BC Parks is proud to work with a diverse team of volunteers across the province. Our volunteers help with a wide range of stewardship initiatives, from trail maintenance to interpretation. They play an essential role in the work we do.
Want to be a part of the BC Parks community, learn more about our work, and meet like-minded people? There are many exciting ways to bring your knowledge and skills to BC Parks. This page outlines our volunteer programs:
For questions about volunteering with BC Parks, contact bcparks.volunteers@gov.bc.ca
Volunteer partners
We encourage community involvement in our work, and we partner with local volunteer organizations throughout B.C. You can get involved by forming a partner organization in your community or volunteering with an existing BC Parks partner.
Form a partner organization
To be eligible for the Volunteer Partner Program, your organization must be:
- A legally incorporated entity (typically under B.C.’s Societies Act)
- Interested in and capable of helping with our recreation or stewardship work
- Fully prepared to supervise the activities of volunteers
Volunteer with a partner organization
Interested in learning more about volunteering with a partner organization? Email us at bcparks.volunteers@gov.bc.ca. Or click on links below to learn about volunteer partners in your region.
West Coast:
- Alberni-Clayoquat Regional District
- Arrowsmith Cycling Club
- Comox Valley Yacht Club
- Denman Island Residents Association
- Friends of John Dean Park
- Friends of Morden Mine
- Friends of Ruckle Park Heritage
- Gabriola Land & Trails Trust
- Galiano Trails Society
- Heron Rocks Friendship Centre
- Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy
- Living Oceans
- Maple Bay Yacht Club
- Marmot Recovery Foundation
- Mitlenatch Island Stewardship Team
- PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation
- Quadra Island Recreation Society
- River City Cycle Club
- Salt Spring Island Conservancy
- Salt Spring Trail & Nature Club
- Sandspit Community Society
- South Island Mountain Bike Society
- Surfrider Foundation Pacific Rim
- Surfrider Foundation South Vancouver Island
- Vancouver Artillery Association
- Yellow Point Ecological Society
South Coast:
- Back Country Horsemen Society of British Columbia
- British Columbia Mountaineering Club
- Fraser Valley Regional District
- Friends of Garibaldi Park
- North Shore Mountain Bike Association
- Qathet Regional Cycling Association
- Ridge Meadows Outdoor Club
- Sargent Bay Society
- Sea Kayak Association of BC
- SORCA
- Squamish Access Society
- Squamish Environment Society
Kootenay-Okanagan:
- Beaver Valley Cross Country Ski Club
- Elk River Alliance
- Fernie Trails Alliance
- Friends of Kalamalka Lake Park
- Friends of the South Slopes
- Friends of West Kootenay Parks
- Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan
- Nelson Cycling Club
- North Okanagan Cycling Society
- North Slocan Trails Society
- Okanagan High Rim Trail Association
- Penticton and Area Cycling Association
- Princeton Ground Search & Rescue Society
- Shuswap Trail Alliance
- Skaha Bluffs Park Watch Society
- Vernon Outdoors Club
Thompson-Cariboo:
- Clinton and District Outdoor Sportsman Association
- Four Wheel Drive Association of BC
- Fraser Headwaters Alliance
- Friends of Churn Creek Protected Area Society
- Kamloops Bike Riders Association
- Kamloops Naturalist Club
- Kamloops Performance Cycling Centre
- Wells Gray Outdoors Club
The North:
Park hosts
The Park Host Program is an important hospitality service available to visitors in some campgrounds, marine parks, and backcountry areas. Park hosts enhance visitor services, greet visitors, and provide information about things to do in the park and surrounding area.
Campground hosts
Park operators are currently seeking hosts at campgrounds in parks across the province. For more information on opportunities and how to apply, select the park you are interested in from the list below.
All roles and responsibilities as well as insurance requirements are the obligations of the specific park operator. Campground hosts report directly to park operators and are not technically considered BC Parks’ volunteers.
Backcountry hosts
The Backcountry Host Program offers volunteers a one-of-a-kind, immersive volunteering experience in British Columbia's backcountry. Backcountry hosts volunteer to stay in a remote backcountry cabin or yurt, at a popular hiking location. They typically stay for one-to-four weeks at a time during the summer.
Every backcountry host plays an important role in enhancing the visitor experience. Backcountry hosts greet park visitors and provide them with location-specific information. Other backcountry host responsibilities vary depending on the location.
Backcountry host opportunities are only available at the locations listed below. If you are interested in one of these positions, please review the relevant information sheet and complete the application form. Each application form includes the contact email address you should submit your application to.
Kakwa Park
- Visit the Kakwa Park webpage
- Download the volunteer backcountry host opportunity: Kakwa Park [PDF] information sheet
- Download the Kakwa Park backcountry host information [PDF] sheet
- Download the Kakwa Park backcountry host application form [Microsoft Word document]
Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park (Cold Fish Lake Campground)
- Visit the Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park webpage
- Download the volunteer park host opportunity: Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park [PDF] information sheet
- Download the Cold Fish Lake Campground host application form [Microsoft Word document]
Strathcona Park (Croteau Lake)
- Visit the Strathcona Park webpage
- The 2024 Croteau Lake Volunteer Host program is full for the 2024 season
- Check back January 1, 2025, when the 2025 season application will be posted
Ecological reserve wardens
Ecological reserve wardens are the eyes and ears of BC Parks in the province’s ecological reserves. For more information on ecological reserves across the province, visit the Friends of Ecological Reserves website.
ER wardens support BC Parks staff with a great variety of tasks, including invasive plant control, inventory of flora and fauna, and trespass monitoring. These dedicated volunteers serve a vital role in the long-term protection of B.C.’s ecological reserves.
How to become an ER warden
To learn more about the work ER wardens do, download the ecological reserve warden stewardship handbook [PDF]. This document describes the roles, duties, and responsibilities of volunteer wardens in helping manage B.C.’s ecological reserves.
Next, visit the Friends of Ecological Reserves website and our ecological reserves webpage to familiarize yourself with B.C.’s ecological reserves. Then, if you are ready to get involved, complete the ER warden application form [PDF] and email it to BCParks.Volunteers@gov.bc.ca.
Volunteer awards
Every year, hundreds of people and organizations donate their time and energy to care for B.C.’s parks and protected areas. To acknowledge the work of volunteers who go above and beyond, we created the BC Parks Volunteer Awards.
To see this year’s award recipients, visit the Volunteer Awards page.