Volunteer
**Please Note**
Volunteer intake for scheduled roles is currently paused and will resume in Fall 2026.
Drop-in Restoration Meet-ups are still open - see below to sign up.
How to get involved:
For Scheduled Volunteer Roles
(Visitor Services, Garden Stewards, Cookie Bakers, Plant Sale Volunteers and more):
Volunteer intake is currently paused and will resume in Fall 2026.
Please check back in late September to apply.
Sign-up Option for Drop-in Restoration Meet-ups:
For Drop-in Restoration Meet-ups (Tuesdays & Saturdays): Complete our Restoration Sign-Up Form [URL embedded] to join an upcoming session.
Youth volunteers (under 18)
Please note youth volunteers for Restoration Meet-ups should use the Restoration Sign-Up Form above - the general Volunteer Programs Application is currently paused and will restart in Fall 2026.
Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion:
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
We centre human dignity and growing our connections to each other and to our environment.
We believe that each of us is responsible for addressing discrimination and that we co-create peace and good relationships.
Volunteer Opportunities
Board Members
The Society’s Board of Directors follows leading governance practices and supports our Executive Director and Staff team to meet our mission to: Conserve and restore Nature Sanctuary lands and waters while inspiring stewardship through community engagement and collaboration.
Photo by Karissa Chandrakate
Nature Ambassadors
Swan Lake Nature Ambassadors (SNAP) provide important visitor experience and monitoring support, including: walking Swan Lake and Christmas Hill trails and welcoming visitors while offering educational information. They also monitor and report any safety concerns to staff, track the number of visitors and various types of visitor interactions, and share ideas to improve the visitor and volunteer experience.
Ecosystem Restoration Opportunities
Join our fun and friendly environmental restoration programs to remove invasive plant species and act as land stewards at the Nature Sanctuary.
Volunteers can join this program by filling in our Restoration Sign-Up Form [URL embedded].
Tuesday and Saturday Restoration Meet-up volunteers work as a team to remove invasive species, improve trail quality, and protect the ecosystems at Swan Lake and Christmas Hill. Tea, coffee and cookies provided. Weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays 9-11.
Adopt A Patch
In this program, volunteer groups rehabilitate a designated plot of land at the Nature Sanctuary that they steward over time. This program is ideal for families, schools, organizations, or other community service groups as a team building, learning and restoration activity. Visit our Adopt A Patch page on our website [URL embedded] or contact us at info@swanlake.bc.ca to learn more.
Custom Group Restoration Projects
Make tangible impact on the environment while fostering team spirit and social responsibility. Custom group restoration projects offer community and business organizations a unique chance to engage in meaningful single day restoration projects.
This individualized program is a pay for fee service. Please contact info@swanlake.bc.ca for more information.
Native Plant Garden Stewards
This program is now fully subscribed.
Native Plant Stewards help tend and care for the native plant demonstration garden and seed orchards at the Nature Sanctuary.
The gardens showcase the diversity, beauty, and cultural significance of native plants, while the seed orchard areas produce locally adapted seed stock for restoration and community propagation.
Photo by Cara Gibson
Nature House Visitor Services
Visitor Services Volunteers help create a welcoming atmosphere for all visitors. This position greets guests, shares interpretive information about the Nature Sanctuary, and assists with gift shop sales.
- This role has direct interaction with children and vulnerable populations: a CRIMINAL RECORD check is required.
Community Events Volunteers
Community Events Volunteers support a variety of public events throughout the year, including the Native Plant Sale Fundraiser and education events.
Photo by Karissa Chandrakate
Cookie Bakers
Cookie Baker volunteers provide homemade treats for Nature Sanctuary restoration and plant sale volunteers. You can help by cooking up delicious treats at home and dropping them off at the Nature House to be shared with hungry and happy volunteers. In-kind tax receipts are available.
Seed Sowers
Seed Sower volunteers cultivate native plants at their home gardens and deliver them back to site for restoration projects as well as for sale in the Nature Sanctuary’s annual Native Plant Sale Fundraiser. This is a wonderful opportunity to join a community of native plant enthusiasts and support local biodiversity projects.
- Program training provided by Nature Sanctuary Site Director, Jay Rastogi
- Soil, containers, seedlings/cuttings provided as needed
Photographers
Share your gift of photography by capturing special events, activities, and nature images throughout the seasons.
Your photos will help us raise awareness of community programs and connect people to Sanctuary lands and waters.
Why Volunteer?
Volunteers contribute to our mission of conserving Nature Sanctuary lands and waters and inspiring stewardship through community engagement and collaboration.
- Connect with community: Join a diverse community of volunteers and staff that share your passion for nature and the environment
- Preserve and restore natural areas: Help to conserve and restore Nature Sanctuary lands and waters
- Foster community engagement: Support community partnerships and visitor experience by contributing to a welcoming and accessible urban greenspace
- Fulfill school requirements: Students may gain hands-on experience while fulfilling volunteer hour requirements
These hours are an essential in-kind contribution to our organization each year.
In 2025, our volunteers contributed nearly 12,000 hours across Nature Sanctuary programs.
We are so grateful for our community's huge support!