Volunteer Opportunities
Enjoy being outdoors? Have a love for Mother Nature and the beauty of the Park Commission's diverse gardens? Join our volunteer team.
- Bat Box Monitors
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The Morris County Park Commission is looking for volunteers interested in assisting with the monitoring of bat boxes on park properties. Volunteers will be required to attend a training session and can work alone or in small groups.
In order to get an estimate of the effectiveness of these structures in attracting and supporting bat colonies, each occupied box should be monitored according to established protocol 4 times between mid-May and the end of July. Monitoring will include initially briefly shining a flashlight into the bat boxes in mid-May to check for the presence of bats. If bats are detected, volunteers will wait quietly nearby just after sunset and count the bats emerging from the box to feed. Volunteers will conduct these emergence counts twice in mid to late May for occupied boxes. Bat pups are typically born in June and by mid-July are able to fly. Two more emergence counts will be conducted in July to monitor the reproductive success of the colonies, as pups emerge from the boxes with their mothers. Emergence counts may last up to 45 minutes each night. Weather conditions during monitoring may be hot, humid, and buggy and volunteers will need to walk out of the park in the dark after emergence counts.
This monitoring effort will allow us to judge the effectiveness of bat boxes on Morris County Park Commission lands and hopefully lead to an expansion of the bat box program. All data collected will be reported to the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program to assist in their ongoing research. Scout, school, or other organizations are welcome to contact the Park Commission to inquire about building and installing new bat boxes on park properties as well as assisting with monitoring efforts. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Interested individuals or groups should contact:
Matt Trump
Natural Resources Management Program Supervisor
973-285-6552 - Bluebird Nest Box Monitors
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The Morris County Park Commission currently has a total of 135 bluebird nest boxes in 8 different parks across the county. In 2010, the nest boxes, monitored by a crew of dedicated volunteers, held 141 successful nests that fledged 582 young bluebirds, tree swallows, wrens and chickadees.
Volunteers monitor the boxes throughout the nesting season (April to September), identifying and counting eggs and young birds as well as reporting any damages. Monitoring requires weekly visits to the boxes in all kinds of weather, lots of walking through high grass meadows, some bird identification knowledge and periodically submitting data reports. (It takes an average of 1.5 hours per monitoring visit).
Volunteers interested in repairing or building new nest boxes are also very welcome! Boy Scouts looking for an Eagle Scout project have supplied many of our boxes over the years.
Interested adults and teens ages 16 & up, please contact:
Mindy Schmitt
Senior Naturalist
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center
973-635-6629 - Friends' Groups
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- Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
PO Box 1295
Morristown, NJ 07962-1295 - Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Gristmill
73 Kahdena Road
Morristown, NJ 07960 - Friends of Historic Speedwell
333 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960 - The Willowwood Foundation
- The Mount Hope Conservancy
- Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
- Gardenworks
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Gardenworks is a hands-on volunteer gardening program sponsored by the Park Commission.
Team Gardening is for you! Horticulture volunteers are offered a unique experience working with and learning about plant material as well as what it takes to maintain a variety of gardens.
- Tools are provided for our horticulture team.
- Mini-workshops are offered throughout the year.
- We have our own volunteer club house.
- Get to know other gardeners and staff with similar interests.
- Both men and women are encouraged to join.
- Have fun doing rewarding projects.
Corporate and gardening groups are welcome.
- Assisting in our gardening program is a win/win situation.
- The Park Commission receives a valuable community service from company volunteers.
- The company or garden group receives direct visibility and publicity.
For more information, contact:
Horticulture Volunteer Program Specialist
Phone 973-326-7629
Fax 973-644-2726 - Adopt-a-Trail Program
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The Adopt-A-Trail Program is a great way to give back to our outstanding trails system. We have the largest trail system in New Jersey. Volunteers are needed to help with light maintenance and keeping us informed about trail needs.
- An orientation session provides training in pruning skills, blazing, and more.
- Our volunteers independently work their adopted trail. We ask for trail reports three times per year.
- A 2 year commitment is required.
- This is a great way to stay fit!
For more information, contact:
Trails Coordinator
Phone 973-326-7604
The 1826 Cooper Gristmill provides a glimpse into the rich heritage of Milltown. In the late 19th century, the town thrived; the restored and operational gristmill is one of the few survivors of that era. The gristmill is open to the general public May through October when guided tours of the mill as well as a variety of educational programs and demonstrations are offered. From April through June and from September to mid-November, the mill is available for pre-scheduled school tours.
- Miller’s Assistant - Help staff set up the mill, interpret the technology to visitors, bag flour and/or meal, and assist with closing procedures for the day. Vacuum the mill, and aid in other tasks as needed. With staff, clean the millpond of plant material and dig out the tailrace. Training provided.
- Mill Tour Helpers - Assist with set up for programs, and work with school, camp, scout, and adult groups as they tour the gristmill and partake in various activities. Help with closing, and aid in other tasks deemed necessary. Training provided.
- Program Demonstrators - Help with scheduled programs and special events that feature domestic and industrial chores of that late 19th century. Based on your own expertise, ask us about presenting a program to the public that illustrates a craft or skill of the 1880s.
For more information, contact:
Phone 973-631-5344
The first living historical farm in NJ, Fosterfields is open to the public Wednesday – Sunday, April through October. Visitors can meet the various farm animals, engage in period farm and domestic chores, tour The Willows, explore the Transportation Exhibit, make reservations for guided youth and adult tours, and enjoy special programs. Events and activities at Fosterfields are based on the Foster family’s journals, diaries, records, and accounts.
- Farm Tour Guide - Lead school, camp, scout, and adult groups on tours of the historic farm and farmhouse. Engage participants in hands-on activities. Tours are 1˝ or 2 hours in length. Training provided.
- Willows Docent - Give tours to children and adults of the historic Gothic Revival mansion, The Willows, built in 1854 for a grandson of Paul Revere. House is restored to the period 1880-1902. Training provided.
- Heirloom Gardener - Assist with the planting, weeding, harvesting, and interpreting the farm garden where vegetables representative of the Fosters’ time period are grown.
- Family Activity Center Assistant - During the spring and fall, assist visitors in making farm and seasonal crafts. Also, interact with the public in playing games that were popular during a bygone era.
- Seamstress - Sew period attire for staff and volunteers. Historic 1920s patterns are provided.
- Clerical Assistant - Help staff with copying and collating documents, labeling and stuffing envelopes, and handing out programs and tickets on busy weekends.
- Collections Volunteer - Help staff maintain the historic artifact collections. Assist with computer data entry, object inventory, and digital photography. Training provided.
For more information, contact:
Phone 973-631-5344
Our "outdoor classroom" borders the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. School groups, scouts, clubs, and the general public are invited to visit the park and attend the Center's many nature programs. The Center is open 7 days a week, 9:00am to 4:30pm.
- Weekend Greeter - Help with greeting visitors, phone calls, and providing information about the Center and its activities to visitors so naturalists are free to run programs.
- Special Events - Help with special events such as Earth Day, Maple Sugar Fest, etc. We will provide any training needed for the event.
- Teaching Assistants - Assist on a variety of nature classes for school and scout groups, preschool to high school.
- Hiking - Assist on hikes.
- Painting - We need help with mural paintings at the Great Swamp OEC.
- Photography - We need help with taking photos at all of our programs.
- Volunteer Form
- Student Volunteer Form
Pyramid Mountain is a natural historic area that includes three mountains and two stream valleys. It has over 1,500 acres of beautiful terrain and 20 miles of nature trails in Montville, Boonton Township, and Kinnelon with scenic views and several prominent geological formations. The Visitors Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4:30pm.
- Weekend Greeter - Help with greeting visitors, phone calls, and providing information about the Center and its activities to visitors so naturalists are free to run programs.
- Special Events - Help with special events such as Monarch Fest, Earth Day, Maple Sugar Fest, etc. We will provide any training needed for the event.
- Hiking - Assist on hikes.
- Teaching Assistants - Assist on a variety of nature classes for school and scout groups, preschool to high school.
- Volunteer Form
- Student Volunteer Form