Oxbow Center Volunteer Application

Please complete the information and waiver below to update your waiver and emergency contact information.

Ages: 14+ or 13 and under with a trusted adult

When: The 2nd Saturday of each month

What to Expect: Get ready for a hands-on day of conservation work in Oxbow’s riparian forest along the beautiful Snoqualmie River! You’ll play a crucial role in restoring the landscape by removing invasive weeds, planting native trees, and protecting and caring for our future forests all while enjoying a rewarding day of physical work in a beautiful natural setting.

Your Impact: You’re doing more than just pulling weeds and planting trees—you’re nurturing healthy ecosystems!
Your work helps:

• Restore salmon habitats, which also supports orca populations
• Improve air and water quality for our community
• Create a healthier forest and river for generations to come

Ages: Ages 15 and under welcome with an adult, age 16+ may volunteer independently

When: Now through October, flexible schedule, one to three hours per session Monday through Friday 9 am to 4 pm. Weekends when open 10 am to 4 pm after training.

What to Expect: Help us prepare for our Oxtober Fall Festival and educational programs. Spend an hour or three up to twice a week harvesting apples from the trees and salvaging those that have fallen and sort them based on their quality for a variety of uses.

Your Impact: You will bring joy and learning to our visitors and students and feed our hunger relief partners wile also supporting the health and beauty of our apple orchard and reducing food waste. The best apples you pick will be used for kid's apple tasting activities and the bruised and hole-filled apples will make delicious apple cider or take a ride on our Sling King during the Oxtober Fall Festival. Your work helps:

• Feed stomachs and minds, encouraging kids to be curious and excited about their food and how it gets to their plate
• Bring joy and an appreciation of physics to our fall festival
• Keep our orchard trees healthy and feed our soils.

Volunteer Perks: Each volunteer is invited take home some apples after their harvest and are invited to attend our Apple Harvest Workshop for free (with registration). In addition, you will get two free passes to the Oxtober Fall Harvest Festival and will be able to take home one free pumpkin of your choosing.

Completing Paperwork: All volunteers age 18 and older will be asked to complete a Background Check Authorization form. You will receive this form via email along with information about volunteering. You will be notified if your background check does not meet our standards.

Preparing to volunteer: Our orchard is located outdoors and in the open, so please dress and prepare for the weather including appropriate layers, sun protection, insulation, raingear, and close-toed shoes. Bring a water bottle, any snacks you would like, and anything that you like to use or wear while volunteering. Gloves, tools, water for refilling, shade, and restrooms will all be available.

Parking and Meeting: Please park in the lots by the Plant Stand and continue on foot down the main road to the orchard. A member of staff will meet you for your first day to orient you to the space and activity. Any subsequent visits you will either be provided with a harvest map or a staff member will meet you to provide that day’s instructions.

Signing In/Out: Work will be unsupervised, but there will always be staff nearby. Once trained, you will be asked to check in and out via text.

Ages: 18+ for independent shifts. 16+ for staff-led shifts or 15 and under accompanied by a trusted adult. 

Where: Meet at the grey barn (Park in the Plant Stand parking lots)

What to Expect: Help our conservation team with ecological restoration and research projects while learning all about native plants, restoration techniques, and how we conserve and support our farms and ecosystems. You will remove invasive weeds, plant native trees and shrubs, care for and protect our youngest forests, and support our monitoring efforts. You will be hiking, bushwhacking, digging, and generally getting dirty, muddy, and sweaty in all weather conditions.

Your Impact: You’re doing more than just pulling weeds and planting trees—you’re nurturing healthy ecosystems!

Your work helps:

• Restore salmon habitats, which also supports orca populations
• Improve air and water quality for our community
• Create a healthier forest for generations to come

Ages: Ages 16+

Maximum Group Size: 15

When: Demolition and donations will happen on weekdays between October 26th and 30th between 9 am and 4 pm.

What to expect: You will help demolish our house of hay playground and bag up corn, load hay and straw bales, and load pumpkins for donation. We need a crew of strong muscles and many hands to ensure that our festival benefits as many people and generates as little waste as possible.

Your impact: You will help us donate free pumpkins, hay, straw, and corn to organizations, farms, and families that need them or can make use of them. Your hard work will…

• Bring free decorative and food-quality organic pumpkins to families in time for Halloween
• Ensure that our construction and play materials get as much use in their second life as possible.
• Spread the heavy clean-up workload across many shoulders
   

Ages: Age 16+

When: October 3rd between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm

What to expect: Help us share our love of native plants by supporting our Fall Native Plant Festival. Assist with tours and workshops, craft with creatives, help people with their plant purchases, or support our pot recycling program. All roles are described below, but each shift has a different selection of available roles. Once you’ve selected your shift, you can indicate your preferred role in the notes section. You will be matched with one of the available roles for your shift based on the needs for that shift and your preference. Thank you so much for helping us to spotlight our beautiful and amazing native plants!

Roles (please indicate any preferences in the notes section of the application):

• Pot Recycler –Bring awareness to Oxbow’s pot recycling program and help sort pots into reuse and recycle bins.
• Check-out Volunteer – Support staff at check-out area by loading and unloading plants.
• Creativity Consultant – Assist aspiring artists with their creations while curating a welcoming and neat artist’s space.
• Workshop or Tour Assistant – Check-in attendees for workshop or tour. Take a final headcount and complete reporting forms. For walking tours, carry the first aid kit.
• Planting Booth Volunteer – Run the walk-up craft planting booth and chat with folks about their creations.

Your impact: You will help folks celebrate the joys and beauty of native plants, Oxbow, and build the native plant fan base. Your support...

• Creates an exciting and welcoming space for folks of all ages and experience levels to explore native plants
• Increases our staff’s capacity and ability to focus on sharing all that they know
• Introduces individuals and families to all of the wonderful things that Oxbow has to offer

Ages: Age 16+

When: September 30th and October 1st starting at 9:00 am. Ending no later than 3:00 pm

What to expect: Help us share our love of native plants by supporting our Fall Native Plant Festival. Assist with beautifying our Plant Stand and moving all our plants out to the sale floor. These shifts start at 9 and go until we're done. We expect to be done no later than 3 pm and probably well before. Bring a lunch and help all day or come in the morning until other commitments pull you away. 

Your impact: You will help us get ready to celebrate the joys and beauty of native plants and Oxbow. Your support...

• Creates a welcoming space for folks of all ages and experience levels to explore native plants
• Increases our staff’s capacity and ability to focus on sharing all that they know
• Introduces visitors to all of the wonderful things that Oxbow has to offer

Ages: Ages 16+

Maximum Group Size: 5

When: Construction will happen over two to three days during the week of October 13th-16th between 9 am and 4 pm. Exact dates will be decided closer to the build week. Please indicate your availability.

What to expect: Build the best-loved part of Oxtober out of hay and straw bales, corn, and playground equipment. Our house of hay architect needs a crew of strong muscles and creative minds to build our seasonal playground and corn crib. You will also get a first go on the finished playground area!

Your impact: You will bring endless hours of joy to children and rest to their caregivers. Your work will…

• Create an exciting covered and community-oriented space to climb, play, and slide while enjoying the other Oxtober festivities.
• Encourage social and physical outdoor activity and exploration for kids of all ages in any weather.
• Help kids build confidence and problem-solving skills in a joyful environment
   

Volunteer Perks: Each volunteer will get two free passes to the Oxtober Fall Harvest Festival and will be able to take home one free pumpkin of your choosing. In addition the last-day crew will get a first go on the playground.

Completing Paperwork: All volunteers age 18 and older will be asked to complete a Background Check Authorization form. You will receive this form via email along with information about volunteering. You will be notified if your background check does not meet our standards.

Preparing to volunteer: Our house of hay is located under cover, but much of the work will occur outdoors and in the open. Please dress and prepare for the weather including appropriate layers, sun protection, insulation, raingear, and close-toed shoes. Bring a water bottle, any snacks you would like, and anything that you like to use or wear while volunteering. Gloves, tools, water for refilling, shade, and restrooms will all be available.

Parking and Meeting: Please park in the lots by the Plant Stand and continue on foot down the main road and next to the Kid's Farm to the signed Check-in Station located by the white Event Tent. A staff member will meet you at the Check-in Station.

Ages: 14+ or 12+ with adult supervision

When: You may volunteer at Oxbow during the Plant Stand’s open hours or during business hours, Mondays through Fridays from 8 am to 4 pm. Journal stickering at your home can be done on your own schedule.

What to expect: You will support kids as they investigate and learn about their relationship to nature by creating nature journals with helpful prompts. You will add journal prompt stickers to notebooks, following a provided example. This volunteer opportunity is very flexible and can be done while enjoying Oxbow or take up to 100 journal-building kits home. This is an impactful activity that can be done while chatting with friends in the comfort of your favorite coffee shop, while soaking up some sun outdoors, or having a cozy indoor moment.

Your impact: The journals you create will help children to explore and observe the natural world and their place in it. Each child who experiences one of our education programs gets to take home and may continue to use their nature journal while exploring the places around them.

Your contributions help:

• Create a meaningful tool for observation and introspection through nature.
• Encourage children to become lifelong observers and scientists.
• Grow of our educational offerings

After you apply: We will reach out with you to discuss a journal-building time at Oxbow or a pick-up window for a take-home kit. If you know your preferences, you can include them in the notes section of this application. If you choose to work at Oxbow during business hours, you will then be asked to complete a Background Check Authorization form (18+ only).

Thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers, this opportunity is currently full. You may apply and our Kid's Farm Coordinator will reach out if there is an opening or will contact you in March of 2027 so  that you can experience the full farming season.

Ages: 18+ or under 18 on a trial basis; anyone under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.  

When: Please commit to volunteering weekly for at least one month. Build your own schedule between April and September within operating hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm during the cooler months and 7am-3pm during the hotter months.

What to expect: Gardening! The Kids’ Farm is a dynamic, highly diversified one-acre space filled with vegetables, small fruits, flowers, native plants, dye and fiber plants, seed crops, and more. Some days are quiet and tranquil, with just the birds, bugs, and plants for company; other days, you may work alongside the energy of 5 to 100 children participating in programs led by our Education Team. 

Typical tasks include weeding, pruning, harvesting, and general crop maintenance. Individuals and small groups of all experience levels are welcome. After daily check-ins/trainings, much of the work is done independently without direct staff supervision. For those able to commit longer term (3+ months), there are opportunities to take greater ownership of specific spaces and contribute to the farm’s creative vision.   

Your impact: The Kids’ Farm is a truly magical and unique space, welcoming more than 2,500 children from across the region each year. Many of these kids have never seen where their food is grown—let alone harvested and tasted vegetables fresh from the field. All food not used by the children is harvested and donated to local food access partners.

• Create an exciting and welcoming space for children to explore food and science
• Increase the amount and quality of food we can grow and donate
• Support community programs that improve relationships with the environment and each other. 
  
  All volunteers get to harvest in-season veggies to take home! 

After you apply: The Kid’s Farm Coordinator will reach out to you to better understand your goals and schedule. You will then be asked to complete a Background Check Authorization form.

Preparing to volunteer: The Kid’s Farm is located outdoors and in the open, so please dress and prepare for the weather including appropriate layers, sun protection, insulation, raingear, and close-toed shoes. Bring a water bottle, any snacks you would like, and anything that you like to use or wear while gardening. Gloves, tools, water for refilling, shade, and restrooms will all be available. 

Parking and Meeting: Please park in the lots by the Plant Stand and walk down the road to the Kid’s Farm located just past the big grey barn. Ask for Farmer Lynnea. 

When: August 26th 9:30 am to 1 pm

What to expect: Help Oxbow to cultivate conservation, food security, and a healthy community. Select the Meta Reality Labs shift and choose to either harvest food for hunger relief, wash pots to keep our native plants healthy, steward our riverside natural areas, or create journals to inspire young minds. You will start of the day with a short introduction to all things Oxbow, followed with two hours of volunteering in your chosen role, and concluding with a picnic lunch provided by your team.

Your impact: You will support Oxbow's education programs, hunger relief efforts, habitat restoration, or native plant propagation, all while enjoying a peaceful day in the Snoqualmie Valley . Your support...

• Increases regional awareness and knowledge about nature, native plants, and conservation.
• Provides healthy, organic produce to folks in need of support and sustenance.
• Improves the health of our local communities and environments.

Ages: 16+

When: Thursday Mornings 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

What to Expect: Dig into a hands-on day supporting ecological restoration from the ground up at Oxbow’s Native Plant Nursery! As a nursery volunteer, you’ll play a key role in growing the region’s future forests by caring for young native plants. Tasks vary by season and may include seed processing and sowing, thinning, pruning, weeding, and greenhouse maintenance such as sanitation, pot washing, and general organization. It’s a rewarding day of meaningful, physical work spent among thousands of thriving native plants and the people who grow them.

Your Impact: Your work in the nursery helps fuel the restoration work that transforms landscapes across the region!

Your contributions help:

• Cultivate the native plants that become the backbone of thriving forests, prairies, and wetlands
• Provide high-quality plant material that supports salmon recovery and other critical wildlife habitats
• Enhance ecosystem resilience, leading to cleaner waterways, healthier soils, and a stronger environment for future generations

Ages: Ages 10+ welcome with an adult, age 16+ may volunteer independently

When: October 16th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th between 9 am and 4 pm.

What to expect: Make the Oxtober Fall Festival a magical time at Oxbow. Help people enjoy everything from the pumpkins to the activities to the relaxed autumn atmosphere. Whether you prefer to be walking the grounds or chatting with visitors, volunteers will be matched with one of the many roles listed below that help to make Oxtober a fun celebration of all things autumn.

Roles (please indicate any preferences in the notes section of the application):

• Set Up Crew (October 16th only) – Help our staff to set the scene by putting up tents, moving hay bales and pumpkins, and decorating the farm. – Great for folks with an eye for design and/or schlepping skills.
• Cart Runner/Groundskeeper’s Assistant – Help folks move their pumpkins and develop your balancing skills while bring carts back from the parking lots. Help pick up trash, support our groundskeeping staff as needed. Great for folks who like walking and just a little talking.
• Creativity Consultant – Assist aspiring artists with creating potato prints and wooden pumpkin paintings while curating a welcoming and neat artists space. Great for crafters who like chatting.
• Assistant Worm Wrangler – Work with our Worm Wranglers to show off our wonderful composting worms using microscopes and hand lenses while keeping worms safe and comfortable. Great for compost and worm enthusiasts who love to share their passions with others.
• Corn Crib Lifeguard – Supervise the House of Hay and corn crib to ensure that everyone is having fun and following the rules. Great for folks who can diplomatically use their parent voice while encouraging adventurous and safe play.
• Sling King Master – Become the king of our giant sling by managing any lines, helping folks take turns while staying safe, giving your best slinging tips, and keeping an eye out for rogue apple pickers. Great for folks who love sharing practical physics tips with young minds.
• Hayride Line Leader – Be the barker for our hay ride by welcoming people in, keeping folks out of the way of the tractor, and helping folks load up on the trailer. Great for folks who want a relaxing day outside chatting with folks having fun.

Your impact: You will help folks celebrate the joys of autumn, Oxbow, and community. Your support…

• Creates an exciting and welcoming space for folks of all ages to explore Oxbow
• Increases the number of activities that we are able to offer to our guests
• Introduces individuals and families to all of the wonderful things that we do in support of our mission.

Volunteer groups can help us to complete our planting and invasive weed removal as well as maintenance of our restoration sites. Once an application is received, the volunteer coordinator will reach out to see if your group availability and size match our current or future projects

Ages: Ages 10+ welcome with an adult, age 16+ may volunteer independently

Group Size: 2-10

When: October 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th between 9 am and 4 pm. Groups may commit to a full or half day.

What to expect: Your group will help educate our guests about how to correctly dispose of their recycling, compost, and trash. Create a game, display, or other fun ways to engage with visitors about their trash and answer lots of “is this compost or trash?” questions. Help keep one of our most used trash stations properly sorted. A perfect opportunity for school green teams, environmental clubs, or other environmentally minded groups to expand their reach.

Your impact: You will help people better understand our waste disposal systems and options and what goes where. Your guidance will…

• Teach guests about how to correctly dispose of trash, both at Oxbow and in their own homes.
• Reduce the amount of trash that we have to throw in the landfill by ensuring that at least one set of trash cans is sorted correctly.
• Increase people’s awareness of and ability to reduce their contributions to our waste systems.

This is the waiver for the Woodland Park Zoo's Carnivore Camera Monitoring project. Please only complete this form if you have signed up as a Carnivore Monitor at Oxbow Farm/Duvall Open Space sites with the Woodland Park Zoo. If you have completed paperwork with Oxbow in the past year, you do not need to complete this form.