Mayor's Office

Did you know Madison has more than 280 parks, covering nearly 6,000 acres? That’s a lot of ground to cover for the City of Madison Parks Division staff. As with most successful parks systems, volunteers play a critical role by assisting staff in activities and projects in every season. This spring, as it has been for more than 20 years, Madison Parks is recruiting volunteers for the Earth Day Challenge. About 900 volunteers are needed to spend just a couple hours picking up trash and debris, and helping to get the parks ready for the busy summer season. Supplies such as gloves and trash bags are provided.

In previous years, I’ve participated at Elver Park and Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North. I encourage you to join your neighbors and friends for this year’s Earth Day Challenge on Saturday, April 22! Recruiting for more than 60 parks is open until the day before the event. Register to participate online or by calling (608) 266-4711.

Volunteer opportunities, such as the Earth Day Challenge, focus on trash and debris pickup, while others target invasive plants, flower gardens and more. For the first time, Madison Parks is hiring a dedicated full-time volunteer coordinator. This trailblazing position will utilize existing activities and volunteers as a foundation to further develop the program and will work with staff across the division with a focus to expand training and community partnerships. Are you or someone you know interested in applying? See the Volunteer Coordinator position description for more information.