Become a volunteer ranger assistant

Did you always want to be a park ranger? It’s not too late! Become a Volunteer Ranger Assistant and help park, open space and natural area rangers accomplish much of their important work.

Larimer County Department of Natural Resources and City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department are now accepting applications for their joint Volunteer Ranger Assistant program. Training will be held in late February. Volunteers attend 20 hours of training and are asked to contribute 20 hours of service in return.

As a Volunteer Ranger Assistant, you will be an ambassador for parks, open spaces and natural areas and be a friendly face on the trail who can answer visitors’ questions. You can volunteer on foot or ride your bike or horse. In training, you’ll learn about local and regional trails, how to approach visitors, ecology, safety and stewardship. You’ll meet rangers from Larimer County Department of Natural Resources and the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department. You might meet new friends, too!

This is the perfect volunteer position if you need a flexible schedule; Volunteer Ranger Assistants are especially needed on weekends. You can get some exercise, fresh air and quiet time all while giving back to your community. You will also be able to attend continuing education classes such as first aid and CPR and winter ecology, special behind-the-scenes tours, recognition events and more.

Do you have what it takes to join this elite group of volunteers? Qualified candidates must have experience in the outdoors, the ability to hike or bike a minimum of 2 miles, excellent customer service and communication skills, time for volunteering and completing patrol logs, access to the Internet and experience with computers.

Upcoming training: 6-9 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 18, and all day on Feb. 20.
Application deadline: Jan. 20, 2016
For more information or to apply: www.fcgov.com/naturalareas

For questions: Pam Mayhew at 970-619-4552 or pmayhew@larimer.org