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Parks Natural Lands Volunteer
Introduction
Looking to volunteer to improve natural areas or your own backyard? We have several programs for you! Volunteers can join us on a Saturday morning each month through Pitch In For Parks to pull some weeds and plant some trees or become a full Volunteer Steward to take on larger habitat improvement projects. Not only do we want to improve habitat in our parks, but we want wildlife to enjoy your backyard as well. So check out our Free Tree program for resources and we’ll give away a few trees and wildflowers to start your backyard.
Get involved and give back
One-time and ongoing opportunities:
Pitch In For Parks - Pre-registration Only
Additional safety protocols are now in place for Pitch In For Parks including pre-registration to reserve your spot and the limit of 15 volunteers. If you are registering for your household please note that you will need to complete a registration for each member of your household.
Pitch in for Parks is a volunteer-based program offered through the partnership of Pierce County Parks and McLendon Hardware. Pitch in for Parks is a great opportunity for all ages and abilities (ages 15 and under with a guardian) to pitch in and help your community. Join us rain or shine!
Pre-Registration:
Pitch in for Parks will have limited registration and is not open to drop-in volunteers at this time. Volunteers are welcome to Pitch In for an hour or two or the entire time and must pre-register to reserve your spot, spaces are limited:
- Pre-register by selecting the Saturday Date or time frame of interest from the Activity List below
- When registering for a household, complete an individual registration for each household member
- Registration closes by 12:00 p.m. (noon) the Fridays before the listed Saturday events
Pitch in for Parks Activities
| Saturday Date | Location & Activity |
|---|---|
| January 29 9:00-11:00 a.m. | Bresemann Forest - Military Road & Bresemann Blvd, Tacoma, 98444 (map) |
| February 12 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Parkland Prairie - Tule Lake Road S. at Yakima Ave. S, Tacoma, 98444 (map) - Come help us enhance our prairie life by removing scotch broom and native blackberry species. |
| March 5 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Meridian Habitat Park - 14422 Meridian E. Puyallup, WA 98375 (map) - Help us remove invasive species from our flower beds and enhance our trails while enjoying the sounds of nature. |
| April 19 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Spanaway Park - 14905 Bresemann Blvd. South, Spanaway, WA 98387 (map) - We'll be mulching and removing weeds to prepare the site for the upcoming summer. |
| May 14 9:00-11:30 AM | Volunteer Stewardship Training Parkland Prairie - Tule Lake Road S. at Yakima Ave. S, Tacoma, 98444 (map) Join Pierce County Parks, Metro Parks, City of Tacoma, Forterra, and the Pierce County Conservation District for a joint training event at Parkland Prairie! Learn about restoration, planting for pollinators, and noxious weed identification and control. |
| June 11 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Chambers Creek Canyon - 6420 Chambers Creek Rd W, Kobi Yashi entrance (map) Time to do summer cleaning at Chambers Creek Canyon. We’ll hike the trail, pull some ivy and blackberry species, along with some selected trail rock stacking to show this canyon a little love. |
| July 9 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Chambers Creek Regional Park (map) - We will be sprucing up the Grand View Trail, removing invasive blackberry plants and selective trail rock stacking for safety and enhancing the natural environment. |
| August 13 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Seeley Lake Park - 9200 Lakewood Drive SW, Lakewood, 98499 (map) - Help us keep the walking trail loop clean and clear by removing invasive species. |
Volunteer StewardshipVolunteer stewards are an integral part of the management and protection of the County’s parklands. Pierce County Parks believes that community Volunteer Stewardship help to enrich programs, promote a positive environment, and improve community relations. The role of the Volunteer Stewardship Program is to enhance the objectives of Pierce County Parks and to promote a partnership between the County Parks Department and the community it serves.
| VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP |
Available Locations & Opportunities:
| West Region | Central Region |
|---|---|
Seeley Lake Park
Old Settlers Cemetery
| Bresemann Forest
Lidford Ballfield
Spanaway Park
Parkland Prairie Nature Preserve
|
| South Region | North Region |
|---|---|
Naches Trail Nature Preserve
Cross Park
Meridian Habitat Park
| Foothills Trail – East Puyallup Trailhead to McMillin Trailhead
Foothills Trail – Orting Trailhead to South Prairie
Foothills Trail – South Prairie Trailhead to Buckley
|
| The Tree Giveaway program is over for the season. Please check back in October 2022 as we will have more trees and a bigger selection to choose from. Thank you Pierce County for planting trees! Pitch In For Parks partners with Earth Day South Sound to give away free trees from October through April of each year. Tree species and size are based on availability. They are generally one-gallon sized trees (about 1”-3” feet in height) and may include Douglas-fir, western white pine, Oregon white oak, red alder, and rocky mountain maple. |
Pollinator bee-u-tify seed packets include 10 different native Western Washington flowers. Learn more about the seed mix and how to plant them at the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board website.
Tree planting and backyard habitat resources:
- Go Native Plant Guide
- Tree Planting guide (for small stock and bare-root trees)
- Home tree placement
- Direct support is also available at the Pierce County Conservation District.
Want more free or reduced-cost trees?
Check out these partnering programs:
- City of Tacoma Tree Coupon Program: $30 off trees from participating nurseries for Pierce County Residents.
- Pierce County Conservation District: Trees are available through their Urban Tree Sale and their offer native trees and shrubs.
Program Contact:
Natural Lands Volunteer Coordinator
253-677-0304 | email