National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks Day 2012 & 2013

The National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks Day was Saturday, April 27, 2013, at the end of National Park Week. Together, these events are the annual celebration of America’s best idea – our national parks. The National Park Service encourages people everywhere to enjoy, learn from and support our nation’s greatest treasures during the week and on Volunteers-in-Parks Day.

Friends working together

 

Families helping out

 To recognize National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks Day, Everglades National Park hosted a volunteer event at the park’s historic Nike Missile Site on Saturday, April 27, 2013.  It is one of the Nation’s best preserved sites from the Cold War Era and was built in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Due to the rapid growth of vegetation in this tropical environment, regular maintenance is required to prevent damage to the infrastructure of the site.

  

Volunteers removed brush and weeds from the fence line, launch site, and berms surrounding the missile barns. Attending volunteers also enjoyed taking part in a guided tour of the Nike Missile Site.

In 2012, National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks Day's theme was “Picture Yourself Volunteering.” Volunteers were pictured again at the Nike Missile Site on April 21, 2012. National Park Week and the Volunteers-in-Parks Day occur in April every year.

Removing shrubs from a berm.

Receiving a tour of the barn

“Parks are fun and affordable destinations and great places to engage in healthy, outdoor activities, whether for a few hours or a few days,” said former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

If you are interested in joining Everglades National Park’s Volunteers-in-Parks program for a few hours or a few days, please contact us at 305-242-7752 or visit the Current Opportunities tab above.