The Licking Park District is offering a wide range of volunteer opportunities in 2026, inviting residents to play an active role in supporting parks, programs, and conservation efforts across the county.
Volunteers can choose from hands-on outdoor work, administrative support, or educational and community-focused roles, depending on their interests and availability. Volunteers are essential to maintaining park lands and expanding programming while strengthening connections between the parks and the community, according to the Licking Park District.
Interested individuals can choose from various volunteering opportunities. One of which is the Adopt-A-Trail/Park program, where volunteers assist with general care and basic maintenance of designated trails or park areas. Participants commit to at least one self-scheduled work trip per month to check conditions, pick up litter, prune vegetation, and report hazards or maintenance concerns. The program allows volunteers to work independently while making a visible impact on park spaces.
Those interested in indoor or public-facing roles can serve as Office Assistants, helping answer phone calls, greet visitors, assist customers with the recreation management system, perform filing and mailings, and support programs at the James Bradley Center. Volunteers may also help with tours and program preparation.
Additional opportunities include Stewardship roles focused on maintaining park lands, trails, and structures through activities such as trail monitoring, landscaping, beautification projects, painting, and carpentry. Conservation Stewardship volunteers assist with wildlife and land projects, including invasive species removal, habitat restoration, monitoring tree, stream, and wetland health, and planting native perennial gardens.
The district also welcomes volunteers for Heritage projects, which support cultural resource management, research, and historic restoration. Tasks may include organizing and documenting archived materials and artifacts. Citizen Science volunteers help collect data for ongoing research efforts such as bluebird box monitoring and butterfly surveys.
Those who enjoy working with the public can assist with Programs and Events, supporting staff during educational and recreational activities such as paddlesports, archery, outdoor adventures, birding strolls, and Paint the Parks programs. Operations volunteers provide administrative and outreach support through flyer distribution, kiosk updates, and park watch efforts. Groups, including schools, clubs, and scout organizations, are also encouraged to participate.
For more information, residents can contact Trail and Volunteer Program Manager Karen Wielezynski at 740-587-2535 or [email protected].
