Volunteering

Volunteer in Victoria's parks

Being a volunteer in our parks is a great way to help conserve Victoria’s special places. You may also experience some of the personal benefits that come with being a volunteer. You may learn more about plants and wildlife, gain new skills, be in the outdoors, improve your health and well-being and meet new friends. Time spent in nature also reduces stress and promotes physical well-being.

Discover hundreds of exciting volunteer opportunities around Victoria and learn about groups that work in your local area. There are volunteer activities for every age group, skill, and ability. Join a regular group or just participate occasionally. You can volunteer for a huge range of activities, to:

improve habitats for wildlife
learn how to propagate plants and collect seeds
take photos of endangered species and habitats
provide visitor information along popular tracks and campgrounds
provide interpretation and guided walks

Parks Victoria Volunteer Programs

Find out how you can volunteer with Parks Victoria:

Preparing to volunteer for the first time

Learn some tips and tricks on what to expect for your first volunteering experience. Are you getting ready for your first volunteering experience with Parks Victoria? We've put together a handy guide of tips and tricks on what to expect to help ensure your volunteering experience is fun and successful.

Three tents and a campfire at night time.

Campground Host Volunteer Program

Volunteering as a campground host is a fantastic way to see our magnificent parks while at the same time providing a valuable service to other campers and Parks Victoria rangers.

Four friends stop for a later afternoon break on the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing.

Volunteer Track Ranger Program

Track Rangers are volunteers who walk and camp along popular tracks during peak holidays, providing hikers with park information.

A ground take a volunteer led tour through the Flying Fox environments on the banks of the Yarra River in Yarra Bend Park

Volunteer park walk leaders

Park Walk leaders are volunteers who provide free guided walks at selected Parks Victoria parks. They guide the group along a designated route, creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere for all participants and providing some interesting facts about the park along the way.

Two people assist a third person in an all terrain wheelchair along a track surrounded by nature

TrailRider Volunteer Program

Become a TrailRider Volunteer and help provide assistance to all-terrain wheelchair users, enabling visitors with limited mobility to access more park walking tracks.

Volunteer Stories

Read up in more detail on some of the amazing feats Parks Victoria volunteers are achieving right across the state:

Flocking Together - How citizen science volunteers are making a difference in shorebird conservation

A group of volunteer citizen scientists known as the Victorian Wader Study Group have been carefully recording data about different migratory shorebirds visiting Victoria for nearly half a century. The information they've collected is now being used in conservation policies around the world. Read on to find out how.

Opened seed pods found in Woowookarung Regional Park.

Seeds of cooperation planted by Ballarat volunteers in Woowookarung

From little things, big things grow. That’s certainly the plan for a handful of volunteer groups in Ballarat who all work independently yet collaboratively, in playing a vital part in caring for native seeds at every step of their life cycle.

Volunteer Track Rangers Emma and Callum at Mount Buffalo National Park

Fall in love with being a Volunteer Track Ranger

After spending time as a Parks Victoria Volunteer Track Ranger, most participants come away having fallen in love with one of the state’s most beautiful parks. Some, however, come away having fallen in love with each other. Read on for Emma and Callum's love story and how you can become a Volunteer Track Ranger yourself.

Volunteer member of the Friends of Mount Worth State Park Tony Castle stands on a bridge surrounded by lush tree ferns.

The Best Friends of Mount Worth State Park

When Tony Castle first set eyes on Mount Worth State Park he was armed only with an old bushwalking book which couldn't point him to the start of the track. Now, after volunteering for 11 years and helping keep the tracks clear for fellow walkers, Tony has received the Best Friend Award by the Victorian Environment Friends Network.

Friends of Hooded Plover Mornington Peninsula president Mark Lethlean

How people power is helping the humble Hooded Plover

There are few birds which have created as much outpouring of community support as the determined, yet vulnerable, Hooded Plover. These plucky little beach birds have the survival odds stacked against them from the very beginning, but with the help of dedicated volunteer groups along Victoria’s coastline, there’s hope for the Hooded Plover yet.

From volunteers to Park Rangers

Volunteering with Parks Victoria can open the door to becoming a full-time Park Ranger. East Port Phillip Ranger Amanda Daw and Greater Gariwerd - Grampians Ranger Hannah Auld are just two of many rangers who have made the transition from volunteering.

Community Engagement Ranger Mip Grant and Blind Sport and Recreation Victoria ambassador Annette Leishman.

Birding-by-ear guided walk takes flight in Westgate Park

A new and inclusive Park Walk event for people who are blind or have low vision has taken flight in Westgate Park. The sensory birding-by-ear walk will be led by volunteer guide Annette Leishman, who has low vision herself.

Vision for the future

To find out about the future of volunteering at Parks Victoria download the Volunteering in Parks Strategic Plan.

Volunteering in parks manual

The Volunteering in Parks Manual provides staff and volunteers with the tools they may need to run volunteer programs and activities, so that they are consistent with the national volunteering standards. Have a look at the Volunteering in Parks Manual and our Volunteering in Parks Manual FAQ for more information.

Child safety

Parks Victoria is dedicated to providing a child safe environment across all its managed parks and reserves. We have zero tolerance for child abuse. A Working with Children Check is compulsory for all volunteers who participate in a group or activity more than once. Volunteer Working with Children Checks are free and applied for via the Department of Justice. To apply, visit: Working with Children Check application page.

You can also apply via the Service Victoria app. For help with the Service Victoria app, please follow the directions on the How to Apply document. Once you have your Working with Children Check card, you will need to upload a photo of the card to your ParkConnect volunteer profile. If you need help with this, please visit: How to upload your WWCC card on ParkConnect.

Register to become an official Parks Victoria volunteer

Create a volunteer profile with details about your interests, skills and contact information. With ParkConnect, you can look for volunteer opportunities that match your interest or location, join an activity or group, plan a volunteer group activity, and record and celebrate your achievements. You can also upload important information, such as your Working with Children Check.

Enoplosus armatus, commonly known as the old wife, is a species of perciform fish endemic to the temperate coastal waters of Australia.

Sea Search

The Sea Search program is a great way to learn and explore the marine environment while collecting important information on its health and condition.

Volunteering Innovation Fund

The Victorian Government has an exciting new opportunity to inspire ideas and encourage innovation by funding community-led projects that consider new ways of volunteering in and for the environment.