Volunteering
Volunteering in National Parks
National Parks are dependent on the support of a thriving and diverse community of volunteers across the UK. Volunteers help to enhance our natural landscapes, support local communities and keep our National Parks open and accessible for millions of visitors every year.
Volunteering is open to everyone regardless of who you are and what experience you have.
Volunteering is good for National Parks but it’s also great for you. Being physically active outdoors is good for your health. Helping out on community tasks is good for your mental and social wellbeing.
Why volunteer with your National Park?
Over 5,000 volunteers donate their time, energy and expertise across the UK’s National Parks. The roles and tasks are hugely varied and we need people from all backgrounds and with all sorts of abilities to help us. Here are just a few benefits of volunteering for National Parks;
Meet new people – Volunteering is a special thing and creates a rare atmosphere of positivity, learning and community. You will meet like-spirited people, who care about the environment, communities and making a difference for National Parks. You can make friends for life through volunteering.
Experience amazing wildlife and landscapes – The UK’s National Parks are home to some of the most incredible landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage. National Park landscapes and their wildlife are shaped by people, which means volunteers are needed to help. You can also help to maintain access for everyone to landscapes which are crucial to the nation’s health.
Develop your skills and learn new ones – Volunteering takes many forms: habitat management, path maintenance and construction, archaeology, wildlife monitoring, hospitality and visitor management are just some of the skills you might lean and develop. If you’re looking for a new career you can gain valuable experience through volunteering.
Boost your health and wellbeing – Being outside in green, blue or wild spaces is good for your health. Scientific research shows nature connectedness has a range of health and well-being benefits and one of the best ways to turbo-boost that connectedness is by taking action to care for nature. Being part of a volunteering team is great for self-esteem, helping you to feel part of a community achieving positive outcomes.
Play your part – UK National Parks need volunteers. There are thousands of community and charity organisations dependent on volunteers to support a variety of causes within National Parks. When you volunteer in a National Park, you are part of a global movement to protect and enhance wildlife habitats, improve access to the landscape and save threatened cultural heritage.
Did you know?
Young volunteers
We support young people through a range of initiatives including Youth Action and Youth Ranger projects. As a young volunteer you can learn new skills and gain experience that helps you towards a career in the environmental or heritage sectors. You can also learn about ecology, conservation and history to supplement your school, college or university studies. Most important of all, you can meet new people and have a great time in a National Park.
Many of our Rangers first started working with National Parks as a volunteer. By volunteering alongside our skilled, knowledgeable and friendly Ranger teams you will get a taste of what it’s like to work for us full-time.
Volunteer with your National Park
Spooky season is in full force across our National Parks! 🎃
From eerie encounters to magical misty landscapes, our National Parks look wonderfully frightful.
Keep swiping for some spooky seasonal finds…
1. Pumpkin at the ready at Dartmoor National Park.
2. Visitors enjoying a frightfully fun Halloween Trail at Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire Dales National Park. Photo by Stephen Garnett.
3. A watchful crow leading the way perched on a signpost at South Downs National Park. Photo by Colin Mitchell.
4. St Benet’s Abbey emerging from the atmospheric autumn mist at the Broads National Park.
5. A beaver caught in a mesmerising moment under the cover of darkness at Cairngorms National Park.
6. Devil’s Fingers (Clathrus archeri) reaching their eerie tendrils through the grass at New Forest National Park. Photo by Bryan Wilson.
7. Thirlwall Castle standing proudly beneath a spectacular, star-filled night sky at Northumberland National Park.
#NationalParks #Halloween #SpookySeason
Dartmoor National Park celebrates 75 years today, but its story holds more than 10,000 years of human history.
Some of its prehistoric remains date back to the Bronze Age, and the longest prehistoric stone row in the world can be found on Dartmoor.
Dartmoor truly is a place where thousands of years of history remain woven into the landscape. 💚
#Dartmoor #DartmoorNationalPark #NationalParksUK
You don`t have to wait for nightfall to experience the magic of darkness. ✨🌙
Now the nights are drawing in, “Dusking", a traditional Dutch twilight ritual, could teach us how to appreciate the darkening evenings.
As the golden hour fades into the blue hour, the landscape begins it quiet transformation. Colours soften, sounds change, and a hidden world starts to emerge. Bats take to the skies, moths begin their nightly journeys, and familiar places reveal a completely different character.
While the tradition of Dusking may have begun in the Netherlands and re-introduced in Amsterdam, shared experiences are spreading across Europe.
Places like @northyorkmoors are holding dusking events as part of their Dark Skies Festivals, inviting people to slow down and reconnect with nature together.
Have you ever tried Dusking? Tell us below 👇
📸
Danby Beacon, North York Moors National Park (Russell Burton)
Sutton Bank at sunset, North York Moors National Park (Oliver Sherratt)
Sutton Bank at dusk, North York Moors National Park (Steve Bell)
North York Moors National Park (Steve Bell)
The clocks go back on Sunday, which means more darkness. ⏰ ⭐
But darkness isn’t always a bad thing. Darker nights bring many benefits for our natural environment, supporting wildlife and helping nature thrive.
Stargazing beneath our dark skies also connects us to centuries of traditions and our enduring fascination with the stars. ✨
Our National Parks are home to some of the darkest skies in the UK. By protecting these special places, we can help preserve the dark skies that benefit both people and nature.
#DarkSkies #NationalParks #ClocksGoBack
👻 Strange sights and spooky stories await in the @Southdownsnp
From mist-shrouded woods and twisted trees to castles beneath the moon, the National Park is home to many eerie spots.
And across our 15 National Parks, there are tales that have endured for centuries, legends still passed down today, and histories with dark chapters.
📸
Ghost in South Downs - Luis Fernando Mancilla
Iping tree - Richard Murray
Harvest moon - Andrew Gambling Photography
Devil’s Dyke - Sam Moore
Stamner Park - Finn Curry
#SouthDowns #Halloween #NationalParks
🎉 Happy Exmoor Day, @exmoornp!
Today, Exmoor National Park celebrates years of connecting people with nature, wildlife and the great outdoors.
From England’s largest wild red deer herd and native ponies to Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve and dramatic landscapes, Exmoor is a place full of life, history and discovery.
Its landscapes, wildlife and historic villages bring people closer to nature and create opportunities to explore, connect and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.
Here’s to Exmoor – and many more adventures to come! 💚
#Exmoor #ExmoorNationalPark #NationalParksUK
Happy birthday @parc_eryri 🎂
From its towering peaks and sweeping valleys to its rich heritage, Eryri (Snowdonia) is a place that means so much to so many people.
It`s a landscape full of stories, shaped by generations of people and home to some of Wales` most treasured places, from the summit of Yr Wyddfa to the quieter corners.
Today, we`re celebrating everything that makes Eryri unique, from the people and traditions that give it its character to the ongoing work to protect its landscapes and wildlife.
Share your favourite memories of Eryri in the comments! 💬
📸Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia @cinqueportsphotography
#Eryri #EryriNationalPark #TheAnswerIsNationalParks
Autumn is a chance to give nature a helping hand. 🍂
From leaving fallen leaves to providing food for birds, small actions can make a big difference to the world around us.
Here are some of the ways to help nature this season.
#NatureRecovery #Autumn #NationalParks
