How to volunteer with the Bureau of Land Management Arizona

Apr 19, 2024

For a version of this video with audio descriptions, visit: https://youtu.be/WUQAJAr4jnI

Through the Bureau of Land Management Arizona, there are many ways for you to volunteer on and for public lands across the state.

There is something for everyone, whether you are a student seeking volunteer internships, a local youth group looking for outdoor projects, or someone who loves the outdoors and wants to help the BLM take care of public lands.

Volunteer days

From National Public Lands Day in September to ordinary days of the week, there are pop-up opportunities across the state to get involved, including trash cleanups, staffing public rooms and visitor centers, and more.

For these kinds of opportunities, check out Volunteer.Gov. You can also check with your local BLM office to see if there are any upcoming volunteer opportunities or events.

BLM Arizona also occasionally shares volunteer opportunities on Facebook and other social media platforms, so keep an eye out for other opportunities there as well.

Friends groups

Another way to find volunteer opportunities are with community-based partner organizations, also known as Friends groups.

Friends groups consist of diverse community members with different skills and professions who provide support and services to BLM sites, facilities, and programs.

Friends groups — such as the Friends of the San Pedro River, Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument, and Friends of Ironwood Forest — are a vital link to communities and help the BLM provide meaningful benefits to public lands and the visitors who enjoy them.

Aside from hosting volunteer events, Friends groups also host a variety of other events from bird-watching walks to history talks.

To get involved with a Friends group, contact your local BLM office or visit the Conservation Lands Foundation website to find a Friends group near you.

Campground and site hosts

Do you like working outside with people at a campground or recreation site?

From the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area to the Long-Term Visitor Areas and countless other sites, Bureau of Land Management campsite host volunteers are essential in ensuring everyone can enjoy public lands safely.

Some duties include staffing a visitor center, patrolling area trails, encouraging fee compliance, monitoring recreation facilities, and performing light cleaning duties.

To find these opportunities, check out Volunteer.gov or check in with the local BLM office you would like to become a campground or site host for.

Arizona Site Stewards Program

The Arizona Site Steward program is part of the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, who selects trains and certifies site steward volunteers to monitor cultural heritage sites across the state for land managers like the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State Parks, and many others.

Volunteers are selected, trained, and certified by the State Historic Preservation Office to monitor cultural heritage sites across the State.

Through the Arizona Site Stewards Program, you can help the Bureau of Land Management protect Arizona's irreplaceable cultural resources by becoming a Steward of the past.

Site Stewards have the key role to report destruction or vandalism of prehistoric and historic archaeological and paleontological sites in Arizona. By visiting BLM-managed cultural heritage sites, Site Stewards serve as the eyes and ears on preserving these areas for future generations.

To get started with this program, contact your local BLM office or check in with the State Historic Preservation Office.