I would like to volunteer
Park Volunteer Opportunities
Garden Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering in one or more of the gardens below, please select days & times you are available to volunteer, and tell us how often you would like to join:
- Rose Garden
- Iris Garden
- Dahlia Trial Garden
- Northwest Native Plant Garden
- Rhododendron Garden
- Herb Garden
- Fuchsia Garden
- Japanese Garden
Park Steward
Habitat Stewards are dedicated volunteers who are highly involved in planning and coordinating habitat restoration in their local park’s natural areas.
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Existing Parks with Habitat Stewards
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Natural Areas that need a Steward |
Park Volunteer
Want to come and help at the parks? Then sign up as a park volunteer and help us with removing invasive plant species, planting native plants, and pick up the park.
Park Watch
Existing parks
- Alling Park
- Fern Hill Park
- Jefferson Park
- Lincoln Park
- Manitou Park
- McKinley Park
- Neighbors’ Park
- Point Defiance Park
- Puget Gulch
- Stewart Heights Park
- Titlow Park
We are always open to volunteers starting new park watch programs to make our community parks safer.
Alderwood Park
Join Habitat Steward, Scott Murdock, in maintaining the restoration site at Alderwood Park!
Volunteer opportunities are available during weekdays and weekends. Please email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com for more information on volunteering at Alderwood Park.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat Restoration | 1 | |||
Browns Point Playfield
Join Habitat Steward, Scott Murdock, in maintaining the restoration site at Browns Point Playfield!
Volunteer opportunities are available during weekdays and weekends. Please email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com for more information on volunteering at Browns Point Playfield.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 28 | 4/10/2026 | 7/14/2028 | |
Catherine Ursich Park
Join us in restoring the natural area of Catherine Ursich Park!
Email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com for information on volunteer opportunities and stewardship.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 18 | 3/28/2026 | 8/28/2027 | |
Charlotte's Blueberry Park
Join in as we care for the blueberry shrubs and natural area at our monthly work parties! Parties are led by our volunteer steward, DJ Heath.
FILL OUT APPLICATION OR LOG-IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT TO SEE SCHEDULED WORK PARTIES, EVERY 1st SATURDAY OF THE MONTH!
For any questions, please email Kevin Johnson at kevin.johnson@tacomaparks.com
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 18 | 4/4/2026 | 9/4/2027 | |
| Sunday Litter Walkers Litter Pick Up! | 41 | 3/22/2026 | 12/27/2026 | |
China Lake
Join Habitat Steward, Gail Sklar, in restoring the natural area at China Lake Park!
Monthly work parties occur on the first Saturday of each month. For questions please email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 33 | 4/4/2026 | 12/2/2028 | |
Dahlia Trial Garden
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Volunteers | 1 | |||
Delong Park
YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER AT DELONG PARK?
FILL OUT APPLICATION OR LOG-IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT TO SEE SCHEDULED EVENTS.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Restoration | 1 | |||
Dickman Mill Park
Join Park Steward Craig Bergstrom to help beautify and maintain the restoration site along Ruston Way at Dickman Mill Park.
Check schedule to sign up for a work party!
Questions call Desiree Kennedy at 253-209-5806 or email desiree.kennedy@tacomaparks.com
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickman Mill Park Work Party | 7 | 3/21/2026 | 10/17/2026 | |
| Earth Day Beach Cleanup Event with the Port of Tacoma! | 1 | 4/18/2026 | 4/18/2026 | |
| Opt Outside Planting Party in the Park, Friday, 11/27! | 1 | 11/27/2026 | 11/27/2026 | |
Garfield Gulch
Join Habitat Steward, Robert Girvin, in restoring the Garfield Gulch!
For questions please email chloe.gronlund@parkstacoma.gov
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent volunteer | 1 | |||
Japanese Garden
Azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese cherry trees, crabapples and large and small pines flourish in the Japanese garden. An oriental footbridge, waterfall, Japanese lanterns and a small "tea house" further enhance the grounds. The garden provides a peaceful area to enjoy a bit of solitude and is especially enchanting in early spring. The Capital District of Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs helped to establish the garden in 1965 and continues to provide support. Through a special partnership with Tacoma's Sister City, Kitakyushu, this garden will receive an updated design plan reflective of Japanese landscaping traditions and steeped in cultural heritage. The planning and fundraising for this project began in 2012. It will be at least two years before construction begins.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Volunteers | 1 | |||
McKinley Park
Join us and our volunteer steward, Danny Patnode to care for Mckinley Park!
FILL OUT APPLICATION OR LOG-IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT TO SEE SCHEDULED WORK PARTIES, EVERY 3rd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH.
For any questions, please email Kevin Johnson at kevin.johnson@tacomaparks.com
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 22 | 3/21/2026 | 12/18/2027 | |
Oak Tree Park
Oak Tree Park is home to one of the last stands of White oak in Western Washington. You can volunteer by helping us protect this priority habitat!
FILL OUT APPLICATION OR LOG-IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT TO SEE SCHEDULED WORK PARTIES, EVERY 3rd SATURDAY OF THE MONTH.
For questions, please email Kevin Johnson at kevin.johnson@tacomaparks.com
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grit City Community Litter Clean Up | 1 | 5/30/2026 | 5/30/2026 | |
| Monthly Work Party | 22 | 3/21/2026 | 12/18/2027 | |
Parks Appreciation Day 2026
Join us on April 18th from 9am to Noon to clean up your local parks in honor of Earth Day! Sites and more details will be posted soon.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parks Appreciation Day 2026 at Wapato Hills | 1 | 4/18/2026 | 4/18/2026 | |
Peck Greenspace
For more information on volunteering at the Peck Greenspace, please contact chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 7 | 4/11/2026 | 10/10/2026 | |
| Stewardship | 1 | |||
Pierce County Iris Society
Established in cooperation with the Pierce County Iris Society, the Iris Garden contains 101 tall bearded iris, 80 Pacific Coast iris hybrids and 26 iris tectorum, all in assorted colors. During construction in 1992, cobblestones from old Tacoma streets were used for the walls. The garden site is comprised of five sections - one bed is dedicated to tall bearded iris, two beds to various median irises, one bed to beardless iris (Siberian and Pacific Coast iris), and there is a Louisiana section
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Volunteers | 1 | |||
Point Defiance Park
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Rhododendron Society at the Rhododendron Garden | 1 | |||
| Forest Health Watch | 1 | |||
| Garden Club Work Party at Lodge | 23 | 3/25/2026 | 11/25/2026 | |
| Grit City Community Litter Cleanup Events at Boathouse Marina | 6 | 4/18/2026 | 9/19/2026 | |
| Independent Habitat Restoration | 1 | |||
| Independent Litter Cleanup | 1 | |||
| Independent Trail Maintenance | 1 | |||
| Park Watch | 1 | |||
| Park Watch Meeting | 1 | |||
| Work Party at Animal Loop Road! | 8 | 4/19/2026 | 11/15/2026 | |
| Work Party at Bear Grotto! | 6 | 4/11/2026 | 12/12/2026 | |
| Work Party at Corner next to Pearl Street Roundabout! | 1 | 3/21/2026 | 3/21/2026 | |
| Work Party at Rhododendron Garden! | 9 | 3/28/2026 | 11/28/2026 | |
Puget Creek Park
Join us in restoring the Puget Gulch! We are actively looking for a volunteer Habitat Steward for Puget Park.
Email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com for information on volunteer opportunities and stewardship.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Stewardship | 1 | |||
Senator Rosa Franklin Park
Join Habitat Steward, Nori Kimura, in restoring the natural area at Senator Rosa Franklin Park!
Monthly work parties occur on the second Saturday of each month. For questions please email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Work | 1 | |||
| Monthly Work Party | 9 | 4/11/2026 | 12/12/2026 | |
Swan Creek Park
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grit City Community Litter Clean Up | 1 | 10/31/2026 | 10/31/2026 | |
| Habitat Restoration Monthly Work Party | 21 | 4/5/2026 | 12/5/2027 | |
| Individual Park Volunteering | 1 | |||
The Tacoma Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society
Designed as a natural display of rhododendrons in the wild, this garden is nestled in a stand of old growth forest. Trails wind through the forest and intersect the garden. The nearly five-acre site was established in 1968 in cooperation with the Tacoma Chapter fo the American Rhododendron Society, which continues to provide support. The garden contains more than 500 plants, including 198 cultivated varieties and 75 species of rhododendrons.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Volunteers | 1 | |||
The Tacoma Garden Club
Established by the Tacoma Garden Club, this garden displays and celebrates the native flora of the Pacific Northwest. Paths winding through the one-and-one-half-acre garden pass a lovely waterfall, pond and striking wooden gazebo that Thomas Church helped design and place. The Tacoma Garden Club is instrumental in the maintenance and development of this Northwest treasure. As part of the Garden Club's ongoing stewardship, they are currently raising funds for a Revitalization Plan for the future of the garden focused on education, improving the visitor experience and ongoing maintenance.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Defiance Native Garden | 1 | |||
The Tacoma Rose Society
From June through September more than 1,500 rose bushes provide a rainbow of colors including many variegated combinations. The garden is accredited by the American Rose Society as an All-American Rose selection display garden.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Volunteers | 1 | |||
Titlow Park
Titlow Park is a diverse park with activities including Restoration Work Parties, Park Watch, and Special Events! Please email chloe.nelson@tacomaparks.com for questions about volunteer opportunities.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Litter Cleanup | 1 | 8/29/2026 | 8/29/2026 | |
| Grit City Birders Work Party | 3 | 4/11/2026 | 6/13/2026 | |
| Independent Habitat Restoration | 1 | |||
| Independent Litter Cleanup | 1 | |||
Wapato Hills Park
Wapato Hills Walking Path and Trails is approximately one-quarter mile around this park on the sidewalk. Longer trails can be found in the natural area surrounding the park. View trail map for details.
Interested in learning how to keep the park safe and clean of litter and healthy ecologically? You came to the right place. Fill out an application to the right. Then log in and click on Opportunities tab to see a list of events.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Stewardship | 1 | |||
Wapato Lake
Help restore Wapato Lake by taking out Invasive plant species, planting native plants, picking up litter, and preserving the natural wetland areas.
| Activity | Shifts | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Work Party | 22 | 3/28/2026 | 12/25/2027 | |
Our parks need you
Parks Tacoma manages over 2,812 acres of parks and green space, historic landmarks, community centers, beautiful gardens, and special attractions that give us all a chance to get out and play more.
We're asking you to chip in by investing your time and talents to help us improve parks and green spaces, protect neighborhood buildings, and promote a healthier environment while also helping to build a stronger community.
Our roots
Park Volunteers, formerly known as "CHIP-in!" originated in 2003 when Parks Tacoma faced a lack of funds for maintaining all of the city's parks. Rather than take drastic measures - simply closing parks and walking away - a proactive approach was taken to develop a partnership between the park district and the community to help keep parks open and operating.
