What to do

Pierce County Voluntourism Activities

Enhance your travel experience while doing good by working with local, responsible businesses. Choose from one of these voluntourism opportunities in Pierce County:

Chambers Creek Foundation

[Seeking Camaraderie, Making a Difference]
With scenic views of Puget Sound, Fox Island and the Olympic Mountains, spend a day enjoying amazing views while cleaning up Chambers Bay Golf Course and surrounding Chambers Creek Properties [932 total acres]. 

This activity is good for active people who enjoy gardening and beautification projects. Chambers Bay is preparing for the 2015 U.S. Open and is looking to make its properties as wonderful as possible for this prestigious event’s visitors and local residents alike. 

  • Activity: Help remove invasive species from the properties by pulling either poa grass from the golf course or scotch broom bushes from the hillside.
  • Group Size: All sizes can be accommodated.
  • Time: Hour by hour commitment. Half- and full-day activities available.
  • Difficulty: Medium to challenging.

Citizens For A Healthy Bay

[Making a Difference, Cultural Immersion, Having an Educational Experience, Seeking Camaraderie]

Citizens for a Healthy Bay works with citizens, businesses and government in an effort to make the community more sustainable protecting Commencement Bay. They provide regularly scheduled cleanups and will work with groups to arrange a time that works best for them. 

Get out and enjoy Commencement Bay by experiencing it first hand. Voluntourists will learn about the native plants and invasive species they remove. Kayaking cleanup opportunities are available for experienced kayakers. People of all abilities welcome.

  • Activity: Projects will begin with a short conversation on local plant species and invasive species. Volunteers will then remove invasive species from shorelines around Commencement Bay. Experienced kayakers can also volunteer to cleanup the waters on kayaks.
  • Group Size: All sizes can be accommodated.
  • Time: Three to six hours minimum.
  • Difficulty: Medium.

Hilltop Artists

[Making a Difference, Cultural Immersion] 

Watch, learn and participate in the art of glassblowing, mosaics, fused glass and beadwork with the Hilltop Artists. Hilltop Artists host classes for hundreds of students each year who struggle academically, socially and/or behaviorally. By donating a bit of time and money, you will walk away with a heartwarming experience and a personalized piece of art.

Becoming a voluntourist with the Hilltop Artists will be a rewarding and enriching artistic experience. This activity is good year-round and for people of all abilities. 

  • Activity: One person at a time can learn how to blow glass with the programs’ students. Creating mosaic projects is perfect for groups of 8-10.
  • Group Size: Groups of up to 10.
  • Time: Up to two hours.
  • Difficulty: Easy.

Metro Parks Tacoma

[Cultural Immersion, Seeking Camaraderie, Making a Difference]

Metro Parks services more than 70 parks and facilities with more than 2,700 acres of parks and trails. These parks offer fields, play equipment, natural areas with trails and scenic views. Spend part of your day doing a service project and the rest of your day enjoying the scenery. 

Partner with existing work parties or work with staff to create a group specific project. These parks are heavily used by visitors each year; they can always use a helping hand to keep them looking beautiful.

  • Activity: Projects dependent on the season, but possibilities include: brush removal, trail maintenance, litter pickup, weeding, planting, natural restoration and more.
  • Group Size: All sizes can be accommodated.
  • Time: Three hour minimum. Full day activities available.
  • Difficulty: Easy to very challenging.

DuPont Historical Society

[Having an Educational Experience, Cultural Immersion]

The DuPont Historical Society preserves the culture of the city of DuPont by maintaining a historic museum and historic sights. DuPont is named for the DuPont Company where the DuPont Powderworks Plant was formerly located. It is famous for the DuPont Dynamite Train currently being restored at the History Museum.
 
Restoring and maintaining this gem of a city is beneficial to the maintenance of our local culture and heritage. The Dynamite Train offers a beautiful and interesting conversational backdrop for special events, receptions and voluntourism opportunities.

  • Activity: City park beautification, historic train painting, historic photograph labeling and sorting.
  • Group Size: Individuals, small groups and medium-sized groups can be accommodated.
  • Time: Any time commitment available.
  • Difficulty: Very easy to challenging.

Harbor History Museum

[Having an Educational Experience, Cultural Immersion]

The Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor is a hands-on learning center featuring fascinating history of the maritime village. From the magnetic wall of fun to the schoolhouse on the back property, the Harbor History Museum is a place of learning and fun.

Help the Harbor History Museum restore the historically significant fishing vessel the Shenandoah. Hands-on opportunities range from grouting the ship to refurbishing the interior of the cabin to building miniature replicas of the ship!

  • Activity: Rebuild and refurbish the Shenandoah or build model replicas of the ship.
  • Group Size: Up to 20 people.
  • Time: Three hour minimum. Half- and full-day activities available.
  • Difficulty: Medium.