Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes National Seashore is a national park. The park offers many opportunities to volunteer, including helping with the native plant nursery, training to be a wildlife docent, monitoring wildlife, being a trail steward, helping visitors, restoring habitat and trails, and more. 

Please check the park's website for current volunteer opportunities. Some volunteer programs have been suspended, following guidance from the County of Marin Public Health Department.

West Marin Environmental Action Committee (EAC)

EAC protects and sustains the unique lands, waters, and biodiversity of West Marin through outreach, education, and engagement. Internships and volunteer opportunities including monitoring the Marine Protected Areas as a Marin MPA Watch volunteer.

Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA)

PRNSA is the primary fundraising partner for the Point Reyes National Seashore.  They provide environmental education programs year round for kids and adults. Many volunteer opportunities are available including facilitating Field Institute classes.

California Native Plant Society (CNPS), Marin Chapter

The California Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of California native plants and their natural habitats, and to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants. The Marin Chapter offers free field trips and has volunteer opportunities including restoring habitat, monitoring rare plants and more.

Audubon Canyon Ranch

Audubon Canyon Ranch is a non-profit environmental conservation and education organization. It was founded in 1962 to save a major heronry and block commercial development of Bolinas Lagoon in western Marin County, leading the way for the protection of Tomales Bay to the north, which now forms the eastern boundary of Point Reyes National Seashore. ACR has two research centers in West Marin: Cypress Grove Preserve in Marshall on the shores of Tomales Bay and Martin Griffin Preserve near the Bolinas Lagoon. Volunteers do bird monitoring in Tomales Bay, stewardship of Bolinas Lagoon, and educate school children as docents.

Point Blue

Skilled volunteers make it possible for Point Blue to learn about the habitat needs of shorebirds, grow plants for our climate-smart habitat restorations, and put on events that engage partners and supporters of our conservation work.

Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (SPAWN) - Olema, California

The Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (SPAWN) was initiated as part of Turtle Island Restoration Network in 1997. Each year, we engage hundreds of people to see and learn about critically endangered salmon, restore watershed habitat, raise native redwood trees, and study salmon health. Help restore habitat for endangered coho salmon by volunteering with SPAWN at our various restoration projects throughout the Lagunitas Creek Watershed, the most important habitat for the recovery of endangered coho salmon on the central California coast.

Volunteer Opportunity: Marine Protected Area Watch

Marine Protected Areas are important, vulnerable coastal waters that have been designated for protection under California State Law. Volunteers do a simple survey of activity on the beach and offshore (using binoculars) at Limantour or Drakes Beach. Volunteers are vitally important to provide this survey information which informs MPA management and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Marin MPA Watch Volunteer Program is managed by the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC), and in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, and Point Reyes National Seashore. Take a look at the Drakes Beach photos for a sense of the rich natural diversity that awaits you on the beach

Volunteer Opportunity: Duxbury Reef Docent

Educate the public about the sensitive habitat in and around the Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA). The Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is the largest shale reef in California and one of the largest in North America - a true gem of coastal Marin.

Volunteer Opportunity: PRNSA Field Institute

The Point Reyes National Seashore Association needs assistants for their Field Institute classes. You will spend a day training with PRNSA staff, then a couple of times a year you'll select the classes you'd like to help with. Shortly afterwards, you'll receive a confirmation of which ones you've been assigned. As a facilitator, you get to take the class for free. Normally, two facilitators help with every class. Duties include signing in class participants, making coffee (for indoor classes), talking briefly about PRNSA, and generally helping out as needed. I've been volunteering for several years. It's a great experience to work with other facilitators and get to know the amazing field institute instructors. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Coho and Steelhead Monitoring

Assist park staff year-round in determining long-term trends in salmon distribution, abundance, and size. The volunteer also assists park staff in identifying changes in stream habitat. Collect data, count salmon including carcasses and nests, and help with traps.

Volunteer Opportunity: Snowy Plover Docent

Educate visitors about the threatened Western Snowy Plovers in Point Reyes National Seashore during nesting season from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Docents staff an information table and rove the beach informing visitors about Snowy Plovers. Assist park management in balancing wildlife protection and visitor recreation, specifically by helping to protect threatened Western Snowy Plovers from disturbance during the nesting season and creating awareness among park visitors on the beach and at trailheads.

Volunteer Opportunity: Winter Wildlife Docent

The Point Reyes National Seashore Winter Wildlife Docent promotes awareness and protection of northern elephant seals, gray whales, and other marine life by helping visitors view, understand, and appreciate these species; helps visitors understand the ongoing management and research issues relating to northern elephant seals in Point Reyes National Seashore; and provides general park information and assistance to visitors. Locations include the Lighthouse Observation Deck, South Beach Overlook, Elephant Seal Overlook, Historic Lifeboat Station, Drakes Beach, Chimney Rock Trail. Training happens in November and December. Volunteer work is January through March or April. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Morgan Horse Ranch

The National Park Service’s Morgan Horse Ranch offers volunteers an opportunity to experience all aspects of horsemanship. They assist in ranch operations, including the care, handling and riding of horses of all ages, as well as the cleaning and maintenance of tack, equipment, fences and buildings. Volunteers may also greet visitors, answer questions and briefly explain their role as a volunteer. Experienced trainers are especially needed to help with the younger horses. The need for volunteers varies greatly throughout the year.

Volunteer Opportunity: Visitor Services

Work alongside park rangers and volunteers to staff the visitor center desk at the Bear Valley Visitor Center and/or Lighthouse Visitor Center. Assist visitors by providing information about the park and the surrounding area.

Provides an opportunity to learn about cultural, historical, and natural resources of national significance and to develop a deeper connection with Point Reyes National Seashore.

Volunteer Opportunity: Trail Patrol

Assist park staff in protecting park resources and facilitating safe and enjoyable visitor experiences by maintaining a National Park Service presence in front and backcountry areas. Conduct patrols on foot, bike, boat, sea kayak, and vehicle ride-along. Educate and inform visitors about the park’s natural, historical, and cultural resources and regulations. Observe, collect, document, and report conditions of park resources and visitor well-being that require attention.

Volunteer Opportunity: Harbor Seal Monitoring Docent

Monitor harbor seals to help in protecting seal colonies and assessing the health of the marine ecosystem. Hike off-trail and in rugged terrain to various harbor seal monitoring sites to observe, collect and report data on seal numbers, behaviors, and disturbances. Use binoculars and a spotting scope to observe seals.

Volunteer Opportunity: Audubon Canyon Ranch

Assist with monitoring heron and egret nests, and surveying shorebirds and waterbirds for the Cypress Grove Research Center in Tomales Bay.

Volunteer Opportunity: CA Native Plant Society

Marin CNPS is 100% volunteer run and can use your talents. Volunteering is a great way to learn about the unique ecology of Marin and meet fellow plant lovers while contributing to the overall health of our planet.

Volunteer Opportunity: Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey (Nov 15-Dec 15)

Volunteers and partner biologists combine to survey the flyway from November 15th to December 15th every year. Locations include Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon.