Below is information about volunteering with flagship parks and other departments at the City of New York/Parks & Recreation Department. For more detail, you can check out www.nyc.gov/parks.

Park: Prospect Park
Location: 95 Prospect Park West
Group: Prospect Park Alliance
Contact: Carol Anastasio: 718-965-8960
When: All volunteers in Prospect Park must first attend an orientation session.
Description:
1) Weekday Outdoor Volunteering
2) Weekend Outdoor Volunteering
3) Woodlands Volunteer Crew - attendance twice a month is required

Park: Riverside Park
Location: Riverside Drive from 72nd to 153rd Streets
Group: Riverside Park Fund - Weekend Rovers
Contact: Crista Carmody 212-870-3070
When: Two weekends a month, 10 am to 2 pm
Description: This group works in all sections of the park, assisting with horticulture and general maintenance projects.

Park: Central Park
Location: 59th Street to 110th Street
Group: Central Park Conservancy
Contact: Susan Boudreau: 212-360-2768
When: Saturdays
Description: General horticulture and maintenance work.

Park: Union Square
Group: USKids, Union Square Playground Coalition
Contact: Susan Kramer UnionSquareMom@aol.com
When: varies
Description: This group needs interested area parents to get involved in fundraising and other advocacy activities.

Please call 212-360-1361 to make arrangements

Computer Resource Centers
Parks & Recreation runs 27 Computer Resource Centers throughout all five boroughs of New York. These centers are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and are open to both children and adults. Instructional classes are offered in word processing, graphic design, and Internet use.
This program runs throughout the year

Volunteers needed to:

• Teach computer skills to adults and senior citizens. You can teach or assistant teach a class. Topics include HMTL and Photoshop, Windows XP, basic word processing, using the Internet, investment strategies, and computer shopping. Curricula and course materials are provided. Time commitment: Flexible. Most classes are two hours long and meet once or twice a week for six weeks.
• Tutor afterschool children. Help children ages 6-13 on their homework. Time commitment: 1 hour per week between 3 and 6 PM, weekdays
• Lead computer-based activities for afterschool children. For example: create a photo gallery of kids' work, organize an Internet chess tournament, assist children with Internet research for school projects. Time commitment: 1 afternoon per week/ 3- 6 PM, weekdays
• Be a Newsletter Editor for a day. Each CRC publishes a monthly newsletter featuring student work. Use your Adobe PageMaker and desktop publishing skills to keep our program looking good! Time commitment: Flexible.

Please contact us to find out more:
Computer Resource Center Program
Attn: Kami Griffiths, Adult Program Coordinator
430 W 25th Street
New York, NY 10001
kami.griffiths@parks.nyc.gov
phone: 212-255-3066 ext. 121
fax: 212-255-3706

After-School Programs
Parks & Recreation's After-School Program challenges kids to include educational, recreational, and cultural programming as part of their daily schedule.
This program runs throughout the year
Needed: Volunteers to serve as mentors, positive role models, tutors, teachers, theater consultants, and coaches.
When: Monday - Friday, 3-6 pm

Senior Programs
Parks & Recreation provides services for seniors at 13 centers.
This program runs throughout the year
Needed: Volunteers to teach classes such as sewing, cooking, physical fitness, oil painting, dance, and music.
When: Monday - Friday, mornings and afternoons

Sports Instruction
Parks & Recreation offers "Learn to Play" clinics for baseball, field hockey, golf, skating, soccer, swimming, and tennis as well as programs for flag football, basketball, track & field, cheerleading, double dutch, boxing, aerobics, weight training, handball and volleyball.
These programs run throughout the year
Needed: Volunteers to coach various sports either for one-day events or for programs that run over a course of weeks or months.

Teen Programs
In an effort to provide recreational activities for youth age 13-21, Parks & Recreation offers Teens at Parks (TAP) Programs in 10 recreation centers citywide
This program runs throughout the school year
Needed: Volunteers for sports instruction, exploration, and educational development.
When: Monday - Thursday, 6-10 pm

Adult Education Classes
This program runs throughout the school year
Needed: Volunteers to assist in job training and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.

Play-School Programs
Parks & Recreation runs Play-School Programs in centers in all five boroughs. The program is for 3-5 year-olds and exposes the children to interactive learning, arts, literacy activities, trips, and sports.
This program runs throughout the school year
Needed: Volunteers to assist staff members in leading activities and serving as enthusiastic role models for the children
When: Monday - Thursday, 6-10 pm

Mobile Recreation
Parks & Recreation's eight mobile recreation vehicles bring fun and exciting programs to the playgrounds and the communities they visit in each of the five boroughs. The vans are available to block associations, community organizations, religious groups and local parks free of charge.
The three types of mobile units offered are:
Skatemobiles (5) - filled with in-line skates, provided by Rollerblade
Playmobile (1) - provides arts and craft supplies and games
Sportsmobiles (2) - filled with games and sports equipment
This program runs until October
Needed: Volunteers to staff the vans

Rock n' Rollerblade
On four occasions in summer, Parks & Recreation create an outdoor skating rink complete with music and disco ball. Free skates and equipment are provided by the Rollerblade sponsored Mobile Units.
This program runs every Thursday in August
Needed: Volunteers to help run the events, hand out rollerblades, and supervise the participants

Adopt your Greenstreets and Street Trees!

Mission
o The Stewardship for Young Trees program educates and equips New Yorkers to care for their street trees and greenstreets.
o Through simple tasks like watering, weeding, and picking up litter, you can help young greenstreets and street trees thrive, improving both the health and beauty of our city.

Training
o Attend a free workshop and learn how to care for the urban forest.
o Receive a kit including gloves, trowels & cultivators, garbage bags and watering tools.
o For advanced training, attend a free shrub pruning class or apply for a tree pruning course scholarship. Once certified, receive hand pruners, folding saws and pole pruners.

Rewards
o Establish a working relationship with the Parks Department to access additional resources.
o Receive free botanical street tree labels, recognition on your adopted greenstreet's sign, yearly rooftop receptions at the Arsenal in Central Park, and a "Parks Card" that provides discounts from merchants throughout the city.

Update
o As of February 2002, there are 206 volunteer groups caring for 239 greenstreets and 3,340 street trees.

For more information call (212) 360-TREE or email Stewardship@parks.nyc.gov.

To find out more about Greenstreets, check out the New York City Parks & Recreation web site at www.nyc.gov/parks.

Want to learn about nature, meet new people and make a difference in NYC's natural areas?

Become a Ranger Volunteer!

You can help staff a Nature Center, give tours of Historic Houses, help out with trail restoration and clean-up, or assist with nature tours and children's programming.

To attend a Volunteer Orientation and Training Session, call 212-360-2771 for information.

To find out more about the Urban Park Rangers, check out the New York City Parks & Recreation web site at www.nyc.gov/parks .

To find out more about the Natural Resources Group, check out the New York City Parks & Recreation web site at www.nyc.gov/parks .