Volunteer Opportunities > NYC Parks Stewardship > Super Steward

Become a Super Steward!

Do you want to lead stewardship projects in your New York City's parks, natural areas, and on street trees? Become one of our Super Stewards and help us make the city greener.

What is a Super Steward?

woman planting a tree

Our Super Stewards work independently by taking the lead on caring for their neighborhood parks and spreading the word about the benefits of nature in the city. Super Stewards can work on their own, lead other volunteers, host projects, apply for mini-grants, network with other volunteers, and get a sneak peek at the inner-workings of the agency.

We’ll train you, help you pick and access your worksite, and provide you with resources you'll need to facilitate your projects!

Types of Super Stewards

  • Care Captains, who take care of street trees
  • NAVigators, who take care of forests and meadows
  • Shorekeepers, who take care of wetlands
  • Trail Maintainers, who help manage our nature trails

How to Become a Super Steward

At our trainings and workshops, our experts will teach you all about working in an urban landscape, how to garner support, and tools you can use to make your project better for you, your volunteers, and the environment.

Becoming a Super Steward is a four-step process:

1.  Attend a Volunteer Event

Come and get your hands dirty with us! To be eligible to become a Super Steward, you must first attend one of our public stewardship events.

If you’re involved with a group, we can potentially work with your group to put together a volunteer event.

Find a stewardship event

Request a project for your group

2. Attend an Intro Workshop

Once you’ve attended one of our volunteer stewardship events, you can sign up for an Intro Workshop. At these workshops, our expert staff will offer an overview of landscape management in New York City, and identify how and where advanced stewardship volunteers fit into the big picture. The workshop also teaches you about our available resources, how to request tools and other support, and reporting requirements. These workshops are held indoors. Find a Super Steward Intro Workshop

3. Complete Advanced Training in the Field

Advanced trainings are held outdoors, and are focused on particular landscapes—street trees, forests, and wetlands. At your Intro Workshop, we’ll work with you to identify the best landscape fit for you, and put you on the list for the next Advanced Training in your preferred landscape. Advanced Trainings cover how to set up and run your own events, best practices for teaching technical skills to new volunteers, and the mechanics of working in an urban landscape.

4. Select Your Site

Once you’ve been trained, we’ll work one-on-one with you to review your proposed work site, or to help you select an appropriate work site if you do not already have one in mind. Staff will visit the site with you, identify important site characteristics, review your project approach, and help trouble-shoot site-specific concerns or challenges.

Once you have your worksite, the fun begins!

What We Offer to Our Super Stewards

In exchange for regular reporting, we can help you promote your projects, provide advice and suggestions about season-appropriate work, and connect you with resources as they become available. 

Contact Us

Do you want more information about becoming a Super Steward Volunteer with NYC Parks? You can reach out to us at stewardship@parks.nyc.gov or (718) 392-5232.