Volunteer With Patapsco Valley State Park
May Featured Volunteer – Jim Apgar
Jim Apgar is a retired high school Spanish teacher who volunteers in the Avalon Visitor Center and is a member of our Adopt-A-Trail family. He also is a member of the Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway who coordinate some events within the park, including stream clean-ups and the Annual Garlic Mustard Challenge. Below is some of what Jim has to say about Patapsco Valley State Park.
What is your favorite thing about Patapsco Valley State Park?
Since my development borders the Park, I spend a lot of time just hiking in the woods. I also love to bike along the river along River road and then cross the bridge and go along the Grist Mill trail. I love the Valley and feel so lucky to live so close.
Describe one of your favorite volunteer memories with Patapsco.
I have many fond memories of working in the visitors center. I love meeting and greeting people who come in and telling them about the park. Many of the visitors are from somewhere else, often another country, and I really enjoy my role as ambassador of the park.
Message from Park Manager, Robin Melton
Do you love the outdoors? Do you get excited about sharing your love of nature with others? Perhaps you have some spare time, and would like to share a little with our park and park visitors.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of Patapsco Valley State Park. They are involved in just about every aspect of park operations. Our volunteers do so many fantastic things within the park. On a given day you can find our volunteer Rangers running daily operations, and our volunteer naturalists leading hikes or doing nature crafts. Perhaps you will encounter a member of our volunteer mounted patrol while you are out on the trails, and on that very same hike you might meet our trail maintenance volunteers or even one of our Adopt-a-Trail families. Don’t be surprised to see one of our volunteer photographers snapping pictures of people and nature within the park. If you stop in our visitor center or our nature center you will more than likely meet one of our volunteer docents – who will be thrilled to share interesting information about the park.
Do you think your talents are not suited for a park? We have graphic designers, marketing specialists, artists, carpenters, plumbers, stone masons, and seamstresses that all have volunteered to help create brochures, build decks and benches, promote our programs to media, and even sew curtains for our mini-cabins.
So if you have a little extra time to spare, I invite you to join the Patapsco Volunteer Family. We would love to have you as part of our team!
It is now even easier to start volunteering at Patapsco Valley State Park - our new on-line registration is only a click away. To search for volunteer opportunities at this state park and all of the state parks in Maryland, please "click" here to link to the Volunteer with Maryland State Parks webpage and then "click" on Opportunity Search in the Volunteer Menu on the left side of the page.
Message from the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park President, Bruce Clopein
The Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park invites you to join us in supporting this vital natural resource. A 501C3 non-profit, The Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park provides charitable gifts to enhance the park's educational and environmental assets. Our group has assisted with dam removal efforts, tree plantings, invasive removal, purchased interpretive displays, supported Eagle Scout projects, and provided materials for the Hilton Nature Center. We encourage you to join us in preserving and protecting Patapsco Valley State Park for future generations. For more information, please contact Bruce Clopein at (443) 517-9963.
Featured Volunteer Opportunity – Camp Hosts
Stake your claim to free camping at Patapsco Valley State Park!
That’s right! Volunteer as a camp host and it’s all yours! Camp hosts are needed through the camping season from April through October. You get a rustic campsite with great nature views provided by the Hilton and Hollofield campgrounds at Patapsco Valley State Park. All you have to do is commit a minimum of one month to camping and bring your own gear. Camp hosts are asked to spend 20 hours a week helping campers, selling firewood and keeping the camping facilities tidy. Priority consideration is given to anyone who can stay longer. The park staff will provide all the training you need. So pitch in as a park volunteer and pitch your tent (or camping trailer, etc.)! Sign up for your campsite now by contacting Volunteer Coordinator, Maegan Cooper at (410) 465-3287 or by email at macooper@dnr.state.md.us.
Volunteer Opportunities
With locations in Baltimore, Howard, Carroll, and Anne Arundel counties, Patapsco Valley State Park has a volunteer opportunity for you! Here are just a few of the things you can do:
- Trailwork
- Volunteer Ranger
- Gardening
- Visitor/Nature Center staffing
- Photography
To search for volunteer opportunities at this state park and all of the state parks in Maryland, please "click" here to link to the Volunteer with Maryland State Parks webpage and then "click" on Opportunity Search in the Volunteer Menu on the left side of the page.
We look forward to having you join our volunteer family!
Maegan Cooper, Volunteer Coordinator
Patapsco Valley State Park
8020 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-465-3287
E-mail: macooper@dnr.state.md.us