Adopt-a-Park | City of Hamilton

Adopt A Park

Year-round program
Volunteers contribute to the Biodiversity Action Plan
Designed to help keep Hamilton Parks litter free, attractive and safe
Engages volunteers, park users, and community groups to be Clean and Green Champions

Great parks make great neighbourhoods!

The Adopt-A-Park program is a year-round program for volunteers to help maintain and care for their local parks, dog parks, green spaces, and trails.

Adopt-A-Park groups sign an agreement to take care of a park or green space for three years. The group must host litter clean-ups, remove or report graffiti, and weed shrub beds at least four times each year. Woodchips or mulch for trees must be added every other year.

Upon signing an Adopt-A-Park agreement, volunteer groups receive a custom sign with their name and logo installed in their adopted park to acknowledge the adoption of the park.

Adopt-a-park

Program Details

How to Adopt a Park

Safety Information

Adopt-a-Park Toolkit

Visit the park finder below to locate available parks to be adopted
Complete the application below
Once your application is submitted, a member of the Clean and Green team will contact you to complete the process of adopting a green space.
Complete the volunteer orientation and mandatory safety training
Sign the Adopt- A- Park agreement (3-year commitment)
Host park clean-ups at least 4 times per year
Add woodchips or mulch for trees every other year
Register your clean-up events at least two weeks in advance at Team Up to Clean Up to receive your clean-up supplies

Volunteer group responsibilities

Pick up litter
Rake leaves
Report and/or remove graffiti
Report hazards
Sweep walkways and paved areas
Pull weeds
Keep shrubs and gardens maintained
Register on Team Up to Clean Up website, at minimal 2 weeks before your clean up, to receive Adopt-A -Park clean up supplies, gloves, garbage and leaf and yard waste bags

It is important that all Adopt-a-park Leaders review the health and safety information with participants before each clean up to ensure they know what to do if they come across any hazardous items.

Safety tips

Visit the cleanup location before your cleanup date to look for possible hazards.
Arrange for adult supervision if you have youth volunteers.
Have young volunteers ask an adult first if they are unsure about picking up a piece of litter.
Make sure volunteers are safe during the event.
Wear a safety vest or bright clothing so volunteers can find you easily in an emergency.
Have all volunteers work in pairs or small groups.
Ensure all volunteers wear work gloves and closed toe shoes.
Use tools and equipment safely and as intended to avoid injury.
Remind volunteers to wash hands before eating and at the end of the day.
Keep sunscreen and insect repellent on hand.
Make sure all volunteers drink water and keep hydrated.
Ensure volunteers take breaks and do not over-exert themselves during the community clean-up.
If you experience any injuries or illnesses during the clean-up, seek medical attention immediately.
Suspend the cleanup during bad weather (fog, thunder and lightening)

Hazardous items

Do not allow volunteers to pick up anything that could be hazardous to their health. This includes:

hypodermic needles
syringes
jagged glass or other sharp objects
animal carcasses
urine bottles
heavy objects
air brakes

If you come across any hazardous items, flag them and call 905-546-2489.

The Adopt-a-Park Tool Box is created to offer some of the resources that you require. If you require copies, feel free to print from the pdf in the tool box.

Volunteer Manual

Learn about volunteer responsibilities, health & safety information, what you need before you being your clean up and important contact information and resources.

Adopt-a-park artwork for volunteer social media

Found a needle, now what?

If you find a needle on Public property including sidewalks, streets, boulevards, parks, trails or facilities, contact the City of Hamilton, Customer Contact Centre, 905-546-2489 and report it.

Planning an Event?

If you’re planning an Event in addition to your clean up, you must register with our Recreation Facilities Division, they will determine availability and whether a Community S.E.A.T. Application is required. Generally, an Event is defined as 15 people or more and anything outside of the scope of an Adopt a Park clean up:

BBQ
Fundraiser
Holiday Celebration
Park Makeover
Community Meeting

Register your Event with Recreation Facility Rentals

If serving food, please ensure that you’re following Public Health Guidelines and that one of your representatives has a validated Food Handlers Certificate.

Food Handler Requirements and Training(PDF, 385.54 KB)

Hamilton's ParkFinder

Search for parks by location, or filter parks by a particular amenity. View map in new window

Adopt-a-Park Application

Contact Information

Name

Email

Phone

Address

City/Town

Postal Code

Alternate Contact

Name

Email

Phone

Preferred Park Locations

Enter 3 parks as your preferred locations

Group Information

Name of Group/Organization

Please indicate the size of your group

1-5

6-20

21-50

55+

What does your group/organization want to do at this park to improve and/or maintain it?

Notice of Collection

The City of Hamilton collects information under authority of Section 227 of the Municipal Act, 2001. Any personal information collected through the volunteer agreement form for the Hamilton Adopt A Park Program will be used for communicating volunteer clean ups and training information. By providing your email address, you are consenting to receiving emails from the City of Hamilton and/or their agents/contractors for purposes related to this program. Information collected for this initiative may be stored on servers located in Canada and the United States and may be subject to Canadian and/or American laws.

Questions about the collection of this personal information can be directed to Community Liaison Coordinator, Public Works Department, 71 Main St W, Hamilton Ontario 905-546-2489 and [email protected]

What is involved in adopting a park?

Volunteers agree to care for their Park for three years and agree to host clean ups at minimal four times a year and at least once in the Fall. Volunteers help maintain and care for green spaces, trees, flower and shrub beds. Volunteers help keep Hamilton Parks litter free, attractive and safe. Volunteers support the Biodiversity Action Plan and become Clean and Green Champions!

Who can apply to Adopt-A-Park?

This program is for community groups, organizations and businesses who wish to partner with the City of Hamilton for city park and green spaces stewardship and can include neighbourhood planning teams, park friends' groups, and others.

How can I Adopt-A-Park?

Fill out an application on our website today!

Is there a list of parks that can be adopted?

Yes! Check out our Park Finder.

How long does it take to Adopt-A-Park?

2-4 weeks, inclusive to training and sign installation.

Why should I become an Adopt-A-Park volunteer?

Volunteering is a great way to stay active in your community. You can take pride in:

A chance to leverage your skills, expertise and creativity
Engaging with your community in the great outdoors
A sense of ownership of your local parks

What do I need to volunteer?

Time! The most important thing you need is time - and a love for your community. The possibilities are diverse and are suitable for all ages and abilities, plus, we provide training, resources and clean up supplies!

Where do I get the supplies for doing my clean up?

Please register to pick up your clean up supplies at least two weeks before your clean up event.

What if multiple groups apply to adopt the same park?

If there are multiple groups that are interested, we often encourage them to collaborate on a joint application or join an existing group. However if a Park is large enough, we sometimes support multiple groups with Adopting the same Park.

Can other groups permit the park if my group has adopted it?

Yes, other groups are able to permit events in the park, as long as they do not conflict with existing, approved events, including those submitted by the Adopt-A-Park steward.

Date modified

August 18, 2026