Opportunities From: York County Parks Volunteer Portal

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Come out to assist our docents with our ice cream and live music event.

Come join us in our celebration of the mill and Harvest Day.

Come out to assist our docents who will be teaching about life in the stream.

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Creature Corners are one-day information booths about a specific theme. Park visitors and campers drop-in anytime to visit the featured creature display. The display will include touchable objects, intriguing trivia, and a creature enthusiast to tell you all about it! (That's you!)

Creature Corner is open to the public from 10am to 3pm. MOST creature corners take place inside the nature center museum. 

The first volunteer shift is 9:45am to 12:45pm.

The second volunteer shift is 12:30pm - 3:15pm. 

Volunteers should bring with them: water bottle, any snacks you may need, something to do if there is down time between visitors (book, sketch book, tablet, etc). Dress appropriately for representing the parks to the public (Ex. Casual but nothing with inappropriate images or text such as political slogans, band names, alcohol advertisements. Animal or nature themed clothing is fine. Avoid tank tops.)

Volunteers will receive: a tour of the display, a nametag, an answer key to any worksheets/activities, a chair to use. 

If you have any questions prior to your shift, please contact Kelsey Frey, Manager of Education, at 717-428-1961 x3 or NixonCountyPark@YorkCountyPA.gov. 

Come out to assist our docents with our very popular Geology Day.

Come out to assist our docents for our final event of the season.

Our entrance raised beds at Rudy Park administrative office (stone house) need some love and care! While this garden is packed full of lovely native (and a few ornamental) perennials, there are also a lot of unwelcome plants showing up. If you want to help keep this pretty spot looking nice, please register for this opportunity. 

Supplies You Might Need:

Weeding Targets:

Weeding Logistics:

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

Can't adopt a trail, but still want to help maintain park trails? This opportunity is to register and view instructions for one-time trail clean-ups. 

While hiking a trail, help to keep it free from debris and litter, prune back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

SERVICE HOURS

If you require service hour paperwork for your school, please take photos completing your hours, and log your hours on the portal. Submit photos with an email request for signature to park staff at parks@yorkcountypa.gov.

If your scout group or other civic group needs a one-time mini conservation project, please contact the nature center manager to discuss options and coordinate with your group. (717-428-1961 x3) Use this opportunity to register and record your volunteer hours. Each participant must provide a completed waiver to the York County Parks before your project date. 

Some possible activities may include:

- Cleaning interpretive signs in the park (use a kitchen sponge and water)

- Hammering in tree cage and tube stakes to make wobbly stakes more stable. 

- Cleaning and fixing loose screws on the ABC Trail signs. 

- Cleaning gently the Story Trail signs. (soft cloth and water)

- Picking up litter in the nature center's 4 parking lots. 

- Pulling out old staples on two park kiosks (Hollowcreek Greenway and Wetland Parking Lots - need a flathead screw driver and trash bag)

- Participate in Citizen Science by bird-watching or identifying plants or animals and submitting your sightings to iNaturalist or ebird. 

- Check the nature play area/exploration forest for safety concerns and report back to park staff. 

- Check the nature play area/exploration forest for litter and lost and found. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. This opportunity is for caring for the trees and shrubs beside the deer fence. Some trees/shrubs are caged. Some are tubed. And some are labeled with flags or stakes. You can adopt one or several trees, or check on all the trees in this area.

- Check if the sapling is still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. In this area, use extreme caution inside the deer fence. We planted a lot of perennials, grasses, and wildflower seeds that are not marked. Use caution when stepping into the fence! 

- Check if the sapling in still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours and/or completing with a team, club or family. It's flexible to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive.

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy.

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes.

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space. Contact park staff when you need new supplies such as stakes or cages and we will put them out for you. 

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage or are growing too much through the cage. You may need wire-cutters to break the branches free without harming them. 

- Cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling. Pull up vines from the roots whenever possible. You can use a grocery or trash bag if you have a lot of weeds and vines, and put the bag into the dumpster. 

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition. Use caution not to remove beneficial native wildflowers or sedges. Use Seek, iNaturalist, or send a photo to park staff for help identifying plants. 

Training and orientation can be provided for new volunteers. Please contact park staff to set-up a walk-through/training of your trees as needed. 

Looking for ways to have your clients involved in volunteering with the parks?

Our Nature Center welcomes Adult Day Programs and organizations that support individuals with disabilities. Your clients can enjoy a day immersed in nature while participating in engaging volunteer activities.

Opportunities include:

Birdwatching – Experience the joy of observing local wildlife.

Helping Hands – Assist with light cleaning and beautification of the Nature Center.

Museum Exploration– Explore the nature center and interact with all of our exhibits. 

We strive to create an inclusive, accessible, and enriching experience for all. Come make a difference while connecting with nature!

When you register for this opportunity a park naturalist will reach out to you to discuss you and your client's needs, and to discuss what experience fits with your group. 

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Click Here for Trail Map

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Adopt a trail or portion of a trail and be responsible for keeping it free from debris, pruning back plants that encroach on the trail, and reporting down trees or other obstructions that make the trail unsafe or unpassable. 

Preference for trail adoptions goes to the person who was assigned the previous year, but trails become available each year as monitors retire from their trail roles. 

Click Here for Trail Map

Trail Monitor Guide - Habitat Action Team

Thank you for your interest in being a Trail Monitor at York County Parks. Below is a guide to help you understand the ways you can help improve our trails and support the efforts of the Habitat Action Team.

1) Suggested Tools: bag for trash; pruning shears; folding saw; garden hoe (for fixing uneven trail spots and cleaning out swales); garden gloves (many plants have thorns); trash pick-up tongs (if high litter area); scissors (for cutting fishing line)

2) Walk the trail every other week if possible and try to walk the trail after major storms. Most damage occurs after storms.

3) Clean up any hiker debris that you might find along the trails.

4) Use pruning shears to trim back briars and other plant life that grow out across the trail. A folding saw can be used for larger jobs. (Make sure all cut branches get moved off the trail.) Do not cut branches higher than an adult's head walking on the trail.  

5) Remove branches that have fallen and block the trail.

6) Clean out any water diverting swales that become clogged. A trails' biggest threat is water. We try to keep water from traveling long distances on the trail. As water picks up speed, the trail has a greater tendency to erode. A garden hoe is a great tool for cleaning out swales.

7) If applicable, check drainage pipes underneath the trail and clean out any that become clogged.

8) Contact the parks to inform:

Walk through the nature play space next to the traditional playground at the Hidden Laurel Parking Lot Pavilion cluster. Check for broken structures that need reported to park staff. Check for poison ivy or thorny plants that need to be removed (report to park staff). Pick-up litter. Collect lost and found items. Look for any hazards and report to park staff. Please check weekly whenever possible. 

Walk through the Exploration Forest at Nixon Park (off the nature center park lot). Check for broken structures that need reported to park staff. Check for poison ivy or thorny plants that need to be removed (report to park staff). Pick-up litter. Collect lost and found items. Look for any hazards and report to park staff. Please check weekly whenever possible. 

Many of our 11 parks have interpretive panels teaching visitors about the natural world. These signs get dirty, dusty, and can even grow lichen over time! About twice a year they need to be gently scrubbed and wiped clean with a scrub sponge and water. 

Supplies Needed: 

- scrub sponge, such as a scotch-brite

- container of water for wetting the sponge and rinsing signs

Click here for a Heritage Rail Trail Park Map. 

Instructions:

Visit the signs 1-3 times per year and give them a nice scrub and rinse. Record your volunteer hours here on the Volunteer Portal. Report any signs damaged or vandalized beyond easy cleaning to the parks office at 717-840-7440. 

Many of our 11 parks have interpretive panels teaching visitors about the natural world. These signs get dirty, dusty, and can even grow lichen over time! About twice a year they need to be gently scrubbed and wiped clean with a scrub sponge and water. 

Supplies Needed: 

- scrub sponge, such as a scotch-brite

- container of water for wetting the sponge and rinsing signs

Click here for a Heritage Rail Trail Park Map. 

Instructions:

Visit the signs 1-3 times per year and give them a nice scrub and rinse. Record your volunteer hours here on the Volunteer Portal. Report any signs damaged or vandalized beyond easy cleaning to the parks office at 717-840-7440. 

Many of our 11 parks have interpretive panels teaching visitors about the natural world. These signs get dirty, dusty, and can even grow lichen over time! About twice a year they need to be gently scrubbed and wiped clean with a scrub sponge and water. 

Supplies Needed: 

- scrub sponge, such as a scotch-brite

- container of water for wetting the sponge and rinsing signs

Click here for a Heritage Rail Trail Park Map. 

Instructions:

Visit the signs 1-3 times per year and give them a nice scrub and rinse. Record your volunteer hours here on the Volunteer Portal. Report any signs damaged or vandalized beyond easy cleaning to the parks office at 717-840-7440. 

Many of our 11 parks have interpretive panels teaching visitors about the natural world. These signs get dirty, dusty, and can even grow lichen over time! About twice a year they need to be gently scrubbed and wiped clean with a scrub sponge and water. 

Supplies Needed: 

- scrub sponge, such as a scotch-brite

- container of water for wetting the sponge and rinsing signs

Click here for a Heritage Rail Trail Park Map. 

Instructions:

Visit the signs 1-3 times per year and give them a nice scrub and rinse. Record your volunteer hours here on the Volunteer Portal. Report any signs damaged or vandalized beyond easy cleaning to the parks office at 717-840-7440. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Restoration plantings often have tree tubes or cages around young saplings to prevent damage from white-tailed deer, groundhogs, and rabbits as much as possible to give young plants a good start without being pruned by wildlife. These young trees need to be checked on several times per year. This opportunity is great for earning service hours; completing with a team, club or family; and it's flexile to work at your own pace on your own schedule. 

- Check if the sapling in still alive

- Check if the tube or cage is still standing and sturdy

- Hammer in or replace wobbly or rotten stakes

- Replace tubes with cages when saplings are ready for more space

- Remove cages when trunks are thick enough to survive wildlife damage

- cut vines off of the cage, tube, or sapling

- Pull out weeds growing inside the tube or cage with the sapling to reduce competition

Training and orientation will be provided for new volunteers. 

Adopt a section of native plant garden at the nature center. Work with park staff to come up with a plan, learn about native plants, and help keep the garden in check! This opportunity is flexible and on your own schedule, however, tools are only available to borrow during nature center open hours. 

Roles May Include:

Weeding

Mulching

Pruning

Cutting back excess growth from paths

Editing plantings as needed

Keeping staff informed of any needs

This is a great opportunity for someone looking to get service hours on their own time, at their own pace, and with their own supplies. This is a self-guided litter pick-up opportunity that requires bending down and careful attention to detail. 

Our pavilions are often used by picnickers, birthday parties, and other family events, but at the end of the event, exhausted guests often rush home leaving the pavilion looking worse than they found it. You can help by carefully inspecting pavilions for small litter on the ground. Remove tape on the sides and bottoms of picnic tables. Remove tape, balloon strings, staples, and push pins on the columns of the pavilion. Wipe down picnic tables and benches with soapy water. Check grills for pieces of aluminum foil and other waste. Report major problems or hazards to park staff at 717-840-7440. 

Supplies recommended:

Litter pick-up tongs (available at Harbor Freight)

Gloves such as garden gloves, work gloves, or latex gloves

A small bucket or large cup, a washcloth or paper towels, and some dish soap. (You can get water from the restroom sink or the water fountain during warm seasons). 

Grocery bags or a small trash bags. (trash can be left at the dumpster before you leave)

Pavilion Locations: 

William H. Kain County Park, Lake Redman Activity Area

John C. Rudy County Park, Pines Pavilions Area and Songbird Pavilion Area

Rocky Ridge County Park, All Three Parking Areas have Pavilions

NestWatch is a monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. Cornell's database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.

Participating in NestWatch is easy and just about anyone can do it, although children should always be accompanied by an adult when observing bird nests. Monitoring involves visiting the nest every 3-4 days and recording what you see, and then report this information on Cornell's website. You can also download the NestWatch Mobile App for iOS and Android and record what you see at the nest in real time.

Your observations will be added to those of thousands of other NestWatchers in a continually growing database used by researchers to understand and study birds. Simply put, without your help it would be impossible to gather enough information to accurately monitor nesting birds around the world. And while you are contributing extremely valuable information to science, you will learn firsthand about birds and create a lifelong bond with the natural world.

When you register for this opportunity, a park naturalist will reach out to introduce you to the program and assign you a nest box location. If you have any questions please contact Nixon Park at 717-421-1967 or NixonCountyPark@yorkcountypa.gov