Volunteering

Summer Archaeology Project

SAP 2015 - 2025

This summer we will continue our mission to prepare archaeological materials for further research, while training volunteers in basic laboratory procedures and interpretive skills to share history and stewardship messages with the public.

With a twist!

We are focusing on the American period of California History, with a new assemblage of artifacts. Within these contexts from excavations at Santa Clara University, we will be encountering a variety of materials and artifact types. To prepare us, Linda Hylkema & Tiffany Torma will train SAP volunteers to identify, catalogue, and house artifacts.

We hope you will join us on this new adventure, and look forward to an exciting and rewarding summer.

2025 Schedule:

Monday, June 16: 10am - 2pm Orientation

Training & Sorting Sessions: June 23 - August 18

10am - 2:30pm

Total of 9 weeks

New Volunteers:

If you are interested in joining us this summer to do some of this critical archeological work, our volunteer form is now live on the State Parks volunteer website, BetterImpact. If this sounds like a project you'd like to join us on, please make an account and fill out the State Parks Volunteer Application and you will mark your primary location as Santa Cruz Mission SHP (no need to mark a secondary location). Please mention SAP in the application.

Fingerprinting:

All volunteers need to be fingerprinted You can go to Santa Cruz LiveScan near downtown, or another fingerprinting service. It is typically around $30.00. Look for updates in case we can bring SC LiveScan to the park for a group service on June 16th. (usually at a reduced fee.) Fill out this form and take it with you when you have the livescan done. It contains a code which will send the results to the park's HR department.

https://www.santacruzlivescan.com/

Bear In Mind:

All volunteers are required to complete the Bear In Mind Training. This training covers the fundamentals of workplace awareness, and needs to be completed before the training and volunteer sessions begin. It can be done online or with a workbook, and typically takes less than 2 hours to complete. The time spent on the training will be credited towards your volunteer hours.

Questions? Contact santacruzmission@ports.ca-us or call the park at 831 425-5849 for more information.

Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Mission

Interested in volunteering at the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park? Check out the ways you can be involved!

Docent Volunteers

Are you passionate about history, and want to help tell this difficult story? We welcome folks interested in docenting-- leading guided tours and living history demonstrations for adults, and those who want to assist us working with students in our field trips.

Garden Volunteers

Our gardens take work, and luckily we have some wonderful gardeners who help weed, plant, and care for plants franging from native species to those brought by the Spanish. Join the team, and help us care for the stories our gardens have to tell about the people who lived here.

Teen Team

Are you 13-18 years old? Need community service hours for school, or a volunteer project to take on? We welcome enthusiastic teens to join our teen team. Teens help us lead our Junior Ranger programs and Old Fashioned Campfires in the summer. They are also critical in helping with special events that take place throughout the year.

All State Park volunteers will log hours that works towards a free California State Parking pass in the year following their volunteering. Volunteers are required to be fingerprinted.

If you are interested in volunteering with us, let us know by filling out this form.