Volunteering

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

On Sunday 8 November, changes were made to restrictions in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

You should familiarise yourself with the full list of changes at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-victoria

There are new, approved directions and communications for volunteering.

Volunteers may now travel from metropolitan Melbourne into regional Victoria, and from regional Victoria into metropolitan Melbourne.

All Parks Victoria volunteer activities will be managed in alignment with the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for coronavirus (COVID-19) including the need for physical distancing, personal protective equipment and good hygiene

For up-to-date health information visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding and look forward to your return.

Volunteer in Victoria's parks

Volunteering in parks is a great way to contribute to conserving Victoria’s special places. The many personal benefits of volunteering include learning more about plants and wildlife, gaining new skills, being in the outdoors, improving health and well being and meeting new friends. Time spent in nature also reduces stress and promotes physical wellbeing.

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

improving habitats for wildlife
learning how to propagate plants and collect seeds
taking photos of endangered species and habitats
providing visitor information along popular tracks and campgrounds
providing interpretation and guided walks

Register to become an official Parks Victoria volunteer by creating a user account and 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.

Vision for the future

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

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.

A women wearing a Volunteer Track Ranger top faces the view with her arms outstretched

Insights into Nature webinar series

While we are staying at home to help slow the spread of coronavirus, Parks Victoria has developed a series of webinars for volunteers and the broader community called Insights into Nature.

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.

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.

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.

A group of people in high-visibility vests watches as one person pulls out weeds

Volunteering in Nature: Summer Series 2020

Join us for a week full of virtual and practical volunteer events across Victoria! Learn new skills, meet new people with similar interests to you and get back in to nature with a diverse range of opportunities to suit everyone’s interest.

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

Volunteer park guides

Becoming a Volunteer Park Guide is a great way to share your knowledge and experience with visitors on the many natural and cultural values Victoria’s parks have to offer.

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 rock formation near the waters edge at Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary

Winter by the Sea

Parks Victoria and DELWP’s Coastcare Victoria are working in partnership to support marine and coastal volunteers, and our wider Victorian community, through COVID-19 isolation with an online program of live activities and recorded field trips that connects us with Victoria’s incredible marine and coastal environments and parks.