Welcome to the Docent Program here at Natural Bridges State Beach. Through your affiliation with the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, the UCSC Environmental Studies Program, or other organizations, you will provide a great service to your community, your state parks, and to the habitat that makes up this special park. 

Various opportunities await the volunteer at Natural Bridges. Whatever your areas of interest are, your help is always needed. In the fall and winter months, guided tours of the Monarch butterfly preserve are offered. Tide pool tours are offered throughout the year, with the heaviest attendance occurring in the spring and summer months. There are many other walks and talks that we encourage docents to develop themselves, whether the topic be Native American plant uses, or the annual migration of whales. If you prefer spending quiet time outdoors, the invasive plant removal team and landscaping can always use helping hands. The possibilities are endless, and with the ever-increasing number of visitors attending the park, your ideas and assistance are always welcome.

 In recent years, an estimated 510,000 visitors annually have explored and enjoyed Natural Bridges State Beach. It is only with the generous help of docents such as you that we are able to provide our visitors with the rewarding experiences they now enjoy, and provide the wildlife with the protection they deserve. 

Community docents are more than just volunteers. As a docent, you will be professionally trained in your area(s) of interest, thereby enabling you to carry out you r presentations with confidence and ease. This training manual will help you begin that process, and once you have familiarized yourself with the material presented here, the manual will be an easy reference for various questions that arise along the way.

 Again, welcome to the program, and to all the opportunities that await you! 

Thank you, 

Natural Bridges State Beach Interpretive Staff