Volunteering

General Site to find opportunities:

Specific to Arlington

Some of mine:

Arlington Neighborhood Village

Welcome Table

Volunteer for the Plants

Invasive Plant Removal (Weeding & Habitat Restoration)

Most local parks rely on volunteers to “pull invasives” like English Ivy, Garlic Mustard, and Bush Honeysuckle to save existing trees and allow native plants to grow.

  • Arlington County RiP (Remove Invasive Plants): Arlington hosts “RiP” events at various parks including Zachary Taylor Park, Potomac Overlook, and Tuckahoe Park.
  • Arlington Regional Master Naturalists: ARMN welcomes volunteers to help us restore native habitat and stamp out invasive non-native plants in natural areas of our local parks.
  • Alexandria Natural Resources: The city has ongoing opportunities for invasive exotic plant removal and ecological restoration planting.
  • Friends of Dyke Marsh (Alexandria/Fairfax): This group hosts regular invasive plant pulls in the freshwater tidal marsh. Upcoming dates include March 28, April 11, and April 25 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
    • Fairfax County IMA Program: The Invasive Management Area (IMA) program is one of the largest in the region. They host regular workdays at over 60 parks across Fairfax.
      • Specific Event: The “Tree Rescuer Extravaganza” runs from March 21 to April 12, focusing specifically on saving trees from strangling vines.
      • Fairfax PRISM

    Tree Planting & Forestry Support

    If you prefer planting and caring for trees rather than just pulling weeds, these organizations are the primary local leaders.

    • TreeStewards of Arlington and Alexandria: These volunteers handle the “better trees” aspect through planting, pruning, mulching, and watering trees in streets, parks, and schools. They also lead neighborhood tree walks.
    • EcoAction Arlington: They manage a Tree Planting Program and often look for “Tree Ambassadors” to help expand the local canopy. They also host a major Earth Day Cleanup on April 11, 2026, which includes habitat work.
    • Plant NOVA Trees: This is a focused regional campaign to increase the native tree canopy. You can volunteer as a “Tree Rescuer” to identify at-risk trees in your own community or help with native tree plantings.
    • City of Fairfax “Forest Rescuers”: For those who want more responsibility, this certification program trains you to work independently on habitat restoration projects in city parks.

    Native Plant Nurseries & Gardening

    • Arlington Parks Nursery: Located in Barcroft Park, they hold nursery workdays every Tuesday afternoon (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM). Volunteers help plant locally collected seeds and tend to seedlings that will eventually be moved into county parks.
    • Earth Sangha (Fairfax/Alexandria area): They operate a wild plant nursery and lead volunteer efforts to plant native species in various ecological restoration sites across Northern Virginia.

    Resources to Get Started

    1. Arlington: Visit the Arlington County Environmental Volunteering page to see the RiP event calendar.
    2. Alexandria: Contact the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities for their latest restoration schedule.
    3. Fairfax: Check the Fairfax County Volunteer Portal for “Invasive Management” or “Habitat Restoration” listings.