Volunteer With us

See current opportunities below

As a BC Marine Trails volunteer, you won’t be on your own. Every position comes with mentorship and training to help you build confidence and skills. Whether you’re supporting stewardship activities, helping build communications strategy, or helping shape our First Nations Engagement Program, you’ll receive guidance from experienced team members and ongoing opportunities to learn. We’re committed to making sure your time with us is rewarding, meaningful, and sets you up for success in your role.

Committees/Teams

Our First Nation Engagement program involves working alongside over 74 coastal First Nations to help direct recreational traffic, safeguard cultural heritage sites and communicate visitation guidelines for Traditional Territories. We are seeking people to join our committee who have experience working with First Nations and hold an understanding of the colonial context within which Canada exists.

The Environmental Stewardship Program empowers paddlers and coastal recreationists to actively protect and care for the BC coast. Through tools like Site Condition Reporting and the Coastal Caretaker Program, users help monitor over 1,500 sites, report environmental changes, and take small but meaningful stewardship actions such as maintaining trails or removing debris. The program’s data informs First Nations, BC Parks, and partners about on-the-ground conditions, while larger initiatives — like cleanups, invasive species pulls, and marine debris removal — restore coastal ecosystems. Guided by the Marine Trails Code of Conduct, this program transforms recreation into stewardship, fostering a culture of reciprocity and care along BC’s coast.

The Communications Committee focuses on growing BC Marine Trails’ reach, and connecting with people and groups that matter most to our mission. 

The committee works with:

  • Membership & fundraising
  • Partnerships
  • Social media & our newsletter
  • Our blog, the Coastal Café
  • Press releases and media relations
  • Website updates & design
  • And more!

The Trails Development Committee oversees the planning, assessment, and maintenance of BC Marine Trails’ coastal network. They review site data gathered from research, user submissions, and field assessments to determine which locations meet safety standards, First Nations concurrence, and quality criteria for inclusion on the public map. The committee also identifies gaps in the marine trail network, guides infrastructure installations like tent platforms and composting toilets, and ensures safe travel distances between sites. Through collaboration with the First Nations Engagement Committee and volunteer Region Managers, they maintain a respectful, safe, and evolving trail system along BC’s 25,000 km of coastline.

The IT Team provides essential technical support that keeps BC Marine Trails running smoothly behind the scenes. They manage system administration, respond to Help Desk requests, and maintain both our website and the BC Marine Trails map. Their work supports our entire community by keeping vital tools online and accessible for members, volunteers, and coastal recreationists across BC.

Board of Directors

BC Marine Trails is seeking additional board members, to be voted in at our November 29th AGM (2025). In particular, we are seeking individuals with skills in any and all of the following:

  • Finance / accounting
  • Fundraising / donor acquisition / donor stewardship
  • Database management
  • GIS / geomatics
  • Stewardship education / environmental cleanups
  • First Nations engagement
  • Trail development / infrastructure building

Please note that we are a working board, with an expected time commitment of approximately 4–5 hours per month in addition to regular board meetings. To put your name forward to join our 12-person board, please reach out to president@bcmarinetrails.org.

Volunteer Job Listings

Environmental Stewardship Committee

Share the BC Marine Trails Code of Conduct with your community! Ambassadors receive training and materials to deliver engaging presentations in local schools and at community events. This role is perfect for people who want to become (or already are) knowledgeable about responsible coastal recreation and enjoy public speaking.

No prior experience necessary. 

Time commitment: 

  • Monthly 1.5 hour stewardship meetings (7pm, second Monday of the month)
  • As much as you are willing to take on as an ambassador!

To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Lycette at l.clark@bcmarinetrails.org 

Help grow and support our network of Coastal Caretakers (CCs). The Head CC leads outreach and recruitment, fosters community among CCs, coordinates training opportunities, and helps source quotes for the “CC Corner” feature in the monthly BCMT newsletter. By strengthening engagement, this role directly boosts stewardship activity and Site Condition Report submissions. This role is perfect for someone who is passionate about and would enjoy promoting coastal stewardship.

No prior experience necessary. 

Time commitment: 

  • Monthly 1.5 hour stewardship committee meetings (7pm, second Monday of the month)
  • 3-5 hours monthly outside of committee meetings, or as much as you are willing to take on.
To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Lycette at l.clark@bcmarinetrails.org 

Turn field reports into actionable insights! Analysts review Site Condition Reports as they come in, flag urgent issues (like broken infrastructure or safety hazards), and help prepare an annual summary of trends and impacts each fall. This role is ideal for detail-oriented volunteers who enjoy data and want to make a tangible difference for stewardship on the coast.

Basic knowledge of Excel / Google Sheets an asset. 

Time commitment: 

  • Monthly 1.5 hour stewardship committee meetings (7pm, second Monday of the month)
  • 3-5 hours monthly outside of committee meetings.
To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Lycette at l.clark@bcmarinetrails.org 

Help shape the future of BCMT’s stewardship work! This is an open-ended role designed to expand the scope of our stewardship events. Coordinators may organize or support activities such as community cleanups, paddling club events, or local Ocean Week Canada events (early June) — with flexibility to focus on opportunities specific to their own region. If you enjoy event planning, community outreach, and making a hands-on impact, this role is for you!

No prior experience necessary. 

Time commitment: 

  • Monthly 1.5 hour stewardship committee meetings (7pm, second Monday of the month)
  • As needed, seasonal based on demand for events and your availability!
To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Lycette at l.clark@bcmarinetrails.org 

Trails Development Committee

The Assistant Regional Manager (RM) will be trained and mentored on our database, reporting system, and GIS system. The work entails attending near monthly Trails Development committee meetings, researching / processing campsite and day use site data throughout the winter and spring, and assisting in the summer months with incoming Site Condition Reports. You will also learn how the committee works with First Nations engagement. Volunteer hours are very flexible with the expectation of 1 to 2 hours per week. The candidate should have some GIS background and reasonable knowledge of the BC coast and be an independent thinker.

To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Paul at pgrey@bcmarinetrails.org

The North Coast Region Manager (RM) will be trained and mentored on our database, reporting system, and GIS system. The work entails attending near monthly Trails Development committee meetings, researching and processing campsite and day use site data throughout the winter and spring, and assisting in the summer months with incoming Site Condition Reports. You will also learn how the committee works with First Nations engagement. Volunteer hours are very flexible with the expectation of 1 to 2 hours per week. The candidate should have some GIS background and reasonable knowledge of the BC coast and be able to think independently. 

To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Paul at pgrey@bcmarinetrails.org

First Nations Engagement Committee

The committee, along with staff, leads First Nations engagement on behalf of the Board. BCMT proactively engages with First Nations to seek Concurrence for all activities that affect their Traditional Territories, from the information on the BCMT Map, website and physical activities such as signage or drop zones. We’re looking for help in writing grants that support these highly successful efforts to date, to be submitted by BCMT and/or Nations.

Skills we are looking for to fill the role (any or all of): Familiarity with grantors in this sector, experience in grant writing and proposal development, strong communication skills, and experience working with Indigenous Nations and the outdoor recreation community.

Time commitment: 

  • Monthly 1-2 hour long committee meetings. 
  • Up to 8 hours weekly when working on specific grants. 

To express interest in the role, please reach out to Committee Chair Peter at penglander@bcmarinetrails.org

Not seeing the exact shoes you would like to fill? No worries — we are always interested in people passionate about all things BC Marine Trails. Please fill out the form below and we will connect you with the relevant team member.