How To: Visit or Help Out at a National Park

1. Find a park. Go to the National Park Service or National Parks of Canada sites to locate a park near you.
2. Learn about the park.Whether you are visiting or volunteering, it’s a great idea to try and learn something about the park. Some questions you may be interested in finding answers for:
   • How big is it?
   • How many different species of animals and plants live there?
   • What kind of conservation efforts do they have going on?
   • What special features or attractions does the park have?
   • What can you do in the park (hike, bike, camp, etc.)?
   • Is the park threatened at all (by not having enough funding, for example)?
   • Get on their mailing list
3. Contact them.When can you visit? How do you get there? If you want to help out, ask if they have volunteer opportunities, internships, or summer programs that you can be involved in. See if they have a website for you to learn more about it, if you haven’t found one already.
4. Get some fresh air! Try and go when the weather is great and spend the day exploring. Go for a hike, have a picnic if they have picnic areas, and bring a camera! Snap some great photos of the great outdoors that you can hang up in your room to remind you about how beautiful the park is. Just make sure you obey the wildlife code: follow fire regulations; leave your pets at home; leave flowers, birds’ eggs, logs and bush rocks where you find them; put your rubbish in a bin or, better still, take it home.
5. Volunteering? Awesome! Set up a schedule with them, and see what jobs they have for you. Get familiar with the park, especially if it’s big, so you don’t get lost. Learn about the species that are found in the park, and see if you can spot them when you’re out walking around! (You’ll be able to impress friends and family with all your knowledge!)

Summer Volunteer ideas:

• Landmark Volunteers
• Outward Bound
• National Park Ranger or Guide