Volunteer Activities
• Botany
• Conservation Education
• Other
• Soil/Watershed
• Timber/Fire Prevention
• Tour Guide/Interpretation
• Visitor Information
• Natural Resources Planning
• Fish/Wildlife
• Science
• General Assistance
• Weed/Invasive Species Control

Photo Courtesy of NPS

Aztec Ruins National Monument is the keeper of a remarkable community of ancestral Pueblo ruins, and a range of ecosystems, habitats and species as well! 

The Natural Resource park ranger would appreciate educated and/or interested volunteers to care for the Heritage Garden during the summer. This garden is planted in a separate plots by groups of volunteers in April-July (one plot every 2-3 weeks) and is cared for by a dedicated Heritage Garden volunteer. 

The Heritage Garden volunteer is a 32 hr/week position which qualifies for the use of a park RV space.  Volunteer hat/shirts/jacket will be provided. Major position duties will include watering the garden, weed identification (letting wild edibles grow) and weeding, assistance with harvesting the produce, and clearing the garden space for preparation for next year's garden. This volunteer leads Heritage Garden tours and/or demonstrations twice weekly during the growing season, and interpretive program training will be provided. This volunteer will also work with the volunteer coordinator and other teams to host twice weekly "voluntourism" opportunities for park visitors to help water/weed/learn about ancestral Pueblo garden plants. During the heat of the day, other projects or Visitor Center assistance time are a part of this position's duties.  

Additional opportunities for a variety of park science projects will exist to enliven the experience at Aztec Ruins! Although the main purpose for this position is the Heritage Garde, fun opportunities also exist for riparian management, park bioblitzes, invasive species, game monitoring, birdwatching/documentation, and more.

Also, all park volunteers assist with special events at Aztec Ruins, including solstice events, summer lecture series, American Indian Cultural Arts Festival, full moon tours, etc., so there will be lots of opportunities for a range of activities. 

*Note: this position also works well as a split position - example: "Half Heritage Garden, Half Volunteer Visitor Guide". If you're interested in a split, feel free to let us know in your application.

HOUSING & AMENITIES
Type: Trailer/RV Pads
Description: An RV space is available for this 32 hrs/week position. Water/sewer/trash/electric are supplied. WiFi is not provided, but cell service is good. Laundromats are available in the town of Aztec, as is a public library, grocery store, Urgent Care, etc. A reasonable number of pets are welcome as long as they stay on a leash whenever they are outside of your RV. Please note that the two RV spaces are very close together, because they are adjacent to unexcavated ruins areas.