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Volunteers

Forest Service volunteer, Sarah Lynn, helps a tourist find Thor's Well on a map.
Sarah Lynn, three-year volunteer, helps a tourist find Thor's Well, in Cape Perpetual, Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon. (Forest Service photo by Cecilio Ricardo)

If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity with the U.S. Forest Service, we have about 193 million ideas!

Across national forests and grasslands, volunteers of all ages with varying levels of skill, ability and interests leave footprints that shape tomorrow’s land managers, recreationists, conservationists, writers, and artists. Since 1972, over three million volunteers and service participants have provided approximately 130 million hours of service to support our mission of caring for the land and serving the people.

Volunteers bring our national forests and grasslands to life in many ways. They do this by:

  • Greeting visitors as camp hosts.

  • Sharing knowledge at front desks and visitor centers.

  • Reading stories of Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl to children.

  • Restoring trails that wind through old-growth forests.

  • Caring for wildlife habitats.

  • Tending native plants in nurseries.

  • Helping preserve cultural treasures on archaeological sites.

  • Guiding youth programs.

  • Lending a hand at community events.

Whether you’re greeting a family at a trailhead or gently brushing soil from an artifact, every volunteer helps protect these landscapes and the stories they hold.

Browse the sections below to learn more about volunteering with the U.S. Forest Service.

 

  • Become a Volunteer

    A Forest Service volunteer with a big smile as she works to create booklets.

    Volunteers serve in nearly every discipline, unit, and career field within Forest Service and represent all ages and backgrounds. Come join us!

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  • Volunteer Opportunities

    A group of 9 volunteers, all wearing hard hats, working to remove vegetation from the bank of a lake.

    There are many types of volunteer opportunities suitable for varying levels of skills and abilities. There’s something for everyone!

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  • Volunteer Forms

    Two women, one wearing a U.S. Forest Service uniform, working on laptop computers in an office.

    Are you going to volunteer on a local forest or grassland? There’s a form for that.

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  • Resources

    A Forest Service volunteer handing a visitor some information across a counter.

    Whether you’re a first-time volunteer with the Forest Service or a seasoned veteran, resources are available to learn more about the volunteer program.

    Learn More

Forest Service employees & Volunteer Coordinators: Please visit the Volunteer Program Sharepoint for additional support and more information.

Questions? Please email SM.FS.WOVolServ@usda.gov.