Volunteer

View all Green Team events here.

Green Team volunteers help support essential horticultural care throughout the Park. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors, get your hands dirty, and make a visible difference alongside other park-lovers. 

• What you’ll do: Volunteers assist with seasonal gardening tasks such as weeding, mulching, and leaf removal, helping keep the Park healthy and beautiful. 

• What you’ll need: No gardening experience required! Staff provide all the needed guidance, supervision, tools, and supplies.  

• Age requirements: Green Team events are open to all ages. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. 

• Time commitment: Green Team events take place twice a month on Saturday mornings (10am–12pm) April through October. You’re welcome to sign up for as many, or as few, sessions as you like.   

• Accessibility: Green Team activities take place outdoors and may involve uneven terrain, standing, bending, and light to moderate physical activity. Tasks can often be adapted, so please reach out if you’d like to discuss specific accommodations. 

View all Coastal Cleanup events here.

Coastal Cleanup volunteers play a critical role in keeping the Park clean while contributing to tacking plastic pollution worldwide. This is a hands-on opportunity to make a tangible difference in the Park alongside fellow environmental stewards. 

• What you’ll do: As a group, volunteers remove trash washed up on the Park’s salt marshes and beaches. Volunteers also record what’s collected, and this data is shared with The Ocean Conservancy to support global efforts to tackle plastic pollution.  

• What you’ll need: No prior volunteer experience is required. Our staff provide all required instructions, supervision, tools, and supplies.  

• Age requirements: While all ages are welcome at Coastal Cleanups, this activity is best suited for ages 10+. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.

• Time commitment: Coastal Cleanups take place periodically from April through October. Each event lasts approximately two hours, and you’re welcome to sign up for as many, or as few, Cleanups as you like. 

• Accessibility: Events take place outdoors and may involve uneven surfaces, rock scrambling, bending, and light lifting. While accommodations may be limited by site conditions, please reach out in advance if you’d like to discuss specific accessibility needs or possible accommodations.

Event Volunteers help make public programs, like festivals, dance parties and movie nights, happen! This is a great opportunity to be at the heart of our events and contribute to creating memorable experiences for park visitors. 

• What you’ll do: Volunteers support a variety of tasks, including welcoming visitors and answering questions, collecting visitor feedback, facilitating interactive activities, and assisting with event set-up and pack-down. 

• What you’ll need: No prior volunteer experience is required! Volunteers should be motivated to interact with visitors and work as part of a team to help deliver exceptional events. 

• Age requirements: Event volunteer opportunities are typically open to volunteers aged 18+.  

• Time commitment: Events take place on various dates between May and October. Volunteers can choose which events they would like to participate in. 

• Accessibility: Event volunteer roles take place outdoors and may involve standing or sitting for periods of time. Accessibility accommodations can often be provided, so please reach out if you have any specific requirements.   

• How to get involved: This role requires completion of a Volunteer Orientation. 

Education Volunteers engage visitors in learning about the Park’s fascinating history, design, and ecology. This is a great opportunity to connect people, especially children and families, to the natural world. 

• What you’ll do: Volunteers welcome and engage visitors in the exhibits and interactive activities in the Environmental Education Center during public Open Hours. 

• What you’ll need: Volunteers should have an interest in environmental education and enthusiasm for working with children. No teaching or environmental experience is required- staff provide all required training, guidance, and support.  

• Age requirements: This role is open to volunteers aged 18+.

• Time commitment: Volunteers commit to two 2.5-hour shifts per month. 

• Accessibility: This role involves periods of standing or sitting, as well as lifting up to 15 lbs. If you have questions about potential accessibility accommodations, please reach out.  

• Location: This role takes place indoors at the Environmental Education Center.  

• How to get involved: This position requires an application, completion of a Volunteer Orientation, and additional role-specific training. 

Education Volunteers are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities.  

Volunteers provide ongoing, essential horticultural care for a specific section of the Park. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact on the Park’s landscapes and habitats, learn directly from a professional gardener, and experience the seasonal changes of a dedicated area of the Park. 

• What you’ll do: Working alongside a gardener, Zone Volunteers provide weekly support with tasks such as weeding, mulching, and planting within an assigned section of the Park. 

• What you’ll need: Volunteers should have an interest in native plants, landscape design, or ecology. Prior experience is helpful but not required. Staff provide all necessary guidance, training, and tools. 

• Age requirements: This role is open to volunteers aged 18+. 

• Time commitment: Zone Volunteers commit to a two-hour shift once per week on a weekday, between 8am and 2:30pm, from April through October. 

• Accessibility: This role takes place outdoors in all weather conditions and may involve uneven terrain and moderate physical activity, including bending and lifting up to 40 lbs. 

• Location: This role takes place outdoors in all weather conditions.  

• How to get involved: This position requires an application, completion of a Volunteer Orientation, and additional role-specific training. 

Zone Volunteers are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities.

Docents share the Park’s unique history, design, and ecology with visitors. This is a great opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the Park, connect with visitors from around the world, and highlight everything the Park has to offer. 

• What you’ll do: Docents lead free, public tours, guiding groups through the Park and bringing its history and landscapes to life. 

• What you’ll need: This role is ideal for volunteers who enjoy learning and engaging with others. Volunteers should be comfortable speaking to groups; previous tour or public-speaking experience is helpful but not required. 

• Age requirements: This role is open to volunteers aged 18+. 

• Time commitment: Docents commit to leading one 90-minute tour per month from May through October. Tours take place on weekday evenings and weekends.  

• Accessibility: Tours take place outdoors along step-free paths throughout the Park. If you have questions about accessibility or would like to discuss possible accommodations for this role, please reach out. 

• Location: Tours take place outdoors between Fulton Ferry Landing and Pier 3 Uplands.  

• How to get involved: This position requires an application, completion of a Volunteer Orientation, and participation in a Docent Training Program. 

Docents are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities. 

Volunteer Photographers capture images that showcase the joy, wonder, and energy of our public programs. This is a great way to use your photography skills to support the Park to share all that we do with the community.  

• What you’ll do: Volunteers photograph a variety of events, including fitness classes, festivals, education programs, and more. 

• What you’ll need: Volunteers should have experience in photography (professional experience is not required) and have their own DSLR camera to use during shifts.  

• Age requirements: This role is suitable for volunteers aged 18+.  

• Time commitment: Photographers commit to volunteering at least four events between April and October. Events occur on various days and times throughout the season, and volunteers can choose which events they would like to attend. 

• Location: Events take place at various locations within the Park, mostly outdoors.  

• How to get involved: This position requires an application and completion of a Volunteer Orientation. 

Volunteer Photographers are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities. 

Fishing Volunteers help park visitors have a go at fishing at public catch-and-release Fishing Clinics. This is a great opportunity to introduce people of all ages to the underwater world of the East River while contributing to community science. 

• What you’ll do: Volunteers assist with preparing bait, tying knots, answering visitor questions, and supporting event set-up and pack-down. 

• What you’ll need: Volunteers should have experience with fishing or angling and/or knowledge of local fish, along with an interest in environmental education or community science. 

• Age requirement: This role is suitable for volunteers aged 18+. 

• Time commitment: Volunteers commit to supporting at least three fishing clinics per season and attending role-specific training. 

• Location: This activity takes place outdoors at the Pier 5 Fishing Station in all weather conditions. 

• Accessibility: This role involves periods of standing. If you have questions about accessibility or would like to discuss possible accommodations, please reach out. 

• How to get involved: This position requires an application, completion of a Volunteer Orientation, and additional role-specific training.  

Fishing Volunteers are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities. 

Seining Volunteers help park visitors discover the incredible biodiversity of the East River during public seining clinics. This is a hands-on opportunity to support environmental learning while contributing to community science. 

• What you’ll do: Volunteers assist with seining (dragging a 20-foot net along the riverbed to catch fish and invertebrates). They also help identify and safely release species, answer visitor questions, and support event set-up and pack-down. 

• What you’ll need: Volunteers should have an interest in marine ecology and/or environmental education. No prior seining experience is required- staff provide all necessary information, guidance, and training. 

• Age requirements: This role is suitable for volunteers aged 18+. 

• Time commitment: Volunteers commit to supporting at least three seining clinics per season and attending role-specific training. 

• Location: Seining takes place outdoors at Pier 4 Beach in all weather conditions.  

• Accessibility: This role involves wearing chest waders, walking on sandy and rocky terrain, and lifting up to 50 lbs. If you have questions about accessibility or would like to discuss accommodations, please reach out. 

• How to get involved: This position requires an application, completion of a Volunteer Orientation, and additional role-specific training. 

Seining Volunteers are recruited based on current needs. If you’re interested in joining this team, make sure you have a volunteer profile so that you can be informed about any upcoming opportunities. 

To learn more about TIDES (Teens Interested in & Dedicated to Environmental Stewardship) click here.

Support the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse during the kayaking season, by volunteering directly with them! Opportunities include check-in volunteers, dock volunteers, safety boaters, and program leaders. Learn more here.