Do you love taking walks through the wilderness? Could you spend hours exploring a museum? Do you enjoy talking to other people about what you’ve learned? If yes, this just might be the perfect job for you! Discovery Park in Magnolia is looking for volunteer park docents to lead programs and guides through the park.

Docents lead many of the programs here at Discovery Park, including teaching school groups, tots, families, seniors, and more! We provide our docents with extensive training in Northwest natural history and interpretation techniques so they can feel comfortable venturing into the world of education at a park. Docents are the reason that Discovery Park is able to provide so many educational programs to the public. They are able to help children touch their first sea star or hear a red-winged blackbird by the ponds. They teach the importance of our natural world through games, sensory activities, and FUN!

Through the program, volunteers participate in two 6-week training sessions (one beginning in February, the other in August) including field training, natural history lessons and hands-on activities to prepare each docent for leading public educational programs. In return, docents commit to leading 12 programs over the course of the following year.

Applications to become a volunteer docent are being accepted through the end of January. Training for the Docent Class of 2010 begins Wednesday, February 24. For more information contact Docent Coordinator Kristin Benshoof at 206-386-4236 or kristin.benshoof@seattle.gov. or download an application.

(Thanks to Phinneywood for the tip!)