Volunteer | Morris County Parks

Volunteer Opportunities

To view current opportunities and sign up, please create an account with Better Impact: http://bttr.im/mo7g8

Enjoy being outdoors? Have a love for Mother Nature and the beauty of the Park Commission's diverse gardens? Join our volunteer team.

MCPC Stewardship	Cooper Gristmill
Friends' Groups	Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
GardenWorks	Great Swamp Outdoor Education Ctr
Adopt-a-Trail	Pyramid Mtn Natural Historic Area

MCPC Stewardship Volunteers

Join our Natural Resources Division in completing important stewardship projects to improve the ecology of our parks. Interested volunteers can check the link below to sign up for periodic volunteer opportunities.

MCPC Stewardship Volunteer Event Sign-up

For more information, contact:
Darrell Jones
Assistant Superintendent of Natural Resources Management
Phone 862.325.7745

Friends' Groups

Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum

PO Box 1295
Morristown, NJ 07962-1295

Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Gristmill

73 Kahdena Road
Morristown, NJ 07960

Friends of Historic Speedwell

333 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960

The Willowwood Foundation

The Mount Hope Conservancy

Gardenworks

"Gardens are not made simply by sitting in the shade" - Rudyard Kipling

The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Willowwood Arboretum, and Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center welcome you to visit, and hope you become a horticulture volunteer in the GardenWorks program, now in its 22nd year.

For a few hours each week, horticulture volunteers come together and work on a range of garden projects. It’s a rewarding way to have fun, while learning many valuable skills for maintaining and beautifying your garden, including watering, mulching, weeding, edging, trimming, pruning, cutting back, propagating, and raking. All you need to bring is a pair of gloves and enthusiasm. Gardenworks is a flexible, friendly, and fun gardening program for adults of all ages. Tools and refreshments are provided.

The Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township, once known as Whippany Farm, extends its welcome by featuring beautiful home demonstration gardens, rose and woodland gardens, and collections of shrubs and trees. Willowwood Arbortum, once named Paradise Farm, is situated on 130 acres of rolling farmland and offers Cottage, Mediterranean, Woodland, and Formal gardens. The Lilacs, Magnolias, and Cherries are popular as well. Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center, originally known as Merchiston Farm, is the former home of Martha Brookes Hutcheson, one of the first women to be trained as a landscape architect in the United States. The historic gardens were restored in 2010 and include a tumbling stream, two large pools, and extensive plantings.

The GardenWorks volunteers meet each week from April through November, as follows:

The Frelinghuysen Arboretum meets on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the directory in the main parking lot.
Willowwood Arboretum meets on Wednesdays, 9 a. m. to 12 noon at the directory in the main parking lot.
Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center meets on Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the staff parking area, second left upper parking area. The program has been extended to include the recent garden renovation of this historic site.

Opportunities for community or corporate groups are available by special arrangement. Let the beauty of the gardens surround you while sharing hands-on experiences with others who have similar interests.

For more information, contact:
Mark Inzano
Manager of Horticulture Maintenance
Phone 973.631.5029

Adopt-a-Trail Program

The Adopt A Trail Program is a great way to give back to our outstanding trails system.

Ways to participate:

Trail Watcher – Trail user who reports specific conditions or issues on any trail.
Trail Keeper – Performs general maintenance on specific trails within the County’s trail system.
Trail Fun Series – Engages participants in more complex trail maintenance and construction techniques once a month.

If you are interested please complete this brief survey.

Information for current participants:

For more information, contact:

Amy Lutsko
Assistant Superintendent of Trails
Phone 973.631.5136

Cooper Gristmill

The 1826 Cooper Gristmill provides a glimpse into the rich heritage of Milltown. In the late 19th century, the town thrived; the restored and operational gristmill is one of the few survivors of that era. The gristmill is open to the general public May through October when guided tours of the mill, as well as a variety of educational programs and demonstrations, are offered. From April through June and from September to mid-November, the mill is available for pre-scheduled school tours.

Miller’s Assistant - Help staff set up the mill, interpret the technology to visitors, bag flour and/or meal, and assist with closing procedures for the day. Vacuum the mill, and aid in other tasks as needed. With staff, clean the millpond of plant material and dig out the tailrace. Training provided.
Mill Tour Helpers - Assist with set up for programs, and work with school, camp, scout, and adult groups as they tour the gristmill and partake in various activities. Help with closing, and aid in other tasks deemed necessary. Training provided.
Program Demonstrators - Help with scheduled programs and special events that feature domestic and industrial chores of that late 19th century. Based on your own expertise, ask us about presenting a program to the public that illustrates a craft or skill of the 1880s.

For more information, contact:
Mark Sutherland

Manager of Historic Sites
Phone 973.285.6534

Fosterfields Living Historical Farm

The first living historical farm in NJ, Fosterfields is open to the public Wednesday – Sunday, April through October. Visitors can meet the various farm animals, engage in period farm and domestic chores, tour The Willows, explore the Transportation Exhibit, make reservations for guided youth and adult tours, and enjoy special programs. Events and activities at Fosterfields are based on the Foster family’s journals, diaries, records, and accounts.

Farm Tour Guide - Lead school, camp, scout, and adult groups on tours of the historic farm and farmhouse. Engage participants in hands-on activities. Tours are 1½ or 2 hours in length. Training provided.
Willows Docent - Give tours to children and adults of the historic Gothic Revival mansion, The Willows, built in 1854 for a grandson of Paul Revere. House is restored to the period 1880-1902. Training provided.
Heirloom Gardener - Assist with the planting, weeding, harvesting, and interpreting the farm garden where vegetables representative of the Fosters’ time period are grown.
Family Activity Center Assistant - During the spring and fall, assist visitors in making farm and seasonal crafts. Also, interact with the public in playing games that were popular during a bygone era.
Seamstress - Sew period attire for staff and volunteers. Historic 1920s patterns are provided.
Clerical Assistant - Help staff with copying and collating documents, labeling and stuffing envelopes, and handing out programs and tickets on busy weekends.
Collections Volunteer - Help staff maintain the historic artifact collections. Assist with computer data entry, object inventory, and digital photography. Training provided.

For more information, contact:

Mark Sutherland
Manager of Historic Sites
Phone 973.285.6534

Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center

Our "outdoor classroom" borders the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. School groups, scouts, clubs, and the general public are invited to visit the park and attend the Center's many nature programs. The Center is open 7 days a week, 9:00am to 4:30pm.

Weekend Greeter - Help with greeting visitors, phone calls, and providing information about the Center and its activities to visitors so naturalists are free to run programs.
Special Events - Help with special events such as Earth Day, Maple Sugar Fest, etc. We will provide any training needed for the event.
Hiking - Assist on hikes.
Photography - We need help with taking photos at all of our programs.
Volunteer Form
Student Volunteer Form

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area

Pyramid Mountain is a natural historic area that includes three mountains and two stream valleys. It has over 1,500 acres of beautiful terrain and 20 miles of nature trails in Montville, Boonton Township, and Kinnelon with scenic views and several prominent geological formations. The Visitors Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 4:30 pm.

Weekend Greeter - Help with greeting visitors, phone calls, and providing information about the Center and its activities to visitors so naturalists are free to run programs.
Special Events - Help with special events such as Monarch Fest, Earth Day, Maple Sugar Fest, etc. We will provide any training needed for the event.
Hiking - Assist on hikes.
Snowshoe Sunday Helper- Sweep on hikes and help people try on snowshoes during the winter months.
Volunteer Form
Student Volunteer Form