Do you want to volunteer in one of the greatest parks in the world and learn about amazing ecosystems that thrive so close to Vancouver’s busy downtown core? Being a volunteer with SPES is an excellent way to indulge your passion for nature, spend time outdoors, and learn about our environment. You can develop useful skills, knowledge and confidence to further your academic and vocational pursuits while enjoying the beauty of Stanley Park.
Who can Volunteer?
You must meet certain criteria to volunteer with SPES:
- Be a minimum of 16 years old (contact us for more information on how younger volunteers can get involved)
- Some positions have higher age requirements
- Educational requirements depending on the position
- Experience – vocational and academic – depending on the position
- Health and physical requirements – depending on the tasks
Most volunteer opportunities have minimum time commitment requirements while a select few are very short-term or indefinite-length positions.
Build Skills as a Volunteer
Our active volunteer opportunities are below. You can also contact our Volunteer Coordinator to share how you’d like to volunteer with SPES.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
- Volunteer Board of Directors – Post Secondary StudentSPES is seeking a Postsecondary Student to join our Board of Directors.
- Volunteer Board of Directors – Indigenous PerspectiveSPES is seeking one or more new Board members to bring Indigenous perspectives to our volunteer Board of Directors.
- EcoStewardsSupport invasive species management and the stewardship of Stanley Park alongside a group of enthusiastic volunteers.
- DIRT (Dedicated Invasive Removal Team)Join this dedicated group of volunteers and help remove invasive plant species in Stanley Park.
Sorry, there are no open volunteer positions at the moment. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to get notified of new opportunities!
You can also contact our Volunteer Coordinator to share how you’d like to volunteer with SPES.
Photo: Volunteers removing invasive species. (Don Enright).
Volunteering at a Glance
We offer many different types of volunteering opportunities including:
Conservation
- EcoStewards – Join SPES on the first and third Saturday of each month to remove invasive plant species and make an important contribution to habitat conservation and restoration of the Park.
- Dedicated Invasive Removal Team (DIRT) – Contribute to the stewardship of Stanley Park with this hands-on invasive plant species removal program.
- Habitat & Wildlife Monitoring – Head into the Park with our Conservation Technician to collect ecological data to monitor long-term trends and provide species baseline data.
Public Outreach & Education
- Nature House Hosts – Hang out at the Nature House at Lost Lagoon and educate visitors about the ecology of Stanley Park.
- EcoRangers – Roam Stanley Park and answer visitors’ questions about the local animals and plants.
- EcoCamp Assistant – Work with SPES Educators to support the delivery of engaging and exciting programming to our day campers.
In addition, volunteers enjoy:
- Program-specific training and opportunities to learn about the local natural history, ecology and environmental stewardship of Stanley Park;
- Twice yearly appreciation events;
- Reference letter upon completion of 25 hours of volunteering.
