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Volunteer Opportunities

The Parks and Recreation Department needs you! Help us take care of our parks and bike trails!

The City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department welcomes all volunteers! Your assistance in keeping our nearly 300 city parks clean and safe is valuable to everyone in the City of Albuquerque. You may volunteer individually or in groups. The needs are endless, from trash pickup and weed pulling, to some more involved projects that may require training and assistance from Park Management personnel. Park Management can provide trash bags, brooms, rakes, and shovels for your project.

One ABQ Volunteer website banner

If you would like to become a volunteer you may sign up using the City of Albuquerque's volunteer website.

Please call 505-857-8657 and sign up to become a park volunteer. Thank you!

Required Background Screening: The City must take reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of everyone in our parks, including park users, volunteers, and City employees. To do that, all volunteers with the City of Albuquerque must be screened by the City to determine their suitability to participate in City programs. Volunteers who are convicted sex offenders are not eligible to be volunteers for the city. Volunteers with other convictions or pending charges will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will be considered for a volunteer position if they do not pose a threat to the public or vulnerable populations.

Volunteering in City Parks

Volunteering in City of Albuquerque parks and bike trails are a great way to help our community shine!

Simple park projects available year round:

  • Trash pickup
  • Weed removal
  • Raking sand boxes
  • Sweeping walkways/sidewalks
  • Cleaning/weeding of flower beds
  • Cleaning/wiping of playground equipment

Mutt Mitt Volunteers

Volunteers Needed to Maintain Mutt-Mitt Stations

No-one wants to see pet waste where they walk or play. Did you know that in addition to being a nuisance, pet waste is also a significant pollutant found in storm water runoff? Pet waste left on sidewalks, streets, and lawns washes into storm drains and then to the nearest water body without treatment. Pet waste pollutes surface water by contributing harmful bacteria and nutrients impacting water. The solution is easy, pick up pet waste and dispose of it properly!

Help be a part of the solution, volunteer for the Park Management Mutt Mitt Program. It only takes a few minutes of your time to volunteer to refill mutt mitt stations in your neighborhood park. This program has been very successful in keeping our City beautiful and encourages dog owners to clean up after their pets and allows them a convenient and sanitary way of properly disposing of their dog waste. It’s easy, just fill out the online application and Park Management will supply you with bags and a key and you too can be a mutt mitt volunteer. If you are interested, contact Park Management Division 505-857-8657 for more information.

Group photo of Terrapin Hospitality volunteers outdoors next to a curb with a stack of organized trash bags.Group photo of Daniel Webster Cleanup volunteers outdoors next to a park. The volunteers are wearing sky blue colored polo shirts and are holding up a banner that reads: 2021 Clean World Movement in the United States. Daniel Webster Park Cleanup in bold.

Adopt a Park or Bike Trail

Community organizations, businesses, and private citizens may adopt a park or trail. Adoption requires maintenance and beautification work such as picking up litter, weeding, or special projects as agreed upon by Park Management Division and you.

The program is flexible enough to allow organizations, business or individuals to choose a comfortable level of volunteer support.

Park Management recognizes each adoption by placing a sign on the site indicating the name of the volunteer partner. Park Management asks that you adopt the area for at least two years, so that the commitment and recognition will be meaningful.

We offer plenty of rewarding volunteer opportunities for individuals, small groups, and large groups. We have all the tools; we just need your time and energy.

Let us match you with a project you will enjoy.

This program provides volunteers with excellent opportunities to gain valuable work experience, make a connection with the community, and meet new people.

Please call the Parks and Recreation Volunteer Coordinator, at 505-857-8657 for more information and specifics on listed projects.