People like you make a big difference to the Blue Hills by volunteering.  You can choose when and how often you volunteer.  You’ll find lots of opportunities below.

And if you don’t see something that suits your fancy, just give us a call and we’d be happy to talk to you about your interests and availability!   Let us know how you’d like to get involved! Call 781-828-1805 or email: info@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org.

Help Our Trails and Our Forests

• Individual Trail Events: You don’t need any experience to start maintaining the trails.  You’ll be trained and be given tools too!  Just bring your hands, gloves (if you have them), some water and a smile. To get notices of the next trail event, send a blank email to fbhtrails-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.  You’ll also find more information and trail dates on the trail maintenance page.
• Community Events to Protect our Forests: Each year we have a family-friendly event to engage all ages in removing invasive species that threaten the forests.  Please let us know if you’d like to help out!
• Youth and community group activities: Contact us if your youth group is looking for outdoor community service activities.  Each year, we lead groups of all ages in activities that help make the forest healthier.  We also have some trail maintenance activities for old youth.  We also have activities appropriate for Eagle Scout projects; for example, Eagle Scout Max Montalto worked to build water barrels and remove invasive species in Ponkapoag Pond.  Here’s a copy of Max’s Eagle Scout final report.
• Adopt-A-Trail: Want to maintain the trails on your own time?  Contact us and choose a trail (or section of trail), or ask for a suggestion. We’ll provide training – and furnish you with a tip sheet and report form. Adoption commitments are for a minimum of two years. Just let us know by e-mail each time you work on the trail, if you need help, and the state of the trail before and afterwards.

Outreach and Events

• Event Planning: Help plan community festivals in the park and other programs designed to encourage people to enjoy the Reservation and garner public support for the park. Volunteers are part of a well-run committee, dedicated to accomplishing the maximum effect with the fewest number of meetings.
• Outreach in the Community:  Help reach the people who care most about the park by spending a few hours tabling at an event in your community.

 Advocacy

• Campaign-related Activities: Every potential threat to the park – whether it’s lack of funding for key park resources or potentially damaging proposals from developers – requires FBH to adopt a different approach. Learn about one of these issues and some of the methods used in a campaign. Activities could include organizing a letter-writing campaign, sending letters to the editor, or working with other groups to promote the issue.

General Volunteer Opportunities

• Newsletter: Publish with us! Submit your photos and write articles!
• Administration: Help get mailings out. We have over 1000 members and you can help us reach them all!
• Phone calls: Like to talk to people?  We’d love your help making calls to thank people or invite them to events!