Thank you for serving as a volunteer with the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. We appreciate your volunteer service and providing exceptional experiences to the citizens of Raleigh. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Holidays!

Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers

Diamonds in the Sky Y Princess Tribe assists with a greenway cleanup on their adopted section of the Neuse River Trail.

Track Invasive Species in City of Raleigh Parks

There is a great new tool for tracking invasive species populations in our parks. The Southeast Early Detection Network (SEEDN), developed by the University of Georgia's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, is a free app that works on Apple and Android platforms and helps monitor and report populations of invasive species. Easy to use and comprehensive, the SEEDN app contains pictures and information on invasive plants, animals and pathogens in the Southeast. All reports are independently verified by local and state experts making it a perfect tool for citizen scientists or families to volunteer and get out in a park. Get it for your mobile device today and start mapping!

For more information on this tracking tool or volunteer opportunities with the Invasive Program, contact our Invasive Program Coordinator, Leigh Bragassa. 

Volunteers Needed for Snacks with Santa

John Chavis Memorial Park is hosting it's annual Holiday event, Snacks with Santa, on Saturday, December 19. This special event is for participants ages 1-12. Volunteers are needed from 9am-12:30pm to assist with event setup/breakdown, and manage Holiday themed arts and crafts, games, food stations, and serve snacks. To volunteer, you must be at least 17 years old and sign up using the online volunteer registration system.

December V.I.Ps

During the month of November, our Volunteers in Parks (VIPs) assisted with removing invasives, mulching, planting bulbs, cleaning up our greenways, parks, and streams, and planting trees. Volunteers also assisted with Coats Cause we Care, a VIP Cooking Class, and coaching youth athletic leagues. Altogether, our department had 428 individuals volunteer 977 hours of their time to our city parks, special events, and programs. A big thanks to each of you for your volunteer service to the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department!

Online Volunteer Profile

Stay up-to-date with the Volunteer Program. Create a volunteer profile now!

Group Projects

Interested in coordinating a volunteer project for a group? Businesses, schools, churches and organizations are encouraged to contribute their time, talent and resources to our City Parks! Contact us to set up your personalized group volunteer project.

Volunteer Opportunities

Check out these upcoming opportunities!

Special Events/Park Projects

Snacks with Santa at Chavis Park

Ongoing Opportunities

Community Afterschool Program

Fletcher Garden Volunteer

Durant Interpretive Garden Volunteer

Mordecai Garden Volunteer Program

Mordecai Docent Volunteer Program

Adopt-A-Playground

The Adopt-A-Playground program allows citizen volunteers and groups to help keep our playgrounds safe and clean. Volunteer responsibilities include: visually inspecting and wiping down equipment, picking up litter, and raking sand/woodchips. Volunteers are asked to complete an Adopt-A-Playground agreement and participate in volunteer activities once a month for a year.

List of Playgrounds 

To join the Adopt-A-Playground program, contact Ashley Deans or Cindy Trumbower.

Adopt-A-Park

The Adopt-A-Park Program is always looking for new volunteers and groups to enhance city parks.

The citizen volunteer or group agrees to maintain the designated park or open space quarterly for at least one year. The volunteer or group of volunteers is asked to sign an Adopt-A-Park agreement. This agreement is renewed on a yearly basis.

To join the Adopt-A-Park program, contact Ashley Deans or Cindy Trumbower.

 Volunteer Testimonials

"Thank you for the opportunity to work with you on cleaning up Chavis Park.  And thank you for allowing us to ride on the carousel!  It was a fitting end to our day!"

"Holiday Express is pretty much magic for most of the guests, and it's great being a part of making that so. I would definitely volunteer for this event again!"

"The best part of my volunteer experience is being outdoors and helping keep the parks I enjoy clean and beautiful. I had a blast volunteering at Durant Nature Preserve."

"Yes, I would volunteer with Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources again because it's fun giving back to the community."

 We want to hear from you! Let us know how we can improve your volunteer experience by completing our short Volunteer Survey.

Volunteer Photos

We want to see our volunteers in action! Next time you are volunteering along the greenway trails, in our parks, or at a special event, take a photo and capture your volunteer experience. All photos can be sent to Ashley Deans and may be featured in our next newsletter!