There are countless opportunities to volunteer at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. Below are just a few examples of the volunteer opportunities the park has to offer.
Don’t see an opportunity that speaks to you? Please email the volunteer coordinator, Ingrid Peterec, or call her at 570-493-1020 to discuss any ideas of how you can volunteer your time and talents to the park. We are always interested in developing new volunteer positions to match the talents and interests of new volunteers.
Unfortunately, housing, RV, and campground options are generally not available for our volunteer positions.
Three eagle watch volunteers at the Lackawaxen access.
Are you a beloved bird watcher? Nuts for our national bird? Consider volunteering as an Eagle Watch Volunteer! In partnership with Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy trains volunteers on how to identify eagles and help educate the visitors on good "Eagle Etiqette" during the eagle monitoring season. Data gathered while volunteering is also used to support eagle reporting and conservation.
Volunteer shifts are during weeknds in January and February, when migrating eagles and resident pairs spend winter months in the Delaware River region.
For those interested in volunteering, please contact the Conservancy at 570-226-3164 or send an email to volunteer@delawarehighlands.org. You can also email the Upper Delaware Volunteer Coordinator at ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or call her at 570-493-1020.
If you're a passionate paddler and love being on the water, consider applying to become a volunteer with the National Canoe Safety Patrol (NCSP). The NCSP has worked with Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River for over 40 years to train and organize volunteers in swiftwater rescue and river safety education on the Upper Delaware River. The NCSP provides vital education and services to the Upper Delaware River region, helping countless visitors and saving lives every year.
Volunteers patrol busy areas on the river on weekends and holidays from May to September. Annual volunteer training is held each spring. Camping and swiftwater rescue eqipment are provided.
If you are interested in volunteering with the NCSP, please contact Ingrid Peterec at ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or 570-493-1020.
Volunteer transcribing the park's oral history tapes.
National Park Service
Oral History Transcription Volunteer
Are you passionate about and preserving unique and lesser-known local history? Interested in volunteering but can’t make it to the park regularly? Consider helping us save the stories of the Upper Delaware Valley region as a remote Oral History Transcription volunteer!
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River began recording interviews with local river valley residents in the mid-1980s. Over the last 20 years, approximately 150 interviews have been recorded, but many have yet to be transcribed. Although transcription is a very time-consuming process, it is an important way to preserve local, often untold stories.
Oral History volunteers will be transcribing oral histories from our collection, organizing them in a spreadsheet, and creating a Finding Aid, a document used to index and navigate the transcription collection. This is a remote volunteer position with flexible hours and scheduling. To work remotely, the volunteer will be asked to use their personal computer or laptop with an encrypted external hard drive provided to them by their NPS supervisor. The volunteer is required to attend online trainings and must attend biweekly online meetings to check-in on project progress. When the volunteer finishes their term, all equipment and materials must be returned.
If you are interested in volunteering as an Oral History Transcription volunteer, please contact Alejandro Garcia-Maldonado at 570-685-7871 ext. 6606 or e-mail us.
Park Ranger interns standing together at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.
NPS
Park Ranger Intern
Calling all college students! Are you interested in a career with the National Park Service? Or are you just looking for a fun, unique internship where you can work on the river, meet new people, live in one of the most beautiful natural places in the country, and gain valuable experience in the fields of interpretation, land management, and outdoor recreation? Consider applying for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Park Ranger internship program!
Interns assist with water safety, staff river access sites, perform river patrols, conduct interpretive and educational programs, and staff the park museum. Training and uniform are provided. Housing may be provided. Interns are expected to work 40 hours per week from mid-May to mid-August.
Riverside Kiosk Volunteers provide vital safety information to visitors.
NPS
Riverside Kiosk Volunteer
Do you love talking to people? Would you love volunteering with a view of the river out your window? Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is looking for Riverside Kiosk volunteers to interact with visitors at public river accesses along the Delaware and provide them with vital river safety information. Volunteers will provide general information, take visitor statistics, give river safety talks, and communicate with visitors about changing and hazardous river conditions. Volunteer locations include the Skinners Falls, Ten Mile River, Lackawaxen, and Mongaup public river accesses.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Volunteers are needed for 4-hour shifts during June through August. To learn more, please contact Ingrid Peterec at ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or 570-493-1020.
Two Wear It Watcher volunteers watching the river
NPS
Wear It Watch It Volunteer
Do you love people-watching? Interested in supporting park research and river safety? Or are you just looking for an easy volunteer opportunity to support your local National Park site? Consider volunteering at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River as a Wear It Watch It Volunteer!
Volunteers work with the National Park Service and the JSI Institute of Research and Training Institute to observe, record, and collect valuable data on life jacket usage by visitors who use the Upper Delaware River for a variety of different activities. This data is used by the park to improve water safety on the river. Volunteers also inform river users of life jacket laws and safety tips.
This position is active on weekends during May through August. Supplies are provided.
Bringing a friend is optional but highly encouraged! People watching and life jacket counting is much easier—and more fun—with a buddy!
To apply, please contact Ingrid Peterc at ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or 570-493-1020.
Volunteer at the Zane Grey Museum
National Park Service
Zane Grey Museum Docent
If you love talking to new people and have an interest in history, consider volunteering at the Zane Grey Museum as a museum docent. The Zane Grey Museum is a seasonal museum based out of the historic house of prolific author Zane Grey. Grey was known as “the father of the western novel” and is also known for his baseball, frontier, and outdoor adventure articles, stories, and publications. Docents of the Zane Grey museum support the interpretive legacy of Zane Grey by staffing the museum bookstore, greeting visitors, and opening and closing the museum.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Volunteers are needed when the museum is open, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Thursday through Sunday. If this opportunity sounds up your alley, please contact Ingrid Peterec at ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or 570-493-1020 to learn more about how you can volunteer at the Zane Grey Museum.
Volunteers at the 2024 Upper Delaware Council Litter Sweep.
NPS
Event / Days of Service Volunteers
Volunteer events and days of service bring people together in the Upper Delaware River community. As a one-time event volunteer, individuals may work independently or in small groups to collect litter in or along the river, work behind the scenes or at one of the tables during an event, and fill other positions as determined by the event coordinator. There is no minimum time requirement. Hours will be determined by volunteer availability and program/event need.
Throughout the year, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River hosts one-day volunteer events alongside our partner organizations such as the annual litter sweep with the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) in April, invasive plant species removal days, and various litter clean-ups in and alongside the river. We list these events on this website and volunteer.gov when we know the dates for each year.
There are no one-day event volunteer opportunities at this time.
Housing and/or RV sites are not available for these positions.
If you have any questions or are interested in applying for any of the volunteer opportunities at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Ingrid Peterec by email at ingrid_peterc@nps.gov or at 570-493-1020.
Interested volunteers can also apply directly online at volunteer.gov by searching for "upper delaware," "upper delaware scenic and recreational river," and other similar tag words.
