On this page
A lot of the native grassland, oak woodland and marsh around Palo Alto is weeded, planted and watered by volunteers. Most of the work happens on weekend mornings, needs no experience and comes with tools and a short safety talk. It is also one of the easiest ways to meet neighbors who care about the same trails you hike.
This guide covers the groups running outdoor volunteer programs near Palo Alto in fall 2026: Grassroots Ecology, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen), Save The Bay, the city's creek cleanups, Canopy and Environmental Volunteers. It ends with a word on Acterra, which has changed focus. For volunteering of every kind, start at our main volunteering guide.
Grassroots Ecology
Grassroots Ecology is the nonprofit behind most habitat workdays inside Palo Alto. Its work at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve began in 1997 as the Arastradero Stewardship Program. Its volunteer page lists these Palo Alto sites:
- Foothills Nature Preserve
- Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
- San Francisquito and Matadero creeks
Nearby sites include Cooley Landing and Ravenswood Open Space Preserve in East Palo Alto, Redwood Grove in Los Altos, Byrne Preserve in Los Altos Hills, the Hawthorns area of Windy Hill, McClellan Ranch in Cupertino and the Alviso Bufferlands in San Jose.
How it works
- Register first. Grassroots Ecology says every event requires registration and spaces fill quickly. Find dates on its events calendar.
- Ages. Most events allow youth. Anyone 17 and under needs a parent or guardian to approve an online minor waiver. Children under 13 need an adult at the event.
- Seasons. Native plants go in only in the cool, wet months. Spring is weeding season, before invasive plants set seed. Summer is watering and mulching.
- Service hours. Staff will verify hours under the group's hours policy.
- Groups. Schools, companies and community groups can request private workdays.
The free Youth Stewards program is the teen track, with seasonal sessions for middle and high school students. Our teen volunteering guide has the 2026 session details. Sign up and read event rules on the Grassroots Ecology volunteer page.
_at_Arastradero_Preserve_2011-08-21.jpg){kind=link}
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Midpen manages the preserves along Skyline Boulevard and down to the bay. It says nearly 1,000 Midpen and partner volunteers give more than 20,000 hours a year. Its programs fall into two families.
Trails and stewardship
- Land Stewards. Individuals register for single-day projects lasting 2 to 5 hours. No ongoing commitment is needed and staff provide all tools and training. Listings in fall 2026 included French broom removal at the Hawthorns area of Windy Hill, Coal Creek and Long Ridge and trail work on the Wildcat Loop at Rancho San Antonio.
- Community Group Stewards. Teams from schools, businesses, faith groups and nonprofits book their own project. Most projects take 8 to 15 people.
- Volunteer Trail Patrol. Patrollers hike or ride preserve trails, answer visitor questions and report hazards. Training includes an interview and 2 to 3 sessions. Midpen asks for at least one patrol a month for a year.
- Advanced Resource Management Stewards. Experienced Land Stewards adopt a site, manage invasive plants and log data in Calflora. It is not a direct entry role and asks for a year.
Midpen does not post one age rule for stewardship projects on its overview pages, so check the listing for each project.
Docents
All Midpen docents must be at least 18. Midpen provides the training.
| Docent role | What you do | Training |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Center Docent | Staff the Daniels Nature Center at Alpine Pond, Skyline Ridge, open weekends April to mid-November | A 2 hour orientation in Los Altos and a 3 to 4 hour session at the center, then shadowing |
| Outdoor Education Docent | Lead 3rd to 5th grade field trips, Tuesdays and Thursdays in spring and fall, with a 3.5 to 4 mile hike | Six weeks, one 5 hour weekday session a week |
| Interpretive hike and ride docent | Lead public hikes, bike rides and horseback rides year-round | 12 to 14 weeks, one evening and one Saturday a week, usually every other year from April through July; includes UC California Naturalist certification |
To join, create a profile on Midpen's volunteer site and register for a project or mark interest in a program. Our Skyline Ridge guide covers the preserve around the nature center.
Save The Bay
Save The Bay restores tidal marsh around San Francisco Bay. It says you need no skills, experience or equipment. The work follows the seasons: planting natives in winter, then transplanting seedlings and removing invasive plants in spring.
- Length: programs run 3 to 4 hours, rain or shine. Light rain does not cancel. Storms, high winds or air quality above 101 AQI do.
- Getting there: sites have no street address. Save The Bay emails GPS points 1 to 2 weeks ahead and asks you to use only those.
- Supplied: gloves, tools and a restoration specialist certified in first aid and CPR.
- Bring: water, snacks, sun protection, long pants, closed-toe shoes and rain layers in winter.
- Families: children are welcome with extra attention from a parent.
- Service hours: each program counts for 3 hours. Field staff can sign forms at the end.
Save The Bay also hosts corporate and school groups plus Queer and BIPOC affinity programs. Find dates on its volunteer page. For the marsh closest to home, see our Baylands Nature Preserve guide.
Creek cleanups
The City of Palo Alto hosts creek cleanups twice a year on the regional cleanup days. On Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 19, 2026, it ran two sites from 9 a.m. to noon:
- Matadero Creek: meet at the Renzel Trail and Adobe Creek Loop trailhead, 2837 East Bayshore Road.
- San Francisquito Creek: meet at the Baylands Athletic Center lot, 1900 Geng Road.
The city supplies trash grabbers, bags, gloves, snacks and water. Sign-ups run through the Creek Connections Action Group at cleanacreek.org. In spring the city has hosted sites for National River Cleanup Day. The most recent one we could confirm was May 17, 2025, at Adobe and Matadero creeks. Questions go to cleanbay@paloalto.gov or (650) 329-2122. See the city's 2026 cleanup listing for the format.
Canopy and street trees
Canopy is the Palo Alto nonprofit that plants and cares for urban trees across the Midpeninsula. Its volunteers plant and water trees, teach in classrooms, sit on committees and staff events. For its 30th anniversary it asks volunteers to take the 30 for 30 Pledge: 30 volunteer hours by June 2027. Events are on its calendar and you register through its volunteer sign-up form. Our urban forest guide explains the city's trees.
Teaching nature outdoors
Environmental Volunteers runs the EcoCenter in the old Sea Scout Building at the Baylands. Its adult roles include EcoCenter Docent and Foothills Nature Guide, who share local ecology with visitors at the Baylands and Foothills Nature Preserve. The group asks for one shift a month, or 9 services a year, on weekends, afternoons or evenings. It provides training. Volunteers 18 and over complete a background check. See its adult opportunities page.
A note on Acterra
Acterra, based in Palo Alto, has roots in local watershed and land stewardship going back to 1970. It no longer runs habitat restoration days and now focuses on climate change. Its volunteers help at events on home electrification and electric cars, such as the Green@Home home tours. Others work on food sustainability projects including a food forest with its partner Veggielution. Longer roles cover advocacy, youth education, operations and communications. Write to volunteer@acterra.org.
What to bring to any workday
- Water, a hat and sunscreen. Foothill sites get hot by late morning from May to October.
- Long pants, long sleeves and closed-toe shoes. Poison oak grows in every foothill preserve.
- Rain layers from November to March. Most groups work through light rain.
- A signed waiver for anyone under 18, completed online before the day.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I volunteer outdoors in Palo Alto?
Grassroots Ecology runs registered habitat workdays at Foothills Nature Preserve, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve and along San Francisquito and Matadero creeks. The city also hosts creek cleanups. Canopy plants and cares for street trees. Midpen and Save The Bay run projects in the nearby hills and along the bay.
How do I become a Midpen docent?
Midpen docents must be at least 18. You sign up for interest notices on Midpen's volunteer site and staff contact you before the next training. Nature Center Docents attend a 2 hour orientation and a 3 to 4 hour training. Outdoor Education Docents train one weekday a week for six weeks. Hike and ride docents take a 12 to 14 week course, usually offered every other year from April through July.
Do I need experience to volunteer with Save The Bay?
No. Save The Bay says you need no special skills, experience or equipment. It supplies gloves and tools, gives a safety talk and has a restoration specialist trained in first aid on site. Programs run 3 to 4 hours, rain or shine. Each counts as 3 hours of community service.
When is the next creek cleanup in Palo Alto?
The city hosted Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at Matadero Creek and San Francisquito Creek. In spring it has hosted National River Cleanup Day sites, most recently confirmed for May 17, 2025. Watch the city's events calendar and the Creek Connections Action Group site for 2027 dates.
Does Acterra still run habitat restoration days?
No. Acterra now focuses on climate work. It recruits volunteers for events such as its Green@Home home electrification tours, food sustainability projects and longer-term program support. Habitat workdays at Palo Alto preserves are run by Grassroots Ecology.