Volunteer Project Catalog
Wildlife Program
This project will focus on repairing and improving existing fence lines to clearly mark the property boundary and help manage access. Volunteers will assist with stretching and re-hanging usable sections of old wire, installing new wire where needed, and setting T-posts to support the fence. The goal of this work is to better define the boundary line and prevent unauthorized vehicle access, directing traffic only to designated areas and parking lots. No prior fencing experience is required—just a willingness to work outdoors and help protect the site. Dry camping will be an option for those that would like to participate for multiple days. This project is eligible for Master Hunter hours.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
Volunteer training and fieldwork opportunities for cultural resources
How you can help:
Hunter Education
This will be a running project with multiple ways to help and dates. Please contact Travis as he will pull you when needed. Please record your hours here. This will be for doing elk fence work in multiple locations around North Snohomish/ Skagit/ South Whatcom county.
How you can help:
Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH)
Welcome to the Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) project page! As of March 4, 2026, we are still working to migrate volunteer operations to the new Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) VolunteerMatters system. If you are a new volunteer, you can get started by learning more about our volunteer activities and complete FISH registration at https://www.issaquahfish.org/volunteer/. You may now add yourself to a project position, sign up for a shift, or log hours. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
How you can help:
Outreach & Education
Help WDFW staff pack welcome packets for our Habitat at Home and Love Cats, Love Wildlife programs. Packing parties are at the WDFW Ridgefield office. These are indoor, low-impact activities with seating provided. Reach out to Claire Kerwin with questions. If you'd like to participate but the shifts don't work for you, please contact us and we may be able to find a better date. Relevant programs: Habitat at Home: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/habitat-at-home Love Cats, Love Wildlife: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/cats-wildlife
How you can help:
Hunter Education
This opportunity is specifically for hunter education applicants in Region 4 who have not completed the process yet. This will cover hours for the Pre-Service training and the teaching portion. You MUST have an application in with the department to be added to this opportunity. If you have not yet submitted an application and would like to become an instructor, please email me at jacqueline.mcbride@dfw.wa.gov or go here for more information and the application https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/how-to-become-instructor. ***Once certified, your teaching hours will be recorded and tracked in Kalkomey, not here.
How you can help:
Hunter Education
This opportunity is specifically for hunter education applicants in Region 6 who have not completed the process yet. This will cover hours for the Pre-Service Training and the teaching portion. You MUST have an application in with the department to be added to this opportunity. If you have not yet submitted an application and would like to become an instructor, please email amy.elliott@dfw.wa.gov This also goes for Master Hunters in the process of becoming Hunter Education Instructors. ***Once certified, your teaching hours will be recorded and tracked in Kalkomey, not here.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
The Chehalis Unit is a popular spot for fishing, duck hunting, and taking a stroll near Elma, WA. Here you can expect to see open wetland, riparian shrub, and meadow habitats. Unfortunately, this site has a long history of dumping. This is where we need your help. We are looking for volunteers to help us keep this area clean of litter so that this remains a place where wildlife and visitors can thrive. As a volunteer you will be expected to pick up trash using gloves, trash grabbers, and trash bags. The trail at this site is compact. The parking lot and road leading into this unit are in rough shape so be careful of potholes when driving in. Trash can sometimes be in easy to grab spots and other times buried in thorny blackberry vines. Any help with litter clean-up is appreciated regardless of if you can get trash in hard-to-reach places. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the volunteer supervisor. Thank you for volunteering with WDFW, we look forward to meeting you! For more information about the Chehalis Unit and a map of all parking lots visit our website: https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/chehalis-wildlife-area-unit
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
The Chinook Unit is a popular spot for pheasant, duck, elk, and deer hunting in Pacific County, WA. Here you can expect to see seasonal wetland and estuary habitats. We are looking for volunteers to help us keep the area free of litter so that this remains a place where wildlife and visitors can thrive. As a volunteer you will be expected to pick up trash using gloves, trash grabbers, and trash bags. The trail at this site is compact. The parking lot is gravel. Trash can sometimes be in easy to grab spots and other times buried in thorny blackberry vines. Any help with litter clean-up is appreciated regardless of if you can get trash in hard-to-reach places. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the volunteer supervisor. Thank you for volunteering with WDFW, we look forward to meeting you! For more information about the Chinook Unit and a map of all parking areas visit our website: https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/chinook-wildlife-area-unit
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
The Johns River Unit is a popular spot for fishing, dog walking and bird viewing near Westport. Here you can expect to see estuary and riparian forest habitats. We are looking for volunteers to help keep the area free of litter so that this remains a place where wildlife and visitors can thrive. As a volunteer you will be expected to pick up trash using gloves, trash grabbers, and trash bags. The trail at this site is compact. The parking lot is gravel. Trash can sometimes be in easy to grab spots and other times buried in thorny blackberry vines. Any help with litter clean-up is appreciated regardless of if you can get trash in hard-to-reach places. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the volunteer supervisor. Thank you for volunteering with WDFW, we look forward to meeting you! For more information about the Johns River Unit and a map of all parking areas visit our website: https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/johns-river-wildlife-area-unit
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
Opportunities improve or restore habitat in the LT Murray Wildlife Area. This position may plan, coordinate, and/or supervise the work of volunteers to support program activities and agency objectives.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
This opportunity will facilitate the removal of disused livestock fence in the Cowiche Unit of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area. We will be primarily focused on removing barbed wire, posts and nails to support critical habitat for wintering Elk. Additionally, we will also focus on litter control from previous land use practices near the Cowiche winter feeding site. Other activates may include fuels mitigation, barn maintenance and Elk fence repair.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
This project assists with outreach and the closure of Rat Island, part of the Marrowstone Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area, during summers. Volunteer as a docent to help inform beachgoers about the wildlife that uses Rat Island and the reasons for summer closures to the public.
How you can help:
Outreach & Education
From May to September, thousands of adult salmon pass through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)'s Ballard Locks on the final leg of their epic journey returning to the rivers and streams they were born in. WDFW staff and volunteers will be tabling during USACE's annual event, Salmon Day, to showcase fish and wildlife education, respond to public inquiry, and encourage participation in a 5-minute salmon viewing survey. No experience necessary! WDFW will be conducting our third annual Salmon Viewing Survey at select locations to learn more about salmon viewers. As part of this project, volunteers may be asked to be stationed at a prize wheel or circulate around the facility to share more about the survey with visitors during the event. Contact WDFW's Watchable Wildlife Coordinator, Kelsey Hansen, at kelsey.hansen@dfw.wa.gov with any questions.
How you can help:
Outreach & Education
Salmon Days is the largest two-day festival in the state and celebrates the thousands of salmon returning to the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Salmon Days is an annual family-friendly event in downtown Issaquah and showcases live music, food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, feed the trout, partner booths, and salmon viewing. This popular event has several thousand attendees. WDFW staff and volunteers will be tabling during the event and will showcase fish and wildlife education, respond to public inquiry, and encourage participation in a 5-minute salmon viewing survey. WDFW will be conducting our third annual Salmon Viewing Survey at select locations to learn more about salmon viewers. As part of this project, volunteers may be asked to be stationed at a prize wheel or circulate around the facility to share more about the survey with visitors during the event. Event website: https://www.salmondays.org/ 8-12 volunteers are needed for this event. Shifts are available. Multiple shifts may be selected. No experience necessary! Contact WDFW's Outreach Coordinator, Zaara Kidwai (zaara.kidwai@dfw.wa.gov) for any questions.
How you can help:
Outreach & Education
Hosted annually by the Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH), Salmon on Sunset is a family-friendly event at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and showcases live music, whacky rubber duck races, kids' street shows, a beverage garden, feed the trout, arts creation station, spawning shed community art project, partner booths, food trucks & fly-casting demos. This popular event has several thousand attendees. WDFW staff and volunteers will be tabling during the event and will showcase fish and wildlife education, respond to public inquiry, and encourage participation in a 5-minute salmon viewing survey. WDFW will be conducting our third annual Salmon Viewing Survey at select locations to learn more about salmon viewers. As part of this project, volunteers may be asked to be stationed at a prize wheel or circulate around the facility to share more about the survey with visitors during the event. Event website: https://www.visitissaquahwa.com/event/salmon-on-sunset/ 4-6 volunteers are needed for this event. Shifts are available. Multiple shifts may be selected. No experience necessary! Contact WDFW's Watchable Wildlife Coordinator, Kelsey Hansen, at kelsey.hansen@dfw.wa.gov with any questions.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
Be a part of this volunteer-led initiative in Sequim to restore an area to a diverse oak habitat. Just north of Carrie Blake Park, the Bell Creek Wildlife Area Unit was planted with over 2,000 oak trees in the early 2000s by many volunteers. Ongoing work includes the removal of predator-prevention cages for trees that are outgrowing them, and work to restore the understory of the area.
How you can help:
Wildlife Program
Spokane Audubon Society is partnering with the wildlife area to conduct annual breeding bird surveys to monitor habitat health. Working with Spokane Audubon volunteers, wildlife area staff selected 6 transect routes to conduct point-count bird surveys. There are 5 point stations on each route. The routes encompass a variety of habitats and altitudes. Two routes will be surveyed each year with each pair repeated on a 3-year cycle. Each season, there are 3 surveys of each route, 2 in June and 1 in July, separated by approximately 2 weeks.
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