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Home PageVolunteers in Parks Program
You can be a V.I.P.
Are you concerned about state parks and the outdoors? Do you have skills or talents you'd like to share with others? Do you like to meet and work with people? Do you need to gain work experience or take a break from your routine?
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has something for you. It's called the Volunteers in Parks (V.I.P.) Program, and it's for everyone - professionals, senior citizens, students, housewives and young people.
Volunteers in Missouri state parks and historic sites assist in preserving and interpreting the state's natural and cultural resources while helping to provide healthy and enjoyable outdoor recreational opportunities for the public in a variety of ways.
Volunteers serve at various times, including one or two hours a week, several days a week, a full season or only on special occasions. Scheduling depends on volunteer ability and park need.
The selection of an applicant is based on his/her qualifications and skills and the needs of the individual park or site. Also, a background check may be conducted and placement may depend on the results.
A volunteer must be in good health and physically able to carry out the assigned duties.
As a V.I.P. .....
You will be considered part of the staff and will be given orientation to the park system and trained in park practices.
You will be provided identifying emblems or uniforms.
You will be permitted to stay in state park housing or camp at no cost if facilities are available.
You will qualify for liability coverage and work-injury compensation to the extent provided by law.
You may receive credit for work experience as a volunteer by the State Personnel Division when applying for comparable classified state positions.
You will be asked to perform volunteer tasks to the same standards as paid employees.
What do you like to do?
Interpreter
You may assist full-time park naturalists and historic site administrators in presenting interpretive programs for the facility. The greatest need for volunteer interpreters is during the spring and summer seasons.
Park/Site Aide
You may assist full-time staff in the daily operations of the facility during the summer and other high-use periods. Work may include providing information to the public, cleaning rest rooms, mowing grass and collecting litter.
Trail Worker
You may assist park personnel in all aspects of trail construction and maintenance. This can be done individually or in small groups. Work may be done year-round, but springtime is the best season.
Campground Host
You may serve as a "live-in" host at one of our state park or historic site campgrounds. Your duties may include assisting campers by answering questions, performing light maintenance work and helping with campground activities. Campground hosts serve in return for use of a campsite.
Ozark Trail Volunteer
There are more than 300 miles of Ozark Trail, starting from the St. Louis area and traversing southwestward to the Arkansas border. This primitive trail needs periodic maintenance and you and your friends can adopt a section as short as three miles. Maintenance involves going on four outings a year to trim back limbs and brush, remove small branches and deadfall, and report major problems to the land steward. Additionally, you can work with our volunteer coordinator to hold work parties if your trail segment needs treadwork, waterbars, footbridges or rerouting.
Katy Trail Volunteer
Katy Trail State Park is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad. Duties may included trail watch, interpretation, trail maintenance, resource management, special event coordination or greeter booths. Katy Trail volunteers are expected to give at least four hours of service per month. Katy Trail State Park Volunteer Program
How to Apply
Either contact the state park or historic site of your choice or print and complete the VIP (Volunteers in Parks) application form (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) and mail to:
Volunteers in Parks Coordinator
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Division of State Parks
P. O. Box 176
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
or phone 800-334-6946 or 800-379-2419 with a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf.
