Volunteering for the Florida Forest Service means being a member of one of Florida’s finest conservation, wildfire suppression and emergency response teams. With many volunteer service areas to choose from, there are countless ways to get involved.
Volunteer Service Areas
Campground Host Service
Campground hosts stay onsite (for free!) at one of Florida Forest Service’s recreation areas for a predetermined amount of time. Hosts help manage the campground, answer campers’ questions, give directions, pass out literature, handle light maintenance and help with late-night emergencies.
Administrative Assistance
Administrative assistance consists of copying, filing, answering telephones, greeting the public, sharing information about the forest and its operation, issuing fuel wood permits and giving directions at a Forestry Center, District Field Office or at the state office in Tallahassee.
Educational and Interpretive Programs
Volunteers for educational and interpretive programs assist or facilitate various programs such as wildfire prevention, tree identification, forest history (and more) at recreation areas, forest headquarters or for schools and civic groups.
Ecosystem Restoration
Ecosystem restoration volunteers replace invasive plants with native trees and grasses to restore the health and condition of the forest.
Trail Maintenance
Volunteers in trail maintenance help to keep trails clear and well marked for all visitors.
Survey Assistance for Threatened or Endangered Flora and Fauna
Assistants support the Florida Forest Service’s professional foresters, biologists and ecologists in understanding the cultural and natural resources on our lands in order to develop comprehensive management plans for forest land.
Tree Seedling Nursery Operations Assistance
Nursery assistants help sow seeds, thin and transplant seedlings, box trees and weigh, sort and bundle bare-root trees at the Florida Forest Service’s Andrews Nursery in Chiefland.
Forestry Computer Operations Assistance
Volunteers assist with land boundary, trail and forest type data entry into our Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Become a Volunteer
- You must be at least 18 years of age or obtain written consent from your parent or guardian.
- Individuals and groups may volunteer depending on the needs of the Florida Forest Service.
- Due to the physical nature of some of the volunteer work, volunteers must be healthy enough to do the work without jeopardizing their own well-being or the well-being of others.
In gratitude for their service, volunteers receive official certificates of appreciation signed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Director of the Florida Forest Service, official service pins and special recognition awards for each 1,000 hours of volunteer service, as well as coverage against claims for injury.
Volunteer Spotlight
The Florida Forest Service welcomes approximately 80 new volunteers annually, maintaining a base of around 500 active volunteers. These volunteers help our employees serve the State Forests’ more than 2 million annual visitors, manage over 1 million acres of public lands and fight wildfires to protect life, property and forest resources.
Love the State Forests? So Do We!
The Friends of Florida State Forests is a direct-support organization of the Florida Forest Service dedicated to ensuring Florida’s State Forests are available for future generations to enjoy. Make a difference by joining today to help protect Florida’s forests. To join Friends or for more information, visit www.FloridaStateForests.org.
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