Volunteer with Friends of Shelby

Volunteers breathe life into our mission to preserve, protect, and enhance Shelby Park and Bottoms. Volunteers are at the heart of Friends of Shelby: planting trees, picking up trash, maintaining trails, assisting with special events, and helping with various larger projects.

Check out all the ways to get involved, and sign up today to receive updates on volunteer opportunities.

Keep scrolling to sign up for upcoming events!

Upcoming Volunteer OPPORTUNITIES

Fridays by the River

Just because our concert season is almost over doesn’t mean there isn’t more fun in store! We’re headed right into the next season of Fridays by the River, our weekly pop-up beer garden in partnership with East Nashville Beer Works. Volunteers get a free t-shirt and drink (for those 21+) to say thank you for helping us put on these beloved events! Click the date below that you’d like to sign up. 🍺

October 3rd - October 10th - October 17th

Young FOS Volunteer Day: Harvesting Wildflower Seeds
SAT. October 11th (9-11 AM)

We had a great turnout for our first Young Friends of Shelby event in July and we’re excited to keep the ball rolling with another volunteer day! Spend a fall morning outdoors with the group as we help harvest wildflower seeds — including the beloved tickseed sunflower — in Shelby Bottoms. This project supports the park’s efforts to collect and preserve native wildflower seeds for future plantings.
Click here to volunteer!

Full Belly 5K and Fun Run
SAT. November 29th

With the Golden Pheasant Triathlon under our wing, we’re ready to take flight towards our next race: the Full Belly 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, November 29th! This annual turkey trot not only supports Friends of Shelby, but also the Martha O’Bryan Center through financial and food donations to their food bank. Help us support our neighbors by volunteering for a shift!
Click here to volunteer!

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Restore the Forest Invasive Plant Removal
WED. October 8th (1-3:30 PM)
TUE. October 14th (9-11:30 AM)
FRI. October 31st (9-11:30 AM)

Cooler weather makes for the perfection conditions for our Restore the Forest program to start back up, and we couldn’t be more excited! By removing invasive plants from the forest, we free up space for native plants and animals to thrive in their place, creating a healthier forest for everyone to enjoy.
Click here to volunteer!

Baseball Field Maintenance
MON. October 20th (1-3 PM)

With thousands of players using the fields in Shelby Park in the fall, the folks that maintain the grounds could use an extra hand or two to keep things in tip-top shape! You’ll be helping to clean up fields of debris and weeds, repairing fences, or anything else that’s needing a little TLC.
Click here to volunteer!

Nature Center Garden Help
THU. October 16 (9:30-11 AM)

Just because the leaves are falling doesn’t mean there isn’t a garden to tend! The Shelby Bottoms Nature Center’s garden is always in need of some helping hands — from weeding to mulching to harvesting, there’s plenty to be uncovered beneath the blanket of leaves.
Click here to volunteer!

All Park Trash Pick Up
FRI. October 24th (9-11 AM)
SAT. November 1st (9-11 AM)

October may bring up memories of trick-or-treating with friends, wearing elaborate costumes, and swapping candy into the wee hours of the night. However, all that fun sometimes comes with something scary… LITTER! Help us keep the park free of candy wrappers and costume baubles at some post-fun trash pick-ups!
Click here to volunteer!

SHELBY PARK AMBASSADORS

Do you love Shelby Park and Bottoms? Would you like to be more involved in park events, the community, and Friends of Shelby? Join our Park Ambassador program! Park Ambassadors help achieve our mission of preserving, enhancing and protecting the park by increasing our community outreach via tabling, events, and open houses. In this long-term volunteer program, you will learn all there is to know about the park and FOS and share this valuable information with the public!

Interested in joining the team? Send an email to cd@friendsofshelby.org!

Community Group Volunteer Program

Friends of Shelby loves to work with groups. Whether it's your ten-person office or your 100-person church, please reach out and see if we have a project that would suit your goals. Friends of Shelby helps coordinate the project and provides tools, gloves, and work project assignments to match the size and capabilities of any volunteer group. Each volunteer day begins with an orientation including the goals of the park improvement effort, tool training, and general safety rules.

If you are interested in a project for your group, please click the button below and fill out our interest form!
Questions? Email our Community Outreach and Volunteer Leader at cd@friendsofshelby.org.

GROUP VOLUNTEER EVENT INTEREST FORM