Bear Branch Nature Center needs volunteers to staff our many events, such as the Maple Festival, Adult Egg Hunt, Earth Day, and Monarch Festival. Check our events page for more information on our upcoming events. We also offer volunteer opportunities at the center, to help with animal care, field trips, and other projects.

Please note that volunteers who work with children or handle money must get a background check through Carroll County Recreation and Parks. See the link below.

We encourage people to volunteer with our partners MTBMD to clear our trails.

Find the FHBB bylaws, conflict resolution policy, and emergency plans on our About Us page.

Learn more about our volunteer opportunities, then download and complete the form below to apply:

Front Desk Assistance (Greeting Visitors, Answering Phones, Providing General Park Information)

      *Best for an outgoing person who doesn’t mind talking to people. You will be trained on the everyday functions of the Nature Center and will shadow a staff person in the center to get comfortable before starting. The Nature Center is open Wednesday - Saturday, 11 am - 5 pm and Sunday 12 - 5 pm.

Assisting with Field Trips (Leading Dipnetting Rotation, Crowd Control, Assisting with Animal Presentations)

      *Field Trip Training offered in the spring and fall for children from Kindergarten through middle school. Attend a training and then you’ll shadow an experienced volunteer for one or two trips. Field trips are scheduled Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in the morning, usually 10 am – 12 pm. You must be at least a junior in high school to assist with field trips.     

Assisting with Summer Camps (Crowd Control, First Aid, Leading Crafts/Activities)

      *Summer Camp Volunteer Camp Counselor Applications are available starting in February of the camp year. They can reach out to the Naturalist to request an application. Must be 14+ years old. Experience working with children in some capacity is preferred. In-person interviews are conducted before final selection. Training date is mandatory to go over the manual. Camp days are Tuesdays – Fridays typically from 9am – 4pm. Some camps do have an overnight camping opportunity as well.

Assisting with Birthday Parties/Public Programming (Activity Preparation, Assistance with Animal Shows or Hands-on activities such as fossil digs, Answering client questions, Trash removal and clean-up after party)

      *Anyone is welcome to apply to help with parties and programming. You will train by observing staff leading a program.

Gardening and Weeding (Adopt-A-Garden, Pop-up Work Days)

      *If you need service hours, contact the Naturalist, who will reach out when we have pop-up work days for weeding, mulching, pond clean up, etc.  To adopt a garden, visit our Gardening page for more information.    

Trail Maintenance and Invasive Species Removal (Through MTBMD)

      *Contact our partner organization, MTBMD, who help keep our trails clear for all activities.         

Assisting with Events/Festivals (Maple Sugaring, Adult Egg Hunt, Earth Day, Monarch Fest, Duck Hunt, etc.)

      *Contact the Naturalist at 410-386-3560 or bearbranch@carrollcountymd.gov for more information on volunteering for events.

Bear Branch Nature Center Volunteer Form

CCRP Volunteer registration link:

https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/media/13411/recreation-and-parks-volunteer-registration-form.pdf

Background check link:

https://carrollcountyrecreationandparks.quickapp.pro/positions