Volunteer Training Programs
The volunteer programs listed below are for volunteers who want to become more invested and gain a higher level of experience from their volunteer involvement. If you have any questions or concerns about volunteering with these programs, contact Melissa Marcum at 
mmarcum@thprd.org or 503/629-6305 ext. 2720.
Environmental Education Assistant Program
Our Environmental Eduation Volunteer Assistants (EEVAs) are specially trained adult volunteers who provide essential support for our education programs.
All program participants must attend a one-day training that will cover applicable Park District policies and procedures, as well as basic educational techniques for all ages. Volunteers who successfully complete the training will be expected to provide a minimum of 50 hours of service over the course of a year. If you would like to get more involved in our education programs, this program is for you!
If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
Park Watch
This program is great for regular park walkers. After volunteers go through a brief training, they become the eyes and ears or our parks by reporting problems directly to our Park Patrol, as well as providing information to park visitors. Volunteers can be identified with their bright orange vests and volunteer id badges.
We have Park Watch groups in the following parks:
- Commonwealth Lake Park
- Cooper Mountain Nature Park
- Greenway Park
- Howard M. Terpenning Complex
- Hyland Forest Park/Meadow Way Park
- Jenkins Estate
- Tualatin Hills Nature Park
If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
Restoration Site Monitoring
If you have basic knowledge of plants, native or non-native, this program might be for you. Our monitoring volunteers assist the Natural Resources Department by performing vegetative surveys and replicating photo points at restoration sites. Volunteers must attend a brief training to go over program protocols. Folks who participate in this program must be willing to monitor a minimum of three sites once a year for at least two years. Monitoring is generally done in mid-spring. If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
Snapping Turtle Surveys
Volunteers involved in our snapping turtle survey program are trained to identify adult snapping turtles while surveying the shoreline of Koll Center Wetlands, located along Fanno Creek in southern Beaverton. As snapping turtles are an invasive species and predators of native turtles and waterfowl, our goal is to capture and remove individuals as they move to land and begin nesting. Volunteers help us by performing surveys and notifying staff when turtles are located. The program runs from May 15 to June 30 each year. If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
Bird Surveys
Our Bird Survey Program is for individuals interested in performing bird surveys. Participants are required to enter their survey data into eBird, which is a website used by local birders to share information. If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
Stewardship Leader Program
This program is designed to coach local citizens on how to lead others in the effort to protect our natural areas. The program offers a brief training, after which volunteers shadow District staff at a volunteer project. Stewardship leaders are asked to commit to leading/co-leading a minimum of two restoration projects each year for THPRD. If you are interested in getting involved in this program, submit a volunteer application, which can be found on the right side of this page.
