Opportunities From: Delaware State Parks

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes volunteers who are curious or passionate about cavity-nesting birds of northern Delaware!

There are 12 nest boxes in Alapocas Run State Park, each located in a different area of the park along the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail. Nest Box Monitors travel to their assigned nest boxes, observe, sometimes record (photos or video), and report what they see.

Orientation: Preseason orientation is held annually in the winter. If you have missed the current season’s orientation, you may contact Manager of Volunteers Andrea Carter to inquire about alternative training opportunities or your interest in joining the program next season.

Interested volunteers:

Must attend a training opportunity (orientation), at which they will learn: About the program and its goals How to identify local birds, their nests, and their eggs How to monitor nest boxes and record data on the response form Must be available to monitor at least once a week at their convenience

After the season, Nest Box Monitors and park staff gather for a recap and discussion.

Alapocas Run State Park reports its data at NestWatch.org, a project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Note: By responding to this opportunity, you are expressing interest. You will then be notified of available training opportunities.

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes volunteers who would like to help care for its treasured Storybook Trail!

The Storybook Trail is adjacent to Alapocas Run State Park’s popular and cherished Can-Do Playground. It features a new children’s story every month, and its garden beds are home to a plethora of native plants and serve a plurality of pollinators.

Primary duties:

Report safety concerns or damages Remove fallen branches and other debris Wipe off or clean storyboards Weed garden beds and the rubber mulch trail Cut back tree suckers and plants encroaching on trails Remove dead or damaged plants Pick up litter Submit simple reports (template provided) and service time

Needs can be significant after weather events.

Members of the Storybook Trail Stewardship Team may also be invited to work on special group projects for the site.

Scheduling is flexible:

Members may serve when it fits their schedules or schedule times on their own to work with other members. This is a year-round opportunity.

Visitors who enjoy exploring the Storybook Trail and Can-Do Playground with their favorite young people, are passionate about the importance of these special spaces, and/or are interested in the pollination cycle and stewardship of the local ecosystem are excellent candidates to volunteer with the Storybook Trail Stewardship Team!

Note: If you respond to this opportunity, you will be contacted about next steps.

Note: Orientation/training is required to become a member of the Climbing Conservation Crew.

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes volunteers who would like to help care for its rock-climbing wall as well as the landing zone and access trail for it!

The famous Blue Granite Cliffs in Alapocas Run State Park are the home of the only natural rock-climbing wall in Delaware and help to make the park one of the most unique places in the state to visit. The park offers top-rope climbing programs. Visitors may acquire a free permit from the Blue Ball Barn to climb on their own.

Primary duties:

Report safety concerns or damages Maintain the access trail (natural path from Camp Building to climbing area) Remove obstructions such as fallen branches, loose rocks, and other debris Restore barriers to dangerous deviations from the trail Cut back encroaching vegetation Pick up litter Keep the landing zone free of hazards Remove fallen branches, rocks, and other debris Pull weeds Keep crags and climbing routes clear* Cut back or remove encroaching vegetation Remove obstacles and other materials that could make a route dangerous Submit simple reports (template provided) and service time

* — Requires extensive climbing experience, knowledge of safe tool use while climbing, prior authorization from park staff, and member of park staff to be present.

Needs can be significant after weather events.

Members of the Climbing Conservation Crew may also be invited to work on special group projects for the site.

Scheduling is flexible:

Members may serve when it fits their schedules or schedule times on their own to work with other members. This is a year-round opportunity.

Visitors who enjoy rock-climbing and moderate-to-difficult trails and/or are passionate about the preservation of access to such opportunities are excellent candidates to volunteer with the Climbing Conservation Crew!

Note: If you respond to this opportunity, you will be contacted about next steps.

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes Girl Scouts who are pursuing a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award and Boy Scouts who will be completing an Eagle Scout Service Project!

Alapocas Run State Park appreciates the long history of Scouts’ service with Delaware State Parks and is familiar with the processes to achieve such Scout honors. The park may identify potential service projects that would satisfy the requirements of a Girl Scout Award or an Eagle Scout Service Project. Scouts are also welcome to submit proposals for service projects to the park.

Requirements:

Contact Alapocas Run State Park about your interest in completing a project in service of the park. A simple way to do that: Complete the form Girl Scout Awards & Boy Scout Eagle Projects. Regularly meet and discuss project proposals, plans, etc., with park personnel. Receive approval of your project, plans, amendments, revisions, etc., from the Superintendent throughout the process. Complete the project by the required deadline.

Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts who enjoy visiting Alapocas Run State Park, are passionate about taking care of natural spaces and supporting local ecosystems, and/or are passionate about supporting Delaware State Parks’ mission are excellent candidates to complete a service project at the park for a Girl Scout Award or the Eagle Scout Rank!

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes volunteers who are interested in helping to reduce the threat of invasive plants to the land and resources that we have been entrusted to protect and manage.

The task facing our park and local ecosystems is considerable. It requires a concerted, coordinated effort. Fortunately, public consciousness about the harms of invasive plants — plants not native to the region that grow aggressively, complete with native plants for resources, and displace native plants — continues to rise.

Volunteers help to meet this challenge and thus make a significant difference in Alapocas Run State Park’s quest to manage invasive plants. We are eager to work with like-minded people who are passionate or want to learn more about this issue. Experience is beneficial but not necessary.

How volunteers can get involved:

Coordinate a volunteer group service project. Contact the Manager of Volunteers to discuss your group’s interest in contributing. Schedule a service project at an available time that is convenient for your group. Join a scheduled volunteer group service project. Register on Delaware State Parks’ volunteer website if you have not already. Peruse open opportunities and RESPOND for an available shift or be notified of future open opportunities. Become a verified volunteer. You will attend an orientation or be trained individually on the essentials of invasive plant management for volunteers and the priority invasive plants for Alapocas Run State Park. You will receive a field guide to aid in identification of and control method for the invasive or threatening plants you are eligible to manage. You will receive a badge that permits you to manage certain invasive plants on your own time and, after you do, then submit a basic report. You may be notified of opportunities to work with other volunteers on group efforts to manage invasive plants. You may have opportunities to receive education from and work with members of the Delaware State Parks Environmental Stewardship Program.

Note: Orientation or training (verification) is required to volunteer on your own. If you respond to this opportunity, you will be contacted about next steps.

Resources for those who want to learn more:

Plants and Plant Communities resource page — Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Fish and Wildlife Flora of Delaware Online Database — University of Delaware Water Resources Center DISC Invasive Plant List — Delaware Invasive Species Council Non-native Plants of Delaware (January 2021) — DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes volunteers who would like to help care for the park’s landscape beds.

Alapocas Run State Park is home to a variety of garden beds at or near heavily trafficked sites such as the Blue Ball Barn. Some park garden beds are not just decorative; they are increasingly becoming functional spaces intended to support local ecosystems, reduce runoff, and more.

Volunteers help to meet the needs of these landscaped areas and thus make a significant difference.

Primary duties:

Report safety concerns or damages Rake leaves and remove branches and other debris Pull or dig up weeds and invasive plants Prune, deadhead, or remove dead or damaged garden plants Cut back and remove vines Other projects as requested

Needs can be significant after weather events.

We are grateful for the countless volunteers who have helped to steward the garden beds in our parks and maintain their purpose as well as beauty.

Note: The Storybook Trail garden beds are not part of this opportunity. To learn more about stewardship of the Storybook Trail garden beds, please visit its opportunity page.

Alapocas Run State Park welcomes work, school, and other groups interested in scheduling a service project for their teams, classes, etc.

A group service project is a great way to provide your organization with an opportunity:

To give back to the community or to learn about the value of service To promote team building or to learn to collaborate To embrace a new challenge together or to step outside a comfort zone in a safe, fun, and social setting To learn about Delaware State Parks operations and to see the impact of the group’s service To take a break from the office, warehouse, classroom, etc., and enjoy the great outdoors To accumulate service hours collectively

The types of group service projects available are based on seasonal needs at Alapocas Run State Park, progress of the park’s improvement projects, and other factors. Service projects for school groups may prioritize educational value and are intended to be age-appropriate.

Types of seasonal group service projects include:

Garden maintenance and care Control of invasive plants and vines Playground maintenance (e.g., mulching, raking) Maintenance of recreation sites (e.g., rock-climbing wall, Storybook Trail) Trail maintenance and care Litter cleanup

Coordinators for group service projects may RESPOND AS TEAM to this opportunity and ask about scheduling a date and time that is compatible with the group’s schedule. Coordinators are also welcome to RESPOND AS TEAM to a scheduled service project if there are enough available shifts.

Note: The project site’s address may differ from the park’s address and will be provided during scheduling of a group service project.

The Delaware State Parks Adopt-a-Trail Program was established to help individuals and groups become active environmental stewards of the various types of trails within Delaware State Parks.  Trail adopters regularly monitor our trails, performing basic maintenance tasks on the trail and reporting larger concerns or issues for staff to address.  Through monitoring efforts, our trail adopters help keep the trails clear and safe for all to enjoy.

Our trail volunteers are our eyes and ears on the trails. We have 160 miles of trails throughout the 17 state parks in Delaware and we are always adding new ones.  With so many miles of trails to maintain, we rely heavily on our Adopt-A-Trail volunteers to perform basic maintenance tasks and report any issues that require staff attention.  We cannot do this without YOU! 

Alapocas Run State Park is home to a stretch of the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail, a trail system in Alapocas Woods, and other social paths.

Primary duties:

Report safety concerns or damages Pick up litter Remove trip hazards such as small debris (rocks, tree branches, etc.) Cut back encroaching vegetation Help control invasive plants Other projects or events, such as First Day Hikes sweeps and support, as requested

Needs can be significant after weather events.