About Onondaga County Parks

Jobs & Volunteers

Working at Onondaga County Parks

Thank you for your interest in Onondaga County Parks. Each park has very different needs and hires independently, so you should contact the individual park(s) that you are interested in to see what positions are available. Seasonal/part time jobs are available year round. If you're looking for a summer position it is recommended that you contact the park(s) between January and March.

For seasonal jobs, download this printable application (PDF), fill out and mail or drop off to the specific park(s).

For full time civil service positions, visit www.ongov.net, to see what is available.

Click here for a list of parks and contact information

Volunteering at Onondaga County Parks

Volunteering is a productive and rewarding use of leisure time, and thanks to the devotion of hundreds of folks who collectively contributed over 53,000 hours of their time last year, Onondaga County Parks are truly special places. Volunteers are solely responsible for operating Sainte Marie among the Iroquois, the providers of school tours at the Zoo and Beaver Lake, guardians of public safety at special events and on ski trails, producers of the Golden Harvest Festival and Sportsmen’s Days, and representatives of area businesses who take entire days off to clean and spruce up their favorite parks.

To volunteer at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, contact Ellen Vaughn, 435-8511 x112 or evaughn@rosamondgiffordzoo.org. For opportunities at Beaver Lake Nature Center, contact Meg Valovage, 638-2519 or megvalovage@hotmail.com. Interested in Sainte Marie among the Iroquois, call 453-6768 or parks@ongov.net.

Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery is looking for a few good men and women. Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities and/or to make a donation.

The Highland Forest Nordic Ski Patrol is looking for some volunteers to help patrol the trails...improve your skiing and make new friends! For more information click here, email highland@ongov.net or call 683-5550.

Trail volunteers are needed for the Jordan Level Trail. The new 4 mile stone dust trail is part of the Western Canalway and can be accessed from the Sims Store in Camillus, the Village Park in Jordan, Laird Road and McDonald Road. Parks is looking for families, indivduals or groups - a scout troop would be ideal - to monitor the trail monthly and help pick up debris from April -October. If you would like to enjoy this new trail while helping your community call 689-9367.

The Onondaga County Parks EMS Team is a volunteer organization whose primary responsibility is to provide emergency medical services for events, which take place within an Onondaga County Park. On occasion we are asked to provide services at other venues. Membership is open to any Certified First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician. Each member is required to possess current certification at their level of training, as well as current “professional rescuer”
CPR. Copies of CFR/EMT certification must be included. Click here to download an application.

Internship Opportunities

Onondaga County Parks is a certified agency for Recreation Major placement from SUNY Cortland and SUNY Brockport and also a welcome host to Communications, Management, Public Relations, and Marketing majors from various colleges. Structured internships for Zoology and Animal Care students are offered at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo with Beaver Lake a popular venue for Interpretive and Environmental Science students. Customized internship opportunities are available at most parks, for contact information, go to our Contact Us page.