Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources launches new statewide volunteer system

Philipsburg, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently launched a new, streamlined Conservation Volunteer system designed to connect more Pennsylvanians with service opportunities across the commonwealth’s 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forestland.

On March 30, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County alongside local and state leaders to highlight the impact of volunteers on public lands and discuss the new online system, which modernizes how DCNR engages volunteers by simplifying sign-ups, standardizing processes, and automatically tracking hours and milestones.

Volunteers can earn rewards as they reach service benchmarks, including free camping and cabin stays in state parks and forests, and the system makes it easier for individuals and groups to sign up – building on the more than 56,000 volunteer hours contributed to state parks across 3,300 projects in 2025 alone.

“Pennsylvania’s parks and forests are some of our greatest assets — and they rely on dedicated volunteers to keep them thriving,” said DCNR Secretary Dunn.

“This new system makes it easier than ever for people to get involved, give back, and connect with the outdoors while helping us care for these spaces for future generations.

“We are grateful to the individuals and groups who spend time each year picking up trash, maintaining trails, and supporting events outdoors. Thank you for your service to our beautiful natural spaces.”

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Volunteers play a critical role in maintaining and improving public lands – from repairing and maintaining trails to supporting campgrounds, enhancing visitor experiences, and promoting healthy forests.

DCNR unveiled the new system during a month-long recognition of volunteer contributions across the commonwealth, including the work of Friends groups supported by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.

“We are grateful to the individual volunteers and our Friends groups for their consistent, dedicate service to supporting public lands,” said PPFF President Marci Mowery.

“These amazing people donate their time and talent, working alongside state park and forest staff, to help make Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests some of the best natural spaces in the country, and we thank them for their service.”

“Our volunteers are the backbone of Keystone Trails Association,” said Holly Smith, executive director of the Keystone Trails Association. “In 2025 alone, 196 dedicated individuals showed up across 27 Trail Care events, contributing 3,793 hours of service valued at $122,438. Their dedication is what makes KTA’s work possible.”

DCNR encourages Pennsylvanians of all ages and backgrounds to get involved. Volunteer opportunities include trail maintenance, campground support, facility improvements, environmental education, and conservation projects, including:

Maintaining and improving all trails to ensure safety, accessibility, and sustainability;

Caring for recreational facilities, such as pavilions, playgrounds, gardens, and picnic tables.

Assisting with campground upkeep, including campsite maintenance, trash cleanup, and serving as a campground host.

Promoting healthy forests through tree planting, community education, and sustainable land management.

The new system allows DCNR to automatically track logged volunteer hours and subsequent rewards as milestones are reached.

Those rewards include a social media badge for anyone who volunteers and additional perks for reaching benchmarks, including:

100 hours: one-night free state forest camping

250 hours: two-night free state park camping

500 hours: five-night free state park camping

1,000 hours: two-night/three-day free state park cabin stay

More information and frequently asked questions about the Conservation Volunteer system is available on the Conservation Volunteer website.

The DCNR’s YouTube page also has a video showing how to become a conservation volunteer. Watch that here: