The Clark County Public Works volunteer program engages the community in meaningful volunteer experiences that enhance community assets like parks and roadways. These activities also support the mission of Public Works "to enhance Clark County's quality of life by providing transportation, environmental, and parks facilities and services." Volunteers are essential to enhancing the beauty, safety, accessibility and quality of our parks, public lands, transportation corridors and trails.
All volunteers must agree to abide by the volunteer program policy.
Adopters and group leaders must be 18 years of age or older.
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Thinking of volunteering? Here's how you can get involved:
Volunteer events: Volunteer events take place on a specific date and time, are facilitated by our program or a partner organization, and are usually open to drop-in participants (though some might require pre-registration). These events don't require long-term commitments. You can find upcoming events on our calendar.
Protect Water - Only Rain in Drain: Volunteers install medallions next to storm drains to raise awareness that only rain can go down the drain. There are no filters in storm drains and stormwater does not go to a treatment plant to remove pollutants like indoor water. Most storm drains lead directly to the nearest stream, river or lake. These medallions serve as an important reminder that our community can help protect water by preventing anything except rain from entering a storm drain (including soap, grass, pet waste, etc.).
During the dry season, groups of two or more, including schools, scout troops, community organizations, faith-based organizations and neighborhood associations, can help mark storm drains. Volunteers can propose a project area on public roads that have speed limits 25 miles per hour or less. The volunteer coordinator will try to assign an area in or close to the proposed project location. Volunteers schedule a time to borrow the storm drain marking kit and have flexibility to complete the project within that timeframe.
We provide the supplies, tools, medallions and training you'll need to complete the job, stay safe and have fun. All you need is an area that needs marking, and dry weather!
Group volunteering: Churches, clubs, businesses, and organizations can work with us to schedule a volunteer event for their group. Contact us to get started. Be prepared to give information about your group size, preferred dates and times, and if you have preferences on the location of service or type of volunteer activity.
Independent assignment volunteering: Independent assignment volunteers are residents who help on their own time, not as part of a sponsored volunteer event, specific volunteer program or group activity. Independent assignment volunteers can work with the volunteer program coordinator to identify an activity, task or project that they are passionate about. Examples include litter pickup, invasive species removal, wildlife surveys and pet waste pickup. Independent assignment volunteers receive important safety information and training, tools, supplies and staff support. Volunteers are recognized via a year-end awards program. Contact us to get started as an independent assignment volunteer!
Adopt-A-Park: If there's a park or open space owned or managed by Clark County that you love, this is the activity for you! Volunteers choose a park, trail or open space to adopt. Adopters organize and facilitate one volunteer activity each month April through September, and at least once between October and March. Activities usually consist of litter pickup but can sometimes include projects like cleaning picnic tables, adding bark chips to a playground, clearing vegetation from around a trail, and more. We provide all supplies, tools, materials and the training you'll need to complete the job and stay safe.
Not sure which park to adopt? Contact us. If you're ready to apply to adopt a specific park or property, fill out an application.
Please note: Adopt-A-Park is NOT the same as the volunteer park host program. If you are interested in a park host position, please do not fill out an Adopt-A-Park application.
Black icons are adopted parks. Green icons are parks available for adoption. House icons are park host locations.
Adopt-A-Road: Roadside litter can reduce property values, increase the spread of disease, injure wildlife, and increase the risk of collisions on the roadway. In the U.S. there are over 6,000 pieces of litter for every mile of road. Help keep Clark County beautiful by adopting a road! Adopters work with us to find a road segment that is safe for volunteer litter crews. Adopters complete an orientation and brief training, then gather friends, neighbors, family, and coworkers to complete three litter cleanups along their adopted road segment each year. We provide supplies and dispose of the litter; you bring the helping hands!
Ready to Adopt-A-Road? Contact us. If you know which road you want to adopt, or a general geographic area you'd like to work in, let us know.
Volunteer park hosts : Clark County's Parks and Lands division cares for over 11,000 acres and 84 parks spread across 650 square miles. Volunteer park hosts live at select park sites to help ensure that, despite the geographic spread, our parks are always clean, safe and well-cared for. Park host positions are posted here when they become available.
Please sign up for our volunteer program newsletter, where we announce open park host positions when they become available.
The Parks and Lands division of Clark County Public Works is seeking a volunteers to serve as the park hosts at:
Park hosts who apply to Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park must provide their own recreational vehicle (RV) to reside in at the park during their term as the park host.
This position would serve through Dec. 31, 2024.
The maximum occupancy of RV host sites will be determined by the manufacturer's stated capacity of the host's RV and available utilities. The volunteer program coordinator will verify the maximum occupancy by referencing the make and model of the RV.
To complete an application online, click the button below. To request a paper copy of the application, contact volunteer program coordinator Cindy Gonzalez at cindy.gonzalez@clark.wa.gov 564.397.1679.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Volunteer park hosts live at their assigned park and assist with creating a safe and welcoming environment for all visitors. Host duties include (but are not limited to):
Park hosts report to the Public Works volunteer program coordinator and receive additional training, direction and support from parks maintenance and operations staff.
Clark County provides basic utilities for the host including electricity, water, sewer, and garbage/recycling. The host must provide their own phone and internet service. The hosts must also provide proof of renter’s insurance.
A host’s performance will be evaluated annually. Hosts with excellent performance may be offered a subsequent one-year extension term. There is no maximum number of one-year terms a host can serve. Park host service may be terminated at any time, with or without cause, by the county or the park host. Service may be terminated by the county if the park host does not meet program requirements or fails to abide by program and county policies.
The applicant offered the position must submit to a state and federal background check and fingerprinting. The successful applicant must also provide a rental history, including states and counties of residence for the past ten years, including dates of residence; residence addresses for the past five years or last five residences, whichever is less; the date and nature of any prior evictions or forced removals from property; any and all legal actions related to any of the prior residencies listed.
Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
The successful candidates will not be able to move or connect to the park RV pad until they have supplied all required documents (rental history, proof of renter’s insurance), signed the park host agreement, and been cleared through the federal and state background check and fingerprinting process. This process can take six to eight weeks or longer, from the time the position is offered and accepted. Successful candidates should plan accordingly.
For detailed information about park host duties and expectations, please read the following:
Clark County Equal Opportunity Employment and Harassment Policy and Employment Standards Policy (sections 3 and 13 of this document)
