Stewards’ docent-led tours and hikes in Armstrong Redwoods SNR and Austin Creek SRA cater to school groups and the public. With thousands of students visiting the parks every year, Armstrong Docents help provide invaluable educational experiences in a unique natural environment. Roving Naturalist Volunteers patrol the park answering the questions of park visitors from around the world. Often Roving Naturalists will station themselves near the iconic locations in the park such as the Colonel Armstrong Tree, Parson Jones Tree and the Redwood Forest Theater to increase their effectiveness.
Tasks: Armstrong Docents typically lead tours of 1-2 hours in length. Students of all grades TK-College, but most are in grades 3rd to 8th, participate in the Redwood Education Programming and average about 1 docent per 15 students. Accompanied by parent or teacher chaperones, Docents take the students on a 1-2 mile walk from the main front parking lot to the back picnic area, interpreting the park’s cultural and natural features from redwood ecology, mycology, botany, history, wildlife, climate change impacts, and more. Roving Volunteers interpret the same topics to the general public, stationed at a key landmark of your choice. Both volunteer roles involve the use of our interpretive materials stored in the Lizzie Armstrong Jones Welcome Center. Read the Armstrong Tour Guide duty statement for a complete description.
Meeting times: School Tours are scheduled Monday through Friday, generally starting at 9 or 10 AM. Public tours and private groups are usually on weekends or during the Summer Season. Roving Volunteers are scheduled in the Armstrong Redwoods SNR for 3-4 hour shifts.
Training and requirements: New volunteers are required to attend one General Orientation, and encouraged to attend our affordable seminars to further their education. All new volunteers are required to complete and turn in a hard copy of the New Volunteer Onboarding Packet and Duty Statement of Armstrong Redwoods/Austin Creek Docent. New volunteers will train shadow experienced volunteers until they feel comfortable leading tours and/or roving on their own by completing the Armstrong Docent Volunteer Training Checklist.
Read our Volunteer Handbook for more information about becoming a volunteer.
More Information
Contact Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods via email or phone at (707) 869-9177.