Interested in volunteering? We would love to have you join us!
Volunteers are vital to the Iowa DNR's mission! Giving 150,000+ hours annually, these amazing folks help us educate the next generation of outdoor leaders, monitor our waterways and natural areas, ensure our state parks are welcoming, thriving places to visit, and a whole lot more.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and each person's unique experience adds to our programming. If you have an interest in the outdoors and want to make a difference, please inquire with us! If you don't see an opportunity that fits your expertise or interest, please feel free to contact us .
Volunteers are needed to assist with Springbrook, Walnut Woods, and Lake Anita state parks programming. Ideal volunteers would have a teaching or science background and enjoy leading natural resources educational offerings and outdoor skills training, primarily for children.
Volunteers are needed at Springbrook to assist with school groups on weekdays in April and May. Summer programming assistance is required at all three parks on weekdays and weekends. Flexible hours, candidates must be able to pass a background check.
Formal or Informal Educators interested in environmental training, learning, or volunteering we want to work with you! The Iowa DNR has a variety of programs, curriculums, and guides to help engage students with outdoor concepts and recreation. Opportunities exist statewide depending on need and time of year.
Iowa state parks and forests rely on individual and group volunteers to help keep them thriving and welcoming places to visit.
Volunteers help with numerous projects throughout the year, including trail work, invasive species removal, painting, park clean-up, tree trimming, prairie seed harvesting, and much more. Every park has unique needs with various time slots available to meet your schedule.
Campground hosting is one of the most popular volunteer opportunities at Iowa State Parks.
Giving 60,000+ hours annually, these hosts help us achieve our mission of promoting use and appreciation for Iowa state parks. They also provide memorable recreational and educational experiences to the many visitors that come to enjoy our natural areas!
What is a Campground Host? A campground host is a person or couple that lives in a state park for an extended period of time (usually April through October), assisting our park staff in campground and light park operations. These volunteers help visitors by providing park information, answering questions, and explaining rules. Hosts are provided a designated host campsite and available utilities during their volunteer service.
As a host, you will be joining a supportive community of volunteers and staff who serve the public and our state lands.
Volunteer "Job" Description (duties will vary based on the park's needs):
Work with DNR staff to ensure that campers have the best experience possible in Iowa’s state parks
Provide a welcoming presence in our campgrounds
Interact with park visitors to provide park information, answer questions, and explain general rules.
Perform various park cleaning and beautification duties, including cleaning restrooms
Please note: All campground hosts must pass a criminal background check according to Unsupervised Volunteers Background Check Policy.
Parks and Recreation Areas Currently Needing Hosts:
Backbone - need hosts for 2 campgrounds (Delaware County)
Bellevue (Jackson County)
Clear Lake - 2 slots available (Cerro Gordo County)
Elinor Bedell (Dickinson County - near East Okoboji Lake)
Geode (Henry County)
George Wyth (Black Hawk County)
Gull Point (Dickinson County - near Lake Okoboji)
Lake Darling (Washington County)
Lewis and Clark (Monona County)
McIntosh Woods (Cerro Gordo County - on Clear Lake)
Nine Eagles (Decatur County)
Pilot Knob (Winnebago County)
Pine Lake (Hardin County)
Prairie Rose (Shelby County)
Stephens State Forest (Lucas County)
Union Grove (Tama County)
Details & More Information: To apply to be a campground host at a park, download, complete, and submit a campground host application highlighting what park you prefer. Once applications are reviewed, if an opening is available, interviews will be scheduled by park managers and rangers.
For more information, please call 515-443-2533 or contact your local DNR park, forest or preserve.
Luckily, Iowa's beloved state parks and other public lands have a wealth of good friends - dedicated volunteers who raise funds, make park improvements and otherwise give support through our many "friends groups."
Across Iowa, these coalitions of concerned citizens work alongside park staff to improve, protect and preserve state parks, lakes, aquariums and other treasured natural resources. You're welcome to be a part of it!
Start, join, or donate to a friends group and help care for and give back to your favorite natural area.
Friends groups lend support to their park in a variety of ways:
Fundraising/outreach, including: working locally to encourage businesses, civic groups and individuals to get involved with and contribute financially to their state parks, monuments, historic sites and trails.
Building/facility improvement projects, including: trail work, building and restoring picnic tables or trail benches, creating play areas, and maintaining picnic shelters.
Land stewardship projects, including: planting trees, harvesting prairie seed, and removing invasive plants.
Educational/interpretive projects, including: helping park visitors better understand the park (like its sensitive ecosystems and unique points of interest)
Find a Group: More than 30 state parks currently have active friends groups. Visit our individual park pages to find contact information for current friends groups.
Start a Group: Have you noticed there’s no friends group at your favorite park? If you are serious about wanting to start a Friend’s Group (considered a separate nonprofit entity from the park), the first step is to review The Friends Organization Manual, which provides step-by-step instructions for organizing a state park friends group. The second step is to get in touch with the park staff to let them know of your interest.
Contact Information: Contact individual friends group leaders or park staff for more information.
Additional Resources:
Larned A. Waterman Center at the University of Iowa is a non-profit resources center with free information, newsletters and expertise for non-profits.
To inquire about state park volunteer opportunities, either:
Contact your favorite state park or forest to inquire about opportunities. Find state park listings and contact information on individual park web pages.
The all-terrain vehicle program in Iowa currently does not offer in-person classes and is not seeking volunteer instructors at this time.
Volunteer Instructors are vital to the DNR Boater Education Program. The goals of the program are to make Iowa's waterways safe through education, promote boater education in the schools, train volunteer instructors, and provide safe recreational opportunities on Iowa's lakes and rivers.
The snow groomer operator program is implemented by the Iowa State Snowmobile Association (ISSA). For more information on how to become a certified groomer operator, please visit the Iowa State Snowmobile Association's trail grant program .
Since the inception, the Hunter Education Program has been primarily taught by volunteer instructors. Its purpose is to provide a quality program of instruction and training in hunter safety education for the young hunter in Iowa. Individuals who successfully complete this course are not expected to be expert hunters or marksmen. They are expected to have a better understanding of the responsibilities that go with the use of firearms.
Other opportunities exist as bowhunter and furharvester education volunteers and mentors. Find out more by reviewing our Hunter Ed Instructor information.
The shooting sports programs in Iowa are primarily coached by volunteer instructors. For more information on becoming a shooting sports certified instructor please visit the links below.
Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP)
Iowa Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP)
Iowa Archery in the Schools Program (NASP)
The snowmobile program in Iowa currently does not offer in-person classes and is not seeking volunteer instructors at this time.
Iowa's locally-led volunteer water quality monitoring program empowers watershed and conservation groups to take a proactive approach to water quality. By engaging volunteers to monitor water quality in their project areas, they can ensure the protection, longevity and productivity of high quality water resources, as well as evaluate, assess, and improve those of lower quality.
The Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program (VWMP) is for enthusiastic and sharp-eyed, sharp-eared volunteers who have a passion for wildlife and its conservation. With more than 800 species in our state, the wildlife staff cannot possibly keep track of all these critters in every corner of the state. We need volunteers that are willing and interested in collecting data on two important and sensitive groups of wildlife.
