(Metro Area and Central MN)
Enjoy the beautiful night sky at one, two, or all three candlelight ski events scheduled for Lake Carlos State Park, 6 – 9 PM on Saturday, January 7, Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4, 2012. Volunteer support is vital in providing these exceptional family events to the public. Set up or take down candles and luminaries on ski or snowshoe trails for one or more candlelight events. Up to 5 volunteers are needed each day, so grab your family and friends for a fun event! Warm up by the wood stove and enjoy refreshments in the shelter afterward.
Directions: The park entrance is located 10 miles north of Alexandria on State Highway 29, then 2 miles west on Highway 38.
For more information contact Alex Watson, Park Naturalist, Lake Carlos State Park, 2601 County RD 38 NE Carlos, MN 56319 at 320-852-7200 or email Alexander.watson@state.mn.us.
(Metro Area and Central MN)
Ice Fishing Clinic Volunteers Needed (Metro Area and Central MN)
There are many people living in Minnesota that have never tried ice fishing. MinnAqua needs volunteers to assist with a variety of ice fishing programs by sharing their knowledge and expertise with participants. Programs take place throughout the 7-county metro area.
Duties may include set-up, maintaining equipment, baiting hooks, playing educational games, and clean up. Volunteers may also assist with prepping equipment before/after programs. Training will be provided. Contact Roland Sigurdson, MinnAqua Education Specialist, Central Minnesota, at 612-625-1291 or email roland.sigurdson@dnr.state.mn.us for information.
Candlelight Ski/Walk near Red Wing – January 21(Metro Area and Central MN, Southern MN)
Experience the magic of candles reflecting on snow! Help park visitors enjoy the winter season at a candlelight ski/walk event at Frontenac State Park just south of Red Wing on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Two to four volunteers are needed to set up candles along the route and maintain them during the event, as well as remove them afterward. Training will be provided. Volunteers must have the ability to work outdoors in the cold after dark and be willing to work with others. Help is needed from 4:00 – 9:00 PM or any part of that time. After you are done, enjoy a nice warm beverage next to the wood stove in the enclosed shelter building. Event will be cancelled in the case of extreme cold weather conditions, or due to lack of snow cover. This event is not possible without volunteer help.
Directions: Frontenac State Park is located approximately 10 miles SE of Red Wing on Highway 61 or 5 miles northwest of Lake City, then 1 mile north on County Road 2.
For more information contact Harry Roberts, Park Manager, Frontenac State Park, 29223 Co. 28 Blvd., Frontenac, Minnesota 55026 at 651-345-3401 or email harry.roberts@state.mn.us
Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe Event at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park – January 21(Metro Area and Central MN, Southern MN)
Join us in creating a magical night of cross country skiing or snowshoeing (or walking, if there is no snow) on trails lit by the warm glow of luminaries! Volunteers are needed to assist with setting out luminaries along the 5 kilometers of ski trails, lighting the candles, and picking them up at the end of the evening. Help is needed on Saturday, January 21, 2012, between the hours of 4:30 - 9:30 PM. Up to 15 volunteers are needed for this event. This would be a great group activity! The event itself runs from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Volunteers need to be comfortable in dark, forested situations and physically able to work 2 – 3 hours outside in the cold weather. Hot beverages will warm your fingers and toes when you return to the Visitor Center!
Directions to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park: Take I-35 to State Highway 19 east into Northfield. Go south on State Highway 3, east on State Highway 246, then turn right onto County Road 29.
For more information, contact Nick Hoffmann, Assistant Park Manager, 9700 170 Street East, Nerstrand, MN 55053 at 507-333-4840 or email nick.hoffmann@state.mn.us
Ice Fishing at Bloomington Event – January 21(Metro Area and Central MN)
Welcome winter this year as part of the 9th Annual Winter Fest at Bush Lake in Bloomington! Join DNR’s Fishing in the Neighborhood staff assisting families and children with one of Minnesota’s most popular wintertime activities - ice fishing! The ice fishing program has been a hit with families and occurs out on the ice and in several heated fish houses.
Two volunteers are needed to assist children in ice fishing (rigging lines, baiting hooks and taking fish off the hook) as well as assisting them to drill their own ice hole, if desired. Training will be provided on the day of the event. Besides teaching kids how to ice fish, you will be teaching kids how to have fun outdoors!
Also chill out at other event activities hosted by Bloomington Park and Recreation staff on the frozen beach including a scavenger hunt, winter bingo, music, snow painting and more. Hot cocoa, cider and cookies will be served while supplies last. The event runs from 11 am to 2 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012 and is located at 9140 East Bush Lake Road, Bloomington.
Contact Leah Weyandt, Fisheries Specialist, Shakopee, at (952) 496-4141 ext. 225 or email Leah.Weyandt@state.mn.us for more information or to sign up for this event!
Gateway State Trail First Annual Candlelight Event – February 11(Metro Area and Central MN)
Volunteers will help with the preparations for the First Annual Candlelight Hike Event on the Gateway State Trail, Saturday February 11, 2012 from Oakdale to Grant. The event includes 2 miles of hiking trails, plus hot beverages by the bonfire located halfway between the 55th St parking lot in Oakdale and Highway 36 in Grant.
Duties: Up to 5 volunteers will set out candles, light them or pick them back up at the end of the evening. Set up time is from about 4 to 5:30 p.m., lighting candles is from about 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and pick up will be from about 9 to 10:00 pm. Volunteers are also needed to assist with parking at the 55th St parking lot in Oakdale and refreshments at the bonfire. Volunteer for the entire evening or just one of the times. Please request your preferred task/time. Training will be provided. Older kids are welcome to volunteer with parents – families will work together.
Volunteers must be comfortable working in the outdoor environment, i.e. being physically able, and wearing warm winter clothing as needed, etc. Backpacks are also helpful for carrying candle materials.
For more information contact Rachel Hintzman, Area Supervisor, Gateway State Trail, St Paul, at 651-259-5875 or email Rachel.L.Hintzman@state.mn.us.
Flood Damage Data Entry(Metro Area and Central MN)
The DNR Flood Damage Reduction Grant Assistance Program provides technical and financial assistance to local government units for reducing the risk of the damaging effects of floods. Under this program, the state awards cost-share grants to local units of government for up to 50 percent of the total cost of a project. A data base is being created using information taken from the grant application files. This data base will allow the DNR to query information for presentation to the Legislature, where the grant funds are approved.
Volunteers interested in helping to reduce flood damage, and are detail oriented, accurate, computer literate and analytical, are needed to glean pre-determined data ( such as project type, appropriations amounts, match amounts, project location information, contact information, etc.) and enter this information either directly into the data base itself or onto spreadsheets.
Hours are flexible, but must fall within regular office hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday. At least 2-3 hours at a time, 8 - 10 hours a week, is preferred. All work will take place at the DNR Central Office, 500 Lafayette Rd, St Paul, and training will be provided. Volunteers who work over 4 hours at a time are eligible for lunch in the building cafeteria.
For more information, contact Judy Boudreau, Hydrologist, St Paul, at 651-259-5659 or email judy.boudreau@state.mn.us.
Scanning Water Permits(Metro Area and Central MN)
Assist DNR Ecological and Water Resources in converting their public waters and water appropriation permit paper files into an electronic format by scanning. Public waters permits are issued for beach sand blankets, riprap (which protects the shore from eroding), and construction of bridges and culverts. Water appropriation permits are required for those requesting to use 10,000 gallons of water per day or 1 million gallons of water per year for irrigation purposes. Volunteers may also be asked to scan water use reporting forms (water appropriation permittees are required to document and report the water they use on a yearly basis) and rain gage reporting forms (volunteer reporting of daily rain/snow/snow depth recordings). Volunteers with entry-level computer and typing skills are needed. Training will be provided. This work must be done at the DNR Central Office, 500 Lafayette Rd, St Paul, anytime from 8 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. For more information contact Felicia Barnes, Planner, Division of Ecological and Water Resources, 651-259-5716 or email Felicia.barnes@state.mn.us.
Java or C+ Experience for Fish CSI(Metro Area and Central MN, NE, NW, and Southern MN)
Work from home as you assist the DNR Fisheries Research Unit with some Fish CSI work! Searching for an alternative that would reduce handling stress and avoid the minor surgery of tagging, all of which can alter fish behavior, the DNR is exploring the possibility of fish photo fingerprinting. Identification of individual trout and pike by their spot patterns, like fingerprints, would allow the DNR to study growth, movement, survival and possibly capture by anglers based on digital photographs. In addition, fish photo fingerprinting would save money for the cost of tags.
Two to three volunteers with some programming skills in Java or C+ are needed to help with this fish photo fingerprinting project. Volunteers familiar with Java are needed to improve the initial macros written for ImageJ, an open source image analysis program using Java. Cropping the fish image from the background of a blue measure board can be modified for green and grey boards. Programming output of spot locations is not yet in the text format to be read by the fingerprint matching program and addition of automatic measurement of fish length would be a huge improvement. The spot matching program now compares one new pattern to one reference pattern. Some C+ programming is also needed so it will compare each new pattern in a batch to each old pattern in a collection, and add new unmatched ones to the collection. Some training will be provided.
For more information on this project, contact Charles Anderson, Fisheries Research Supervisor, St. Paul, at 651-259-5188 or email charles.anderson@state.mn.us.
Clean Up Our Lakes and Streams(Metro Area and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
The Adopt-a-River program supports community engagement and environmental stewardship by facilitating waterway cleanups all over the state. In other words, cleaning up everything from public accesses to lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, wetlands and ravines! We provide supplies such as bags and gloves, educational materials, a how-to kit and geographic information to effectively encourage efforts.
Through community and individual organizations, groups will remove trash collected from frozen lakes, ponds, or streams this winter. Rubbish can also be removed after ice-off from the shoreline of any pond, river, lake, stream, fishing pier, water access, etc. Restrictions for participation, especially age, are dependent on clean- up site and safety concerns. Event coordinator will review materials designed to make the clean-up event successful.
There is flexibility in this program. You can arrange a one-time event or become an active adopt group, which requires one clean-up per year (minimum of two years commitment). The reason for requiring a two-year commitment is to allow enough time for the volunteers to see a change as a result of their efforts. This makes the work much more rewarding!
For more information on how to become involved in a clean-up effort, or to organize your own group, contact Paul Nordell, Adopt-a-River Program Coordinator, St. Paul, at 651-259-5620 or email Paul.nordell@state.mn.us.
(Northwestern MN)
Solid dates have not been set yet, but daytime and evening candlelight ski events are being planned for January and February and YOU can be a part of it! Two to three volunteers will assist in setting out, lighting and picking up candlelight ski bags with candles along the 1 mile ski trail in the Red River State Recreation Area located in East Grand Forks. Trail maintenance involving picking up dead tree branches and some garbage or litter on the day of the event, is also needed. Volunteers need to be physically able to work out in a cold winter environment for 2 – 3 hours prior to and during a scheduled event. Training will be provided. Note – no permit is required to ski this trail.
For more information on the dates and duties, contact Dave Aker, East Grand Forks, at 218-773-8000 or email egfaker@hotmail.com
Directions to Red River State Recreation Area, 515 2nd Street NW, East Grand Forks, MN 56721:
If traveling east on Highway 2, cross the Kennedy Bridge into East Grand Forks and take the first exit. Follow 4th Street NW to the parking lot for the Riverwalk Center mall, make a right turn and follow the avenue of flags to the park office. If traveling west, take a left turn at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 220 and follow DeMers Avenue to 4th Street NW. Take a right turn at Java Coffee and then a left turn into the parking lot for the Riverwalk Center mall and follow the avenue of flags to the park office.
(NE and NW MN)
Enjoy the day helping people get out and recreate winter sports style! The Bigfork Valley Challenge events are designed to provide an opportunity for people to learn about and participate or compete in life sports and activities that can improve fitness, health and quality of life. Checkout a list of the day’s events at http://www.bigforkvalley.org/Challenge/winter.html
Volunteers are needed for set up and help during the event activities!
Set up work on Friday, February 17, 2012 includes:
Day Events Work on Saturday, February 18, 12 noon – 5 PM include:
Up to 20 volunteers with any level of experience and winter sports knowledge will be accepted to help. The most important thing is a desire to help get people recreating outdoors in the winter!
Directions: Scenic State Park is located 7 miles east of Bigfork on County Road 7. Also 32 miles north of Hwy 169.
For more information contact Dawn Voges, Assistant Park Manager, Scenic State Park, 56956 Scenic Hwy 7, Bigfork MN 56628 at 218-743-3362 or email dawn.voges@state.mn.us
Gooseberry Falls Candlelight Ski – Feb 18 (Northeastern MN)
Enjoy the beautiful winter scenery as you help with the preparations for Gooseberry Falls State Park’s Annual Candlelight Ski event, Saturday February 18, 2012 near Two Harbors. This event is very popular and attracts hundreds of visitors to the park, but could not be offered without the assistance of volunteers! The event includes several miles of ski, snowshoe and hiking trail, plus hot beverages by the fire in the Visitor Center. A MN Ski pass is required for skiers and can be purchased at the park. The event will be cancelled in case of poor weather conditions.
Duties: Volunteers will break into teams that either set out candles, light them or pick them back up at the end of the evening. Teams are needed for each of several loops (ski/snowshoe/hiking trail). Set up time is from about 4 to 6:30 PM and pick up will be from about 8:30 to 10:00 PM.
Volunteers are also needed to hand out information and refreshments and assist with other activities as early as 2 PM. Volunteer for the entire evening or just one of the teams/times. Minimum time commitment is 2 hours. Please request you preferred task/time. Training will be provided.
Volunteers must be comfortable working in the outdoor environment, i.e. being physically able, and wearing warm winter clothing as needed, etc. Bring skis or snowshoes (none will be provided) – you don’t need to be an expert, but these are needed to travel on the trails. Backpacks are also helpful for carrying candle materials.
There will be a volunteer pot-luck at the Visitor Center after set-up, and there’s also plenty of time to participate in the event in-between volunteer tasks. If you want to join the potluck, bring something (delicious) to share. This would be a great group activity as upwards of 40 volunteers are needed for this event. Older kids are welcome to volunteer with parents – families will work together.
For more information, contact Shawn Donais, Assistant Park Manager, Gooseberry Falls State Park, 3206 Hwy 61, Two Harbors, MN 55616 at 218-834-3855 or email Shawn.Donais@state.mn.us.
(Northeastern MN)
Help visitors enjoy the winter season at the annual candlelight snowshoe and hike at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park in Two Harbors on Saturday, February 25, 2012. This event is not possible without the commitment of volunteers. It enables people to experience the park enhanced by the magic of candles reflecting on snow.
Volunteers are needed for the following duties:
Trail Crews: We need people to place candleholders along the trails, light the candles, patrol the trails throughout the event and collect the candles and holders at the conclusion of the event. These folks will be working outside for 1 – 2 hours, so need to dress accordingly for the cold weather. All of these volunteers need to be in good physical condition, able snowshoe or walk 3 – 4 miles and help people have fun!
This is a one-day event on Saturday, February 25, 2012. The event itself runs from 6:00 - 8:30 PM, but set up volunteers are needed starting at 3:30 PM. Volunteers that can help for the whole event should be available from 3:30 PM – 9:30 PM. Volunteer registration will begin at 3:30 PM, trail setup will be from 3:30 – 5:00 PM, lighting will take place 4:30 - 6:00 PM and takedown will be 8:30 - 9:30 PM. Approximately 8 - 10 volunteers total are needed for the day. Training will be provided.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Colin Wright, Assistant Park Manager, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Two Harbors, at 218-226-6377 or email Colin.Wright@state.mn.us.
(NE and NW MN)
Assist a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, US Forest Service, and the Minnesota DNR with establishing a research project to assess the ecological and hydrological effects of emerald ash borer (EAB) in black ash wetlands. A major goal of the project is to develop management practices to mitigate impacts of EAB and maintain important functions of black ash wetland ecosystems.
Up to 10 volunteers will assist project personnel with girdling black ash trees during January and February 2012 to mimic infestation by EAB. (Girdling is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of the trunk of the tree usually resulting in its death.)
Research will take place in the Chippewa National Forest (Itasca County, approximately 9 miles west on Third River Road off of Route 46).
All volunteers must be physically able to conduct strenuous work in adverse conditions. Full day (8 hours) commitments are needed and multiple days are preferred. Training and equipment will be provided. Lunch may be provided for all volunteers.
For more information contact Rob Slesak, Site-level Program Manager, MN Forest Resources Council, Region Headquarters, St. Paul at 651-603-6756 or email raslesak@umn.edu.
(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
This is a great opportunity to ‘bird with a purpose’ by participating in the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas, the largest, most comprehensive bird conservation project ever conducted in Minnesota. In 2009, Minnesota began this 5-year project to document every breeding species in the state and where they nest. If you ever needed a reason to get outside and go birding, this is it.
2011 was our third of five seasons. There is still time, but only 2 more years left to join the project and make a lasting contribution to bird conservation. Results from observations submitted so far show changes to many species ranges. Since 1975, preliminary reports show that Red-bellied Woodpeckers have expanded their breeding range well north of Stearns County.
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Red-bellied Woodpecker |
Two Ways to Help
1. Surveyors select and sign-up for a critical (priority) block. Blocks are available throughout the state. Surveyors spend about 20 hours between March and August driving, walking, paddling, or biking through different habitats within their survey block to record what they see. The goal for every block survey is to record as many species as you can find with the strongest evidence of breeding observed for each species. Evidence includes: seeing a pair in suitable habitat, an adult carrying nesting material or food, or seeing fledglings. Participants do not need to be experts but need to be sure the species they report is correct. We do not count birds and you don’t have to find nests, although by watching bird behavior you will definitely find them.
2. Field Observers document evidence of breeding species the same as surveyors, however, you can report breeding observations as you bird anywhere throughout the state or from your backyard or favorite birding site.
Please join us! Your observations will help us learn more about our breeding birds and you will improve your bird identification and observational skills. Results from the Atlas will map the distribution of every breeding species we find and support local, county, state, and regional conservation planning.
To learn more about this project, how to participate, or see Atlas results to date, check out our project website, www.mnbba.org. Review the 2011 Handbook, under the Materials tab, for important survey information then use the Easy Guide to get started.
Still have questions? Contact the Project Coordinator, Bonnie Sample at bsample@audubon.org, or 651-739-9332, ext 20.
This project is supported by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the MN DNR with Audubon Minnesota, the Bell Museum, Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, Natural Resources Research Institute at UMD, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Build Portable Field Desks(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
The Minnesota School Forest Program works with schoolteachers to educate students about forestry topics. Much of this education needs to happen outdoors, however, one of the barriers to outdoor teaching is the teachers’ lack of outdoor infrastructure suitable for learning. Volunteers are needed to help bridge this gap by building portable field desks for the students to use outside. These portable field desks will serve 3 functions: 1) they let students carry in to the field materials like paper, pencils and measuring tools, 2) the removable clipboard/lid gives students a hard surface to write on, and 3) the box itself allows students a portable stool to sit on.
Volunteers who make classroom sets of student field desks will help teachers to take their students outdoors for a variety of natural resources-related educational activities. These portable desks will be given to teachers in the Minnesota School Forest Program (www.mndnr.gov/schoolforest ) who have expressed an interest in teaching outdoors. Volunteers who already work with a teacher in their community are encouraged to create these portable desks for this purpose, too!
Using the carpentry specifications provided in the pdf : "How to Make a Field Desk" 
Volunteers are needed to construct a number of desks. (A classroom set is 25.) Volunteers will need to provide their own lumber, tools, and work site. Volunteer will transport the finished product to selected school. Volunteer should be able to use carpentry tools safely. At the volunteer’s discretion, it’s okay to add a label or wood burn a signature such as “Created by…..” on the bottom of the desks. This could be a possible Eagle Scout project.
Contact Amy Kay Kerber, School Forest Program Manager, St. Paul, at
888-646-6367 or email AmyKay.Kerber@state.mn.us to select a school to build desks for and make arrangements for this project. Proper recognition will be given when project is completed.
Currently there are about 20 School Forests awaiting field desks, however, most of them are in northern Minnesota. If you are not able to transport the field desks to the school, some teachers are willing to pick them up from you! Contact Amy Kay for more information.
(Statewide, Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN))
If you enjoy the great outdoors, scenic vistas, comfortable surroundings and the company of other campers, then consider becoming a "live in" host for at least 4 weeks during the period from May to October at a Minnesota State Park or State Forest Campground. The primary responsibility is to assist campers by answering questions and explaining campground rules in a cheerful and helpful manner. Campground Host volunteers should be familiar with state park and forest campground rules and should become familiar with local points of interest and the location where local services can be obtained.
Volunteers perform light maintenance work around the campground such as litter pickup, sweeping, stocking supplies in toilet buildings and making emergency minor repairs when possible. Campground Host volunteers may be requested to assist in the naturalist program by posting and distributing schedules, publicizing programs or helping with programs. Volunteers will set an example by being model campers, practicing good housekeeping at all times in and around the host site, and by observing all rules.
Campground Host volunteers generally work independently. Volunteers are accountable to the park manager who will provide training and orientation for hosts and assist hosts throughout the season with any question or problems that may arise. Length of period, workdays and hours are established with the campground manager, but will generally include all weekends and holidays. Avid campers or RV’ers are encouraged to apply!
Campground Hosts will be selected from applications that have been satisfactorily completed and submitted in a timely manner. Interviews will be conducted by the campground manager. The number of consecutive years that a host may serve may be limited to allow others an opportunity. These limitations are at the discretion of the campground manager. All DNR volunteers must undergo a background check. This is done at the time of selection. This also applies to hosts returning from the previous season.
For more information on the State Park and Forest Campground Host Program, email
campground.host@state.mn.us or call (888) MINNDNR or 888-646-6367 or in the Metro area call 651-259-5607. Campground Host applications can be found at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/stateparks/campgroundhost.htmll or http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/stateparks/campgroundhostapp.pdf
Hosts are needed at most State Parks and Forests.
(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
If you enjoy being on the water, fishing, and talking to other boaters, then consider becoming a Marina Host for 3 months this summer at the Silver Bay Marina located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Silver Bay, MN. This is the marina version of a campground host!
Hosts are provided with a free RV campsite, complete with electricity and sewer hookup along with a great view of Lake Superior, in return for service at the marina. The host must provide his/her own camping unit and equipment. If the hosts have a boat, they may store it on a trailer next to their campsite and use the launching facilities at the marina.
Primary responsibilities of a host include assisting boaters, answering questions from people using the picnic area, and being physically able to perform light maintenance of the grounds and facilities (litter pickup and light cleaning). Training will be provided and hosts with boating or sailing experience, big water fishing, and/or customer service experience are encouraged to apply. A criminal background check is required.
Hosts are needed from June 1 – September 1, 2012; exact dates are negotiable. Workdays and hours are 4 – 5 days a week to be established with marina management. Workdays will generally include weekends and holidays. Avid campers, boaters, or RV’ers are encouraged to apply for this opportunity to spend the summer on the shore of this great lake!
For more information on the Marina Host position, please contact Amber Humphrey, Development Specialist, DNR Parks & Trails Unit, Two Harbors, at 218-834-1437 or email Amber.Humphrey@state.mn.us.
(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
Consider becoming a Certified Volunteer Safety Instructor in Firearms, Bowhunter Education, Snowmobile, ATV, or Wildlife Species!
Pass on a love for your sport by teaching youth and adults the ethics and safety you would expect from those you meet in the field. During the instructor training, applicants will learn about policy and procedures, teaching concepts, use of training aids and youth classroom training techniques.
Check current certified volunteer instructor classes or sign up for our instructor e-mail list to receive notification of any additional instructor training sessions. Go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/instructors.
All new instructor applicants and instructors seeking recertification must meet the requirements of being at least 18 years old and passing a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) background check. All applicants for any of the DNR safety programs must also complete the forms online and attend a volunteer instructor training course. There is no fee to attend.
Please contact the Regional Training Officer in your area - Map of RTOs 
Minnesota Master Naturalist Training(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
The Minnesota Master Naturalist Program is a volunteer program that trains adults about Minnesota's natural resources, teaches how to educate others, and provides opportunities to do conservation projects. To learn more visit www.MinnesotaMasterNaturalist.org.
(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern 
MN)
Nature preschools in the state need sets of building blocks made from trees. As preschools and schools trend toward the use of “green” rather than commercially-manufactured materials, sources for products like these building blocks are hard to find. We need volunteers to create sets of 50 building blocks like the ones outlined in this plan 
. You will need to provide your own wood, tools, and materials. You are free to experiment with different species of wood. At least one adult who is comfortable and skilled using power tools is necessary to complete these blocks. This may be an individual or group project. At the end of your project, we will give you the name of a preschool or school that needs the blocks. This project benefits teachers and children who are in the School Forest program, which is Minnesota’s program for outdoor classrooms. For more information contact Laura Duffey, Forestry Education Specialist, St Paul, at 651-259-5263 or email laura.duffey@state.mn.us No training or reimbursement is available for this project.
State Natural Areas Assistance(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
State scientific and natural areas (SNA) are the premier state lands displaying examples of native prairies, old growth forests, geological features and habitat for rare and endangered species. The state natural areas program needs volunteers to work on projects at natural areas throughout the state. Projects are typically carried out on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted, many weekends throughout the year. Activities include prairie and woodland seed collection, removal of invasive species, pulling buckthorn, and cutting and burning brush such as sumac. These activities are posted under the SNA Program Volunteer web page.
Volunteer Project: Burn Brush, Invasive Removal |
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Date: |
January 21 and February 25, 2012 |
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Time: |
10 AM to 2 PM |
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Location: |
Lost Valley Prairie SNA |
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Description: |
Come join in this "cool" volunteer project! We will warm up by burning brush piles and if there isn't enough snow, do some invasive weed/brush removal. See the site's web page for a map and description. This event will be led by the Lost Valley Prairie Site Steward, Jim Smetana. |
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Directions: |
Located from the Twin Cities, S on US Hwy 61 to MN Hwy 95, then N on MN 95 to Co Rd 78, then E on Co Rd 78 to Nyberg Avenue, then .5 mi N on Nyberg. Park at the end of the road. |
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More Information: |
Contact Kelly Randall at 651-259-5070 or by email at sna.dnr@state.mn.us. |
Volunteer Project: Clear Brush |
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March 24, 2012 |
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10 AM to 2 PM |
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Lost Valley Prairie SNA |
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Come lop, saw, and cut away the day. The task for this project is brush removal. See the site's web page for a map and description. This event will be led by the Lost Valley Prairie Site Steward, Jim Smetana. |
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Located from the Twin Cities, S on US Hwy 61 to MN Hwy 95, then N on MN 95 to Co Rd 78, then E on Co Rd 78 to Nyberg Avenue, then .5 mi N on Nyberg. Park at the end of the road. |
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Contact Kelly Randall at 651-259-5070 or by email at sna.dnr@state.mn.us. |
Find more events on the DNR Events Calendar .
(Metro and Central MN, NW, NE, and Southern MN)
Forestry education programs such as School Forest and Project Learning Tree (PLT) help Minnesota teachers teach outdoor and forestry education. We need volunteers to create “tree cookies” as teaching aides for teachers to use with their students. Tree cookies are slices of branches or trunks that show the rings of a tree. They are used to teach children how trees and other woody plants grow, environmental factors affecting tree growth, tree identification, and more. Teachers often don’t have the time or capability to make these so volunteer help is greatly appreciated!
Slice the branches or trunk into half-inch thick, wafer-shaped “cookies” that are between three to six inches in diameter. Sand the surfaces until the rings appear. Finish the surfaces with clear varnish. "Interesting" cookies with easily readable rings are preferred (e.g. cookies that show history of disease, disturbance, or other story). Labeling cookie species and location harvested is optional, but appreciated. This project can be done individually or with a group (scouts, 4-H, FFA, Kiwanis, etc.) You must provide your own tree or woody plant material, saws, sander, oven, varnish, and labor. When finished contact Laura Duffey at 651-259-5263 or email laura.duffey@state.mn.us to arrange for delivery to site and to get Minnesota DNR recognition! We can use at least 100 cookies made by each volunteer group. 100 cookies are enough for about three classes. So the more you can make, the better! They will be used!
Tree Cookies - How to Make Your Own