Volunteer in the Park

To keep Bidwell Park healthy and attractive, the Park Division is always seeking individuals and groups interested in volunteering.

For more information on how you can get involved, contact Lise Smith-Peters, Volunteer Coordinator, at 530-896-7831 or via email lspeters@ci.chico.ca.us

A calendar of Volunteer Events can be found at The Chico Park Division Volunteer Calendar and at The Friends of Bidwell Park website.

Adopt-A-Picnic Site

Everyone has their favorite spot in the park to picnic. Volunteers are needed to help upkeep these sites. Some tasks include weeding the area, taking out non-native plants, painting signs, and small constructions projects. Once a site has been adopted, the Park staff can help create a volunteer plan to be followed.

Litter Control

Individuals or groups are assigned or may choose a specific area of Bidwell Park to remove litter. In addition to these projects, the City co-sponsors several community-wide cleanups each year.

One Mile Oak Regeneration Project

The Oak Woodland trees of Bidwell Park are the most visible and vulnerable oak habitat in the Park. The regeneration and protection of baby oaks is vital to ensure that new generations of oak trees will inhabit Lower Bidwell Park. One Mile Recreation Area has designated oak regeneration sites that are neither irrigated nor landscaped. Volunteers help identify new oak seedlings then weed around them so they don’t compete with weeds and tall grasses for water and sunlight.

Painting

Winter weather as well as the summer sun damage the paint on everything from picnic tables to lifeguard chairs to Bidwell Park signs. Volunteers can help keep the Park looking attractive by repainting these items.

Park Watch

Park Watch is a volunteer group within the Park Division. Members patrol Bidwell Park on foot, bicycle, or, if they have one, by horse. Members report suspicious or unusual activities or conditions to Park Rangers. Members also provide Park visitors with information on Bidwell Park and rules and regulations. To join Park Watch, click on Park Watch Application and return to the Park Division.

Requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Volunteer at least 4 hours a month.
• Attend 2 mandatory training classes and a 2 hour walk along with another member.
• Pass a criminal background check, including fingerprinting.

Sycamore Restoration Site

This restoration site was started by Streaminders several years ago at which time as part of its project, volunteers hand removed invasive plants that are not found in California. The Park Division hosts work dates for continuing the removal of Himalayan blackberries, pokeweed and other invasives. The goal is to revegetate this restoration site with native trees such as willows and sycamores and native plants such as spice bush, creeping wild rye and barbersedge, to name a few.

Trail Maintenance

Volunteers help repair and maintain established trails (ie: constructing water bars to reduce trail erosion, clean drainage dips, etc.). They also eradicate and revegetate unauthorized "bootleg" trails and perform small construction projects to encourage usage of authorized trails.

Weeding

Volunteers can help the Park Division reduce the amount of herbicides used in Bidwell Park by helping manually remove weeds. Weeding projects are normally confined to Lower Park near areas such as Caper Acres, the One-Mile Recreation Area, Sycamore Restoration site, Annie’s Glen, and Lost Park.

Special Projects

Volunteers can perform specially designed projects in Bidwell Park. Construction projects such as information kiosks, shade structures, routed signs, and wood maps have been made by volunteers. Some Special Volunteer Projects* include:

• The donation of funds & labor toward building accessible picnic sites in Lower Park.
• The installation (and donation if possible) of split rail fence to replace old barriers.
• Five Mile Recreation Area Shade Structure replacement (donation of materials and labor).
• Lower Park’s exercise Vita Course needs to be replaced. Donations of exercise equipment and volunteer labor are needed to install a new course.
• Purchase and installation of a slide in One Mile playground area.

* For costs associated with special projects or for more ideas on how you can volunteer in the Park, please call Lise Smith-Peters, the Park Division’s Volunteer Coordinator, at (530) 896-7831 or email: lspeters@ci.chico.ca.us