Volunteer in the Golden Gate National Parks at your doorstep. It’s fun, it’s healthy, and it makes a difference—the perfect way to pitch in on a momentous day and an opportunity for people to give back to the park sites we all love and cherish.

Join us to officially kick off the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Summer Service Initiative and Outdoor Youth Mentoring Program, following the conclusion of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, on June 25 by volunteering in the Golden Gate National Parks.

Alcatraz, the world-famous former Federal penitentiary and International visitor destination in the center of San Francisco Bay, has just benefited from a multi-million dollar restoration and renovation that has dramatically transformed and improved the way visitors experience the iconic national park.

 Alcatraz invites young people to navigate the Island and interact with nature, history and adventure by becoming an Alcatraz Junior Ranger.

Thanks to the Alcatraz Historic Gardens Project, the softer side of “The Rock” is being uncovered.

Learn more about Alcatraz spokespersons.

From its inception as a military fortress during the Civil War era, to the revolutionary 18-month occupation by the Indians of All Tribes during the 1960s, to its standing today as one of the country’s most popular National Park sites, the history of Alcatraz is fascinating to discover.

Between 1934 and 1963, Alcatraz housed a total of 1,576 inmates; here’s a line up of a few who were considered the “worst of the worst.”

Environmentalist, educator, 350.org co-founder and author Bill McKibben will be at Fort Baker in the Golden Gate National Parks on Sunday, November 7, 2010, to discuss “Food for the Parks,” the latest environmental initiative of the Institute at the Golden Gate.