Volunteering

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Forest Service. Stewardship of the national forests is everyone's responsibility. The national forests and grasslands are there for you to enjoy because many people have served over numerous years to preserve, protect, and improve them. Now you can give something back by volunteering. Your services are much needed, because the Forest Service, like other government agencies, has a limited budget.

Volunteering isn't just beneficial for the forest, it benefits you. Simply put, it's fun. It can give you the opportunity to pursue a special interest, such as bird watching or hiking. Spending time in the outdoors, enjoying the company of your fellow volunteers and visitors, can give you a new perspective on other facets of your life. You'll find that being immersed in the beauty of the national forests and experiencing the environment is a special way to relax.

Volunteer with the Forest Service!

This Forest – Your Forest – is an invaluable public treasure. For decades, the Forest Service has relied on dedicated volunteers and partners to care for this resource and to serve its millions of visitors.

In fiscal year 2020, the U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service engaged over 67,300 volunteers and service participants to “care for the land and serve people.” Although a 36% decline from 2019 outcomes, the continued engagement of the public to steward public lands during a pandemic was heartwarming and exceeded expectations. The 3 million hours they contributed represented the work of 1,718 full-time employees. The economic value of their service is $79 million. Their efforts addressed high priorities including trail maintenance and improvements, citizen science monitoring, visitor services and volunteer coordination.

Volunteers and service participants were particularly impactful to Forest Service efforts to facilitate safe access for record breaking numbers of visitors during the pandemic. Nominees included volunteers, groups and partnerships and/or other participants such as interns and resource assistants.

If you're already a volunteer, we want to thank you for all that you've done. And if you've never volunteered, but you're interested in getting involved, we invite you to take a few minutes to explore this site.

How to volunteer with the Los Padres National Forest

• Contact Visitor Information Specialist Jennifer Gray at  the Forest Headquarters in Goleta at jennifer.s.gray@usda.gov or call 805-448-6487 for more information about volunteering with the Forest Service and with other volunteer and partner organizaitons. 
• Scroll down and click on the Additional Volunteer Opportunities link to access information about more than 20 volunteer groups who are currently and very actively involved with us. Please feel free to contact any of them directly about volunteering with them.

Regardless of which project you select, we will do our best to ensure that you and your organization have a volunteer experience that is safe, rewarding and challenging.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the Los Padres National Forest. We look forward to hearing from you soon!