Pick and Choose

By now you may be thinking that it is difficult to secure a position with the National Park Service as a volunteer. This is not true. They want and need volunteers and actively recruit for volunteers. Positions however can be highly competitive especially at the more popular well known parks and at certain times of the year. If you are just starting out on your volunteeer career path consider applying to a lesser known park or reverse the seasonal trends. For example when all the northeners head South for the winter you could try applying for the summer months when there may be openings just waiting to be filled. After a season or two you will have a strong background and good references to compete for any park at any time of the year.