Pear, and Oriental Bittersweet from various areas of the park.

Pymatuning State Park has three campgrounds, all in need of campground hosts. A campground host is a volunteer that stays on site for at least two weeks at a time, at no charge, and preforms a variety of tasks.  Primarily this person is a steward of the campground and of the park.  They answer questions about the campground and the park, give directions and even make recommendations of what to do in the local community.  Campground hosts also preform light cleaning duties in the restrooms, litter pick up in the campground as well as other minor tasks as needed.   

Help maintain the trails at Pine Grove Furnace State Park! Work is coordinated by a lead volunteer. Contact the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park for more details:  PineGroveFriends@gmail.com  

Help maintain and improve park trails. Dates and hours vary greatly depending on many factors. Volunteers must work closely with park staff throughout the year and communicate in advance of any trail work.

Friends group fundraiser

Maintaining trails at Caledonia State Park. Work is coordinated with a head volunteer. Please contact the main office if interested. 

Volunteer opportunities include trash pickup, basic trail maintenance, and mechanical invasive plant removal using basic hand tools. Trash bags are available at the park office, and litter pickers may be borrowed depending on availability. After trash is collected, it may be disposed of in one of the park dumpsters during the summer months. Alternatively, bagged trash may be left in a designated area for staff pickup; please notify the park office.

When conducting trail work, only hand tools and hand saws may be used. Please do not attempt to remove hazardous trees; instead, report them to the park office. If addressing invasive species such as Mile-a-Minute, Japanese barberry, or Honeysuckle, please contact the park office in advance to ensure proper disposal of removed vegetation.

This volunteer opportunity is available throughout 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the park office at 570-467-2404.

Volunteer opportunities include trash pickup, basic trail maintenance, and mechanical invasive plant removal using basic hand tools. Trash bags are available at the Tuscarora State Park office, and litter pickers may be borrowed depending on availability. After trash is collected, it may be disposed of in one of the park dumpsters during the summer months. Alternatively, bagged trash may be left in a designated area for staff pickup; please notify the park office.

When conducting trail work, only hand tools and hand saws may be used. Please do not attempt to remove hazardous trees; instead, report them to the park office. If addressing invasive species such as Mile-a-Minute, Japanese barberry, or Honeysuckle, please contact the park office in advance to ensure proper disposal of removed vegetation.

This volunteer opportunity is available throughout 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the park office at 570-467-2404.

Help us decorate for Light Up Little Buffalo! Each year we adorn our buildings with beautiful fresh wreaths and swags. Come and help us make and decorate them! We are flexible for anyone or any group willing to help us put together some beautiful greenery.

Codorus has over 12 miles of equestrian trails within the park.  Volunteers are needed to help maintain the trails by trimming and pruning, as well as larger projects. 

Codorus is home to a 54-hole disc golf course.  Volunteers are needed to assist with trimming and maintaining the course.

Codorus maintains over 9 miles of mountain bike trails.  Volunteers are needed to help trim, prune, rake and remove obstacles. 

Drop off/Pick up/delivery of single stream plastic for bags to benches program.

Perform trail maintenance at Sawmill Trail. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Perform trail maintenance at Trinity Gorge. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Perform trail maintenance at Wild Creek. Maintenance ranges from weed whacking, blazing, planting trees, trimming brush, and picking litter.

Assistance is always needed with cleaning up the park. This is a great way to get outdoors and help the park! Litter pickers and trash bags may be available while volunteering 

Codorus State Park has 2 main hiking trails that need trimmed and maintained throughout the season.  Equipment (loppersrs, pruners, etc.) may be available for use while volunteering. 

Support educational programming highlighting the night sky resource and astronomy. While being friendly and helpful is required, specific knowledge of astronomy or telescopes is not. This opportunity provides a chance to help park visitors while advancing your knowledge in the topic and/or how to operate a telescope for programs.

Help the friends group in the conservation garden. Duties include weeding, pruning, moving brush, and general care taking of the garden.