Volunteers and work experience in parks

You need to apply to become a volunteer.

To register your interest, fill in the application and select your areas of interest.

Volunteer program application PDF (634.8 KB)
Volunteer program application DOCX (74.7 KB)

You should include all relevant experience and availability on your application. This helps match volunteers with placements available.

Email your form or any questions to volunteer.parks@nt.gov.au.

If you want to volunteer at any of the below parks, you will need to contact these parks directly:

• George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
• Territory Wildlife Park
• Alice Springs Desert Park.

Campground hosts are people who volunteer their time in national parks around the NT.

They carry out various roles associated with park and visitor management.

They usually enjoy the outdoors and have good health and fitness levels.

Campground hosts are mostly self-sufficient with their own tent or caravan, staying on site for 3 weeks at a time.

Responsibilities include:

• welcoming visitors
• providing general information about the area
• assisting with the cleaning and maintenance of visitor facilities.

Where you can volunteer

The campground host program operates in a number of campgrounds across the Top End and Central Australian regions of the NT including:

• Litchfield National Park
  • Wangi Falls
  • Florence Falls
  • Tjaynera Falls
• Elsey National Park (Jalmurark Campground)
• Judbarra / Gregory National Park (Big Horse Creek Campground)
• Keep River National Park (Jarnem Campground)
• Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
• Trephina Gorge Nature Park
• Finke Gorge National Park (Palm Valley Campground).

When you can volunteer

Hosts are particularly needed from May to August. This is the dry season in the Top End and the cooler months in Central Australia.

Expressions of interest submitted outside of these months will also be considered.

How to apply

Register your interest in the program by following the below steps.

Step 1. Review the campground host program position descriptions PDF (2.0 MB).

Step 2. Fill in the volunteer application:

Volunteer campground host application PDF (187.7 KB)
Volunteer campground host application DOCX (76.6 KB)

Step 3. Submit the completed form to:

Volunteer Programs Manager
Parks and Wildlife
PO Box 496
Palmerston NT 0831
volunteer.parks@nt.gov.au

For more information, call 08 8999 3821.

If your placement is confirmed, you will get online training and an on-site induction.

There are conservation-focused volunteer groups operating across the NT.

For more information and to get involved, contact the groups directly:

• Alice Springs Field Naturalists
• Bushfires NT
• Casuarina Coastal Reserve Landcare Group
• Central Australian Rough Riders mountain biking club
• Conservation Volunteers Australia
• Darwin Off-Road Cycling
• Friends of Fogg Dam
• Friends of the Darwin Botanic Gardens
• Friends of the Desert Park
• Friends of the Larapinta Trail
• Landcare NT
• Northern Territory Emergency Services
• NT Field Naturalists
• Rapid Creek Landcare Group
• Weedwalkers Top End Landcare Group
• Wildcare Alice Springs
• Wildcare Inc. NT

Work experience placements in selected parks and reserves may be available to senior secondary school students considering a career in land and resource management.

Work experience placements must be supported by a school. That school must provide evidence of public liability insurance. Some restrictions to activities apply.

Students need to provide their own transport to and from the workplace.

Students work alongside park rangers, wildlife rangers and office staff.

Group work experience placements are occasionally available in some parks or reserves. Groups are assigned a volunteer project and must provide their own supervision.

Places are limited.

Prospective work experience students are asked to provide a letter of application and resume to the Community Engagement Unit by emailing communityengagementpw@nt.gov.au.