Boulder Park Champs

Location: A City of Boulder park, trail, or flower bed

Time Commitment: Park, Litter, and Flower Bed Champs commit to working 1 - 3 hours per week between April - October. Snow Champs commit to working as-needed during the winter.

Summary: With more than 80 parks and natural areas throughout Boulder, volunteers help support the park operations team to keep parks and multi-use paths maintained, clean, and beautiful by becoming a Champ to a named park or section of the Boulder Creek and by providing labor and other resources. We need your help now more than ever to keep our community parks and public spaces safe and beautiful. 

How to Apply: Please click the "Join" button above. You will be prompted to submit an application. After you application is reviewed, a Volunteer Coordinator will follow up with you.

Position Descriptions:

• Park Champ: Help keep your adopted park beautiful through tasks like hand weeding, litter removal, or site-specific maintenance.
• Litter Champ: Focus on removing litter from your adopted park to help keep it clean.
• Flower Bed Champ: Adopt a designated horticulture bed. Tasks include hand weeding, mulching, and occasional planting.

Locations in need of Park Champs:

• Valmont Dog Park
• East Boulder Community Dog Park
• Wild Woods Nature Discovery Area

Locations in need of Litter Champs:

• Eben G. Fine Park
• Scott Carpenter Park
• Beach Park
• Boulder Creek Path

Locations in Need of Flower Bed Champs:

• Valmont Farmhouse Flower Bed
• Boulder Reservoir Front Entrance Flower Beds
• Pineview Park Sign Flower Bed
• North Boulder Recreation Center Entrance Flower Beds
• Foothills Community Park Plaza Flower Beds
• Chautauqua Baseline Entrance Flower Bed
• Chautauqua Sign Entrance Flower Bed
• Chautauqua Peace Garden (near dining hall)

**While the above locations are high-need, we often need help throughout the entire Parks system. If you are interested in a location not listed, please let us know on your application.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Commit to completing tasks within the park or path at a minimum of one hour every week through Fall. 
• Report any maintenance issues, hazard, or vandalism through the Inquire Boulder website. 
• In the Give Pulse system, record and report volunteer hours and the number of volunteers on a consistent basis. 
• Do not attempt to repair any irrigation or park property on your own. Please report these issues so that they can be handled by specialized staff.

Requirements:

• The desire to support parks, public spaces and assist park staff to complete projects 
• Physical ability to complete park work 
• Ability to transport yourself between park or creek sites 
• Sign a volunteer acknowledgment of Risk and Release
• Complete the online application
• Review policies in the Volunteer Handbook
• Pick up a set of work gloves, trash tongs, and trash bags at East Boulder Community Center or the North Boulder Recreation Center
• Be familiar with the safety hazards of this job as stated below 
• Any new plants, mulch, decor, or other materials being introduced to the park need to be approved by our staff first.
• Report vandalism or any maintenance concerns through Inquire Boulder
• Regularly help clean and maintain an adopted area by picking up trash in designated areas. 
• If volunteering on the Boulder Creek, stay on the path and pick up trash only two feet off the path on either side. Hazardous materials may exist in the bushes.
• Be courteous and personable when dealing with the public 
• Provide two weeks notification if leaving the program 
• Some work areas may require special skills or additional training

Safety Protocols: 

• Always wear the provided volunteer vest while volunteering
• Be aware of your environment and any potential hazards such as (a) dog waste, broken glass, syringes and other sharp objects; (b) heavy lifting; (c) heat exhaustion and heat stroke (stay hydrated!); (d) high water run-off
• Discuss and know safety issues before working at your park 
• Wear appropriate footwear and gloves

Training: 

• Your Volunteer Coordinator will follow up with additional information about tasks and safety information for your adopted location. Where needed, you can meet with a staff member on-site for training.

Tools List:

• Work gloves
• Trash tongs
• Trash bags
• Hat and other sun protective gear

** Additional tools can be made available upon request. Please inquire with your volunteer coordinator.  

Support: Volunteer Coordinator can provide help with general questions using the Give Pulse volunteer management system. The Volunteer Coordinator can connect volunteers with the Park Operation staff for the site if needed to provide direction for priority tasks within adopted park as well as answer any questions concerning parks maintenance. All work gloves, trash bags and trash tongs will be provided. No staff supervision required after the initial orientation unless a special activity is planned and scheduled for a particular day and time. Those helping with graffiti removal must attend a 30 minute in-person training with staff. 

Benefits of Adopting a Park:

• Give back to the community 
• Support park operations teams
• Opportunity to make a local impact and spend time outside with a purpose
• Multiple volunteer appreciation events will be held throughout the season

Champ Dress Code: Wear provided vest that identifies you as a Park Champ Volunteer. Wear layered clothing and bring items that provide protection from the sun, (hat, sunscreen) as well as closed-toed shoes. Work gloves are desirable.  

Contact: If you have questions or would like more information please contact BPR’s Volunteer Coordinator, Jeanne O'Connor at o'connorj@bouldercolorado.gov. 

Court-Ordered Community Service: Please note that due to the unsupervised nature of this program, this program is not eligible for court-ordered community service hours.