Whether you are a member of a bike club, fly fishing club, canoe club, Scout troop, vo-ag group, environmental club, Upward Bound, or Good Sam’s, opportunities abound in state parks and fishing access sites for any group seeking a community service activity.
Typical duties are:
- building and maintaining trails,
- building and removing fences,
- planting trees, and
- cleaning up a site.
These activities can be done on a special volunteer day organized by the park, through an “adopt-a-site” program, or an event that you organize. For more details, contact the park manager of the site where you are interested in volunteering.
Earth Day
(Last Saturday in April)
Spring Meadow Lake Park - An event was held April 26, 2008, at Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena to plant trees to replace those lost in a 2007 fire. Contact Craig Marr at (406) 495-3270.
Region 4 - Region 4 had an Earth Day event in Great Falls for spring 2008. Contact Matt Marcinek at
(406) 454-5858.
Makoshika State Park - March for the Parks is conducted at Makoshika State Park near Glendive each year in conjunction with Earth Day. This walk through the park raises money for trail improvements, tree planting, and other environmental awareness efforts. This year’s date was April 26, 2008. Contact Ryan Sokoloski or Tom Shoush at (406) 377-6256.
National Trails Day
(First Saturday in June)
An event was held June 7, 2008 at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell. Contact Amy Grout at (406) 755-2706.
National River Cleanup Week
(Dates vary)
Blackfoot River Cleanup Day In an effort to keep the Blackfoot River Corridor clean and safe, an annual cleanup is conducted the last Saturday in July. The event is open to the public. Participants can walk, wade, float, or snorkel to pick up trash. Volunteers with boats are needed to help carry cleanup participants down the river. For more information, call (406) 244-5442.
Missouri River Cleanup Day - Missouri River Cleanup (in the Great Falls area) was held June 8, 2008. Contact Chris Dantic at (406) 454-5870.
National Public Lands Day
(Last Saturday in September)
Lone Pine State Park - Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell has scheduled a Public Lands Day event September 27, 2008.
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park - An event will be held to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The celebration will be held in the group use area of the campground. The day will begin with a service project from 9—12. This will include trail building and tree planting. After a lunch provided by Montana State Parks, there will be two programs: one on the CCC by U.M. history professor Harry Fritz, and the other by Stan Cohen, author of Tree Army, a book about the CCC. Following the programs, cave tours will be offered. For more information, contact Rhea Armstrong at (406) 287-3541.
Giant Springs State Park - A day of volunteer trail work is planned to complete an addition to the Rivers Edge Trail system near Cochrane Dam on the south shore of the Missouri River. The project area is located on land owned by the City of Great Falls where volunteers are building new single-track trails to add to the existing Rivers Edge Trail in the area. The project is in cooperation with Great Falls Bicycle Club, Recreational Trails Inc., PPLM, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Volunteers should meet at 9:00 AM at the Lewis & Clark Overlook on Giant Springs Road. Distance to the worksite from the overlook is approximately 2 miles of dirt trails; be prepared to walk or ride a mountain bike (intermediate skills needed) to the work site. Bring gloves and water. All tools will be provided at the work site. Work will conclude at 2:00 PM. For more information, contact Matt Marcinek at (406) 454-5858.
Get Outdoors Day
(Mid June)
Giant Springs State Park - FWP and the Forest Service teamed up with Cascade County, the City of Great Falls, Recreation Trails, Inc., and PPL Montana for a noxious weed-pulling event in honor of National Get Outdoors Day on June 14, 2008. Thirty-four volunteers pulled over 1,200 pounds of leafy spurge, spotted knapweed, hounds tongue, toadflax, and Canada thistle in the riparian area and along the scenic bicycle-pedestrian trail bordering the Missouri River. Contact Chris Dantic at (406) 454-5870.
If your club or organization is interested in maintaining a state park or fishing access site regularly, you may adopt the site. Each adoption is handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the appropriate regional parks manager for more information.
With major expansion and remodeling at Lone Pine Visitor Center in 2007, the park staff is beginning a series of new programs. As a result, there is need for a variety of volunteers. Contact Amy Grout (Manager) or Melissa Sladek (Interpretive Specialist) at (406) 755-2706 about the following positions:
- Visitor Center Assistant,
- Special Events Assistants,
- Education and Interpretive Specialists,
- Administrative Assistants, and
- Maintenance Workers.
