Volunteer With Us
Our volunteer roles vary throughout the year based on project needs.
Acterra is a San Francisco Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Palo Alto that brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet. In the face of daunting environmental challenges, our science-backed approach instills hope while building community. Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action, including watershed protection and land stewardship throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: Climate Change.
We are fortunate to collaborate with a diverse group of dedicated volunteers who contribute their time to support Acterra’s programs and initiatives. We are so grateful for the community that has come together including middle school, high school and college students, working professionals, and retirees.
Volunteers who are passionate about our mission can participate in our events focused on home electrification (access to EVs, home electrification, and induction cooktops), food sustainability (farm to school education, fresh produce tasting, and food forest buildout with our partner Veggielution). We also host volunteers for longer-term program support in food sustainability, electrification/EVs, advocacy, youth education, operations & development, and marketing & communications, aligned with their interests and skills.
If you’re interested in getting involved beyond our listed events or ongoing requests for interns and volunteers, please complete this form. If you have any questions about volunteering or interning with us, feel free to reach out to at volunteer@acterra.org.
We look forward to meeting you and hope to have more projects in the future for you to get involved with!
Current Volunteer Opportunities
2026 Marin Green@Home Tour Event Volunteer
Acterra is excited to invite volunteers to be part of the 2026 Marin Green@Home Tour on August 29! This community event showcases homes across Marin County that have embraced sustainability through electrification, energy efficiency, water conservation, and other eco-friendly upgrades.
The event will be from 11 am - 3 pm. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make the tour a success. Volunteer roles may include greeting attendees, helping direct guests at tour homes, answering basic questions, assisting with setup and breakdown, and supporting event logistics throughout the day.
This is a great opportunity to connect with others who care about climate solutions, learn more about sustainable homes, and support community education around home electrification and greener living. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up below.
Sign Up Here
2026 Peninsula & South Bay Green@Home Tour Volunteer
Acterra is excited to invite volunteers to be part of the 2026 Peninsula & South Bay Green@Home Tour on October 10, 2026!
This community event showcases homes across the Peninsula and South Bay that have embraced sustainability through electrification, energy efficiency, water conservation, and other eco-friendly upgrades. The event will be from 11 am - 3 pm.
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make the tour a success. Volunteer roles may include greeting attendees, helping direct guests at tour homes, answering basic questions, assisting with setup and breakdown, and supporting event logistics throughout the day.
This is a great opportunity to connect with others who care about climate solutions, learn more about sustainable homes, and support community education around home electrification and greener living. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up below.
Sign Up Here
Volunteer for Monthly School Taste Surveys
Acterra and Ravenswood City School District (East Palo Alto/Menlo Park) are looking for volunteers to support Taste Survey, our monthly TK-8 cafeteria events during the 2026-27 school year. We host tastings of a seasonal, locally grown fruit or vegetable during lunchtime on the 3rd Thursday. Volunteers assist with set up and break down, distributing samples & stickers, and interacting with students and staff.
What you get: find out what it takes to operate TK-8 food service, help our students learn about where food comes from and build healthy eating habits, and enjoy nutritious produce grown by northern CA farmers!
If interested, please fill out the form below.
Sign Up Here
About Acterra
Inspiring and Motivating Action for Change
Acterra is a Bay Area-focused environmental organization based in Palo Alto that brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet. The organization’s roots go back to 1970 with a history of inspiring and motivating action for change.
Acterra is driven not by ego, but by the opportunity to learn and grow together, while achieving high impact through fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions. We harness the individual strengths within our staff and our network to foster a leader-full organization and movement. Our team members are high performers and high collaborators, and we encourage creativity and failing forward. This is not an aspirational vision: this is how we live our work, together.
Acterra strives to ensure that the organization is welcoming and inclusive. Acterra is an equal opportunity employer that supports and lives diversity in our staffing and values. Acterra does not discriminate as to gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social background, disability, pregnancy, marital status, political affiliation, or age. Acterra strives to include persons from traditionally under-represented groups and complies with all applicable national and local laws pertaining to non- discrimination and equal opportunity.
We strongly encourage and seek applications from women; people of color; immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming communities. Acterra complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.