4 Great Ways To Give Back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
All it takes is just a few minutes spent in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to appreciate the vast wilderness and picturesque scenery that has long made this a peaceful place to spend your time! With all the incredible memories the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has provided both guests and natives dating all the way back to 1934, perhaps it’s time to show your appreciation by giving back to the national park. There’s no better way to ensure the long-term health of the park than by volunteering! Here are 4 great ways to give back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
1. Join Volunteers-In-Park (VIP)
Volunteers-In-Park (VIP) is a National Park Service program with the mission to preserve and protect our national parks! This program allows folks to volunteer for a day or year-round while either doing it on your own or with your family and friends. There’s a whole list of things you can do to help out, like leading or supporting education programs, maintaining/rebuilding trails and historical buildings, serving as a campground host, monitoring wildlife and preserving natural resources, educating visitors about the park and all it entails and much more! No matter the way you choose to assist, it goes a long way in keeping the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in tip-top shape!
2. Take Part in Smokies Service Days
Smokies Service Days is a coordinated effort by Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials to enlist the public’s help in participating in public service projects across the park! The park’s staff selects multiple weekend dates each year to complete these projects with the help of community members. Dates vary each year, so make sure to keep up with the park’s service days schedule. Not only are these projects a great way to help keep the park pristine, it’s a great way to meet new people with a similar interest in the park!
3. Volunteer at Tremont
The Tremont area is one of the most popular locations inside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Located in the northwestern portion of the park, Tremont was previously home to a pioneer Appalachian community and logging town! The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is asking for your help to keep this place perfect. Data-savvy volunteers can help analyze numbers and communicate the results to the public, others can represent Tremont at community events, folks can help cook and clean in the institute’s kitchen, while others can help out by splitting ever-important firewood!
4. Become a Friend of the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies lends a helping hand to the National Park Service in its mission to protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and public awareness while providing volunteers for service projects! Volunteer your time and/or money with Friends of the Smokies to keep the park alive and kickin’! Programs include ones that work to rehabilitate trails in the park, maintenance volunteers for a 70-plus mile stretch on the Appalachian Trail, adopting a trail and helping to search for new species of animals in the park!
We hope you’ll join in on community efforts to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park both beautiful and safe! For more information on everything to do in the Smokies, check out our Great Smoky Mountains National Park page!
