Volunteer

Volunteers make a huge difference at Coconino County Parks & Recreation. So far in Fiscal Year 2022, we've had 330 volunteers donate over 1,400 hours. Whether it was volunteering at events like the County Fair, the Fort Tuthill Bike Park, or alternative spring break groups volunteering on natural resource projects, we love seeing people connect to one another and nature and create community. We have different ways for you to volunteer your time and talents. Let us know how you want to help!

Fill out the application form online and we'll let you know of upcoming volunteer opportunities and how you can be involved. Volunteering itself is a great reward, and we often are able to offer special volunteer incentives when you volunteer at events.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Event Date Volunteer Time
 Ages
Harrenburg Wash Weed Pull July 16 and
August 5, 2022		 8 - 10 a.m. 16 & up; 16 and younger must be with a guardian
Coconino County Fair Sept. 2 - 5, 2022 Varies 16 & up; 16 and younger must be with guardian

Volunteer Highlight: Community Weed Pulls at Harrenburg Wash (July & August 2021)

As part of the Harrenburg Wash Enhancement Project, we hosted two community weed pulls this summer. Volunteers came out and pulled diffuse knapweed, an invasive plant that spreads in disturbed areas. At the first event, we filled over 20 bags of the invasive weed. At the second volunteer event, while there were less invasive plants (yay!), we still filled many bags and helped prevent more seeds from germinating next year. This project is a multi-year effort to stop the spread of this invasive weed in the ecosystem. Thank you to all the volunteers and community members who helped out!

IMG_0251

Volunteer Highlight: Coconino County Green Team at Sawmill County Park (April 2021)

The Coconino County Green Team is a group of County employees that seeks greater sustainability and resiliency within county operations. The Green Team organized a volunteer service day for County employees at Sawmill County Park and Willow Bend Environmental Education Center on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22. Volunteers helped spruce up the habitat gardens by pulling weeds, spreading out wood chips, trimming last year’s plant growth, removing cattails, and cleaning duckweed out of the pond. Thank you to Susan L., volunteer coordinator of Sawmill Gardens, and Green Team members Amanda, Marty, Nina, Shannon, Jeanne, Soraya, Sam, CT, and Liz!

CC Earth Day 2021

Volunteer Highlight: Weed Pull at Pumphouse Wash (July 2019)

Thank you to the volunteers who helped pull diffuse knapweed at Harrenburg Wash, Pumphouse County Natural Area. We made a dent in the trailhead area and filled 18 bags with the invasive weed.

IMG_1651

Volunteer Highlight: Fort Tuthill Earth Day Cleanup (April 2019)

Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in the Fort Tuthill Earth Day Cleanup event! We appreciate your efforts in picking up trash and helping beautify the park. We had 23 volunteers come out to the park on Saturday morning and pick up approximately 15 bags of trash, including a lot of microtrash and a random TV. Thank you for your efforts and commitment!

2019 Fort Tuthill Earth Day Cleanup Volunteer Event

Volunteer Highlight: Environmental Learning for Kids (March 2019)

Members of the Denver-based non-profit Environmental Learning for Kids, or ELK, were out at Pumphouse County Natural Area’s Harrenburg Wash in March learning about the local ecosystem and doing service work during their alternative spring break trip. This is the second year the group made the drive from Colorado down to the Colorado Plateau. Amy Wright, the group’s Associate Education Director, is very familiar with Flagstaff, having completed her education at Northern Arizona University. 

This year, ELK Staff and 10 Leadership Corps students were on-site helping build Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs). They joined Parks & Recreation staff members Geoffrey Gross, James Richardson and Robert Magill. BDAs are man-made structures that help slow down water and spread it out in an area. BDAs are helping decrease erosion and headcutting along Harrenburg Wash. ELK provides science and environmental conservation education through hands-on field trips, with long-term mentoring and leadership development provided by natural resource professionals. You can read more about ELK on their website at ELKKids.org or on Facebook. Thank you, ELK members, for the work you do!

Volunteer Highlight: National Trails Day 2018 (June 2018)

During 2018, with many areas of the Coconino National Forest closed due to fire restrictions, Coconino County Parks & Recreation hosted a volunteer trail event on National Trails Day. The turnout was wonderful, with 61 people volunteering their Saturday to help re-work portions of the Soldiers Trail at Fort Tuthill County Park. 

Thanks to area partners for their efforts, including Flagstaff Biking Organization, US Forest Service, Coconino Trail Riders, Northern Arizona Trail Runners Association, Coconino Horsemen's Alliance, American Conservation Experience, and Arizona Conservation Corps.

Volunteer Highlight: Community Group in Doney Park (August 2017)

In early August, over 50 adults and youth volunteered at Peaks View County Park and helped to revitalize the trail. Volunteers loaded wheelbarrows with dirt mix and wheeled them down the path, where people were waiting with rakes and shovels to lay out the mixture. Volunteers also slowed water runoff from the practice fields, and built a rock channel to slow down water before it reached the trail. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped! 

1_low res

Volunteer Highlight: Flagstaff Junior Academy (April 2016)

On April 30, eleven 5th and 6th grade students from Flagstaff Junior Academy and their parents participated in 2016 BioBlitz event at Rogers Lake. Tony Cola, math and science educator, directly tied the event into their science unit at school.

What did the students learn on their trip? Students discovered the birds aren't all that active during the colder weather, and it was very difficult to spot and count the birds hanging out on the land when they are so camouflaged. The students also said that it was difficult to count the birds they saw when looking through the binoculars, and they might have counted the same bird a few times. Overall, they had a great time despite the weather, and Tony is looking forward to doing more activities like the Bird Count with the students. Thank you, Tony, FJA students and parents, for coming out and helping collect important information about the natural area!
Flagstaff Junior Academy at BioBlitz 2016

Volunteer Highlight: Cub Scout Pack 328 (April 2016)

On March 24, Cub Scout Pack 328 out of Doney Park completed a park litter clean-up project at Peaks View County Park. Seven youth and their troop leaders participated in the clean-up. Thank you for coming out and helping get the park ready for spring!
Cub Scout Pack 238

Volunteer Highlight: TeenWorks (March 2016)

TeenWorks, a community improvement project featuring a crew of students ages 14-15, took part in work and volunteer experiences throughout Coconino County.


Participants in this program were paid and worked up to 24 hours per week for four weeks. This internship provided work experience, civic engagement, and helped them identify careers and academic pathways.


TeenWorks members volunteered with Coconino County Parks and Recreation (CCPR) on natural resource work this summer to collect and stack logs from a spring forest thinning project at Fort Tuthill County Park. Afterwards, community members collected the logs for firewood. Thank you to all TeenWorks members for volunteering on this important community project!

TeenWorks