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Adopt A Park Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Adopt-A-Park?
| The County of Orange Adopt-A-Park Program serves over 30 OC Parks facilitites in Orange County. From sand to sandstone, meadows to mountains, kelp to cottonwood, boardwalks to bike paths, Orange County’s Regional Parks and Recreational Facilities offer local residents and visitors countless choices and a variety in quality outdoor experiences.
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What does it mean to Adopt-A-Park?
| As an Adopt-A-Park volunteer, you can assist with beatification of over 39,000 acres of spectacular resources. We want you to help in preserving and maintaining the natural beauty and allure of these distinct landscapes and facilities, striving to maximize the outdoor experience for locals and visitors alike.
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What can I do as an Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| There are many ways you can be part of our Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Team. From being a trail monitor, to creating a new trail; Planting new gardens to maintaining present ones; Staffing an interpretive center to leading nature walks for visitors, the possibilities are endless.
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What are the Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Categories?
| The County of Orange Adopt-A-Park program categorizes volunteers in two ways. GENERAL Adopt-A-Park Volunteers and ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park Volunteers.
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What is a GENERAL Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| GENERAL Volunteers are long-term volunteers, serving 4-5 hours a month as an Adopt-A-Park Volunteer.
General volunteers provide services on the County's behalf and closely partner with County personnel, delivering services that may or may not be offered by staff. General Volunteers are viewed by the visiting public as a labor element of the park operations, support to the site and agents of the County or as persons providing visitor services due to dress, role, situation or location.
Examples of General volunteers include, but are not limited to Docents leading tours and hikes and volunteers staffing nature centers, information kiosks, and individuals and groups creating and/or maintaining trails and/or gardens.
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What is the Screening Process to be a GENERAL Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| The first step in becoming a GENERAL Adopt-A-Park volunteer is to complete an On Line Application: www.OCParksForms.com. After completion of the On Line Application, you will be guided to download the "Guidelines and Provisions." Please print, read and sign this document submitting it to OC Parks Volunteer Services.” Once the On line application and Guidelines and Provisions have been received, the following steps will also need to be completed prior to serving:
Livescan Fingerprints: If you are 18 and over and volunteering as a General (long-term) Volunteer, you must be fingerprinted (please request through OC Parks Volunteer Services).
Program Orientation Meeting: Our orientation will give you more information on the County of Orange Policies and Procedures and an overview of the County of Orange Adopt-A-Park Volunteer program.
Once the application process is completed, we will contact you regarding your application status, placement and start date.
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What is the minimum age of a GENERAL Adopt-A-Park volunteer?
| There is no minimum age for GENERAL Adopt-A-Park volunteers, unless otherwise noted at the site. Those volunteers 0-15 years old need PARENT PERMISSION signed off on the applicaiton packet and ADULT SUPERVISION while volunteering on site, meaning that an adult 18 and over would need to accompany the volunteer. Those volunteers 16-17 years of age would only need PARENT PERMISSION signed off on the applicaiton packet.
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What is a ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park Volunteers are short-term volunteers, donating hours for one-time projects to the Adopt-A-Park Program. They may be organized groups such as Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, non-profit organizations and corporations or small business' providing one time, intermitten services.
One Time Volunteers provide services that benefit the County, but are not considered to be delivering services directly to the visiting public on behalf of the County. One Time volunteers require direct supervision by staff and shall not be placed in a position of authority, control, supervision or coordinate others while on County property.
Examples of One Time Volunteers include, but are not limited to litter pick up at a coastal or watershed, tree planting, or a one-time trail/garden maintenance.
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What is the Screening Process to be a ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| The first step in becoming a ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park volunteer is to choose a pre-set volunteer opportunitiy or work with the OC Parks Volunteer Coordinator to schedule a volunteer opportunity (All One Time Volunteers MUST be supervised by OC Parks Stafff). Once a volunteer opportunity is confirmed, submit a completed “One Time Volunteer Application" or "One Time Group Application Packet." All forms are downloadable in the “Get Involved” section. Once the application packet has been received, we will contact you regarding your application status, placement and start date.
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What is the Minimum Age of a ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park Volunteer?
| There is no minimum age for a ONE TIME Adopt-A-Park volunteer, unless otherwise noted at the site. Those volunteers 0-15 years old need parent PARENT PERMISSION signed off on the "Guidelines and Provisions" and ADULT SUPERVISION while volunteering on site, meaning that an adult 18 and over would need to accompany the volunteer. Those volunteers 16-17 years of age would only need PARENT PERMISSION on the "Guidelines and Provisions.".
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What is the difference between an Adopt-A-Park GENERAL VOLUNTEER and an Adopt-A-Park ONE TIME Volunteer?
| GENERAL VOLUNTEERS are long-term volunteers, serving 4-5 hours a month to the Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Program on an on-going basis. Examples of General volunteers include, but are not limited to Docents leading tours and hikes and volunteers staffing nature centers, information kiosks, and individuals and groups creating and/or maintaining trails and/or gardens.
ONE TIME Volunteers are short-term volunteers, donating hours for one-time projects to the Adopt-A-Park Program. One Time volunteers require direct supervision by staff. Examples of One Time Volunteers include, but are not limited to litter pick up at a coastal or watershed, tree planting, or one-time trail/garden maintenance.
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How would I get an Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Application Packet mailed to me?
| To request an Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Application Packet, contact the Volunteer Services Coordinator, Angeline Santiago, 714-973-6871 or Angeline.Santiago@RDMD.ocgov.com and leave the following:
First and Last Name, Mailing Address, Email Address, Contact Phone Number.
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I have already been fingerprinted for work and/or another volunteer program. Do I need to get re-fingerprinted?
| Yes. Agencies cannot share Department of Justice (DOJ) information/results with other agencies per confidentiality. If you are 18 and over and a General or long-term volunteer with the Adopt-A-Park Program, you will need to get LiveScan fingerprinted through the County of Orange Adopt-A-Park Program.
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Does the County offer FREE LiveScan Fingerprinting for Adopt-A-Park Volunteers?
| YES!!! The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (320 N Flower Street, Santa Ana) will waive the rolling fee with appropriate paperwork. You may download a list of additional LiveScan Locations in Orange County (volunteer must pay for rolling fee) in the "Get Involved" section of this website.
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What do I need to bring with me when I get LiveScan Fingerprinted?
| Before you get LiveScan Fingerprinted, make sure you have an appointment, if necessary. Please bring a Photo ID, the LiveScan 3-Part Form (available through OC Parks Volunteer Services), and rolling fee (if applicable). LiveScan Fingerprinting at the OC Sheriff’s Department (320 N Flower Street, Santa Ana) is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY and will waive the rolling fee with appropriate paperwork.
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What do I do after my LiveScan Fingerprinting is complete?
| After your LiveScan Fingerprinting is complete, you will have two (2) copies of the 3-part form given back to you. Send a copy of the LiveScan form to:
OC Parks Volunteer Services
Adopt-A-Park Program, c/o Angeline Santiago
1770 N Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92706-2606
to verify that you have been fingerprinted.
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Does the Adopt-A-Park Program carry Volunteer Insurance?
| Yes!!! The County of Orange offers volunteer insurance through CIMA Companies, Inc. to all General or long term volunteer. CIMA's Volunteer Insurance is in addition to an individual's personal insurance coverage. For more information on CIMA, download the PDF file located in the "Active Adopt-A-Park Volunteer" section of the website.
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What are the OC Parks Hours of Operation?
| The hours Orange County Regional Parks are as follows:
April 1—October 31: 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
November 1—March 31: 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Note: All Orange County Wilderness Parks as well as Santiago Oaks and O’Neill Regional Parks are closed to day use at sunset year round. Beach parks are generally open from 6:00 a.m. until midnight, but hours of operation may vary.
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