Prairie Seed Collection

Each year, hundreds of volunteers help increase the amount and diversity of seed planted in the nearly 2,000 acres of restored prairie managed by Three Rivers Park District. 

Seed collecting provides an opportunity to learn about the prairie’s rich history and how to identify many of the plants while helping to restore park land to native prairies.

• Who: Individuals or groups (Must be at least 12 years old)
• When: August–October

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

What to Expect

What you'll be doing

• You will collect seed by hand.
• Training is provided at the start of each session.

The type of location and environment

• Volunteers work in sunny open areas, walk through tall grass on uneven terrain.
• Collection sites are located in remote areas of our parks. After you have parked and joined the group, you will be guided out to the collection site. Be sure to arrive on time or early to the designated meeting location.
• Water and restroom facilities may not be located nearby.
• Be aware that poison ivy, ticks, mosquitos or wasps may be found in some areas of our parks. Use bug spray or treated clothing, learn to identify and avoid poison ivy, and always check clothing and body for ticks after returning indoors.

What to wear

• Sturdy, closed-toed shoes
• Clothes you can get a little dirty
• Long pants
• Long sleeves
• Hat
• Sunglasses

What to bring

• Sun protection
• Bug protection
• Garden or work gloves
• Small garden clippers
• Five paper grocery bags with handles
• Water and a snack

Age Requirements

The minimum age for participation is 12. Youth aged 12–16 must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per eight youth).

Group Opportunities

Groups of 10 or more may inquire about arranging a special collection date by contacting Angela Grill, wildlife biologist, by email at Angela.Grill@ThreeRiversParks.org. 

Youth aged 12–16 must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per eight youth).

Groups containing minors will need to provide the volunteer permission form for minors in advance. 

Register for Prairie Seed Collection

Invasive Plant Removal

Help keep our parks safe from harmful plants by joining us to remove invasive species.

• Who: Individuals or groups (Must be at least 10 years old)
• When: Spring and fall

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

What to Expect

What you'll be doing

• You will hand pull or use hand tools to remove invasive plants.
• Training is provided at the start of each session.

The type of location and environment

• Volunteers work in wooded areas with uneven terrain.
• Habitat restoration sites may be located in remote areas of our parks, often off trail. After you have parked and joined the group, you will be guided out to the restoration site. Be sure to arrive on time or early to the designated meeting location.
• Water and restroom facilities may not be located nearby.
• Be aware that poison ivy, ticks, mosquitos or wasps may be found in some areas of our parks. Use bug spray or treated clothing, learn to identify and avoid poison ivy, and always check clothing and body for ticks after returning indoors.

What to wear

• Sturdy, closed toed shoes
• Clothes you can get a little dirty
• Long pants
• Long sleeves

What to bring

• Sun protection
• Bug protection
• Garden or work gloves
• Water and a snack

Age Requirements

The minimum age for participation is 10. Youth aged 10–16 must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per eight youth).

Group Opportunities

Groups of 10 or more may inquire about arranging a special collection date by contacting Meg Duhr, invasive species supervisor, by email at Meg.Duhr@ThreeRiversParks.org. Groups containing minors will need to provide the volunteer permission form for minors in advance. 

The minimum age for participation is 10. Youth aged 10–16 must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per eight youth).

Groups containing minors will need to provide the volunteer permission form for minors in advance. 

Register for Invasive Plant Removal

Invasive Species Surveys

Use your plant identification and map navigation skills to survey park land for new invasive plant species so we can monitor and remove them to keep our forests healthy.

• Who: Individuals
• When: Year-round

Submit Interest for Invasive Species Surveys

Wetland Monitoring

Help us by monitoring our wetlands over an entire calendar year. 

• Who: Individuals
• When: Year-round
  • Minimum commitment: Monthly
  • Maximum commitment: Weekly (during periods of waterfowl migration)

Submit Interest for Wetland Monitoring

Plant Care and Gardening

Have a green thumb? Help us maintain the beauty in our parks by nurturing plants at the District Nursery in Crow-Hassan Park Reserve — which will support habitat restoration throughout the park district — or help keep Noerenberg Memorial Gardens beautiful by planting and weeding.

• Who: Individuals
• When: Year-round

Submit Interest for Noerenberg Gardens or the District Nursery

Wildlife Monitoring

Use your observational skills on the trails and in the parks, day or night, in projects that monitor a variety of species. Data captured will help track populations over time and space within Three Rivers Parks and in many cases will connect to data collected state- or nationwide.

Examples of animals we survey include frogs, toads, turtles, fur-bearing mammals and a variety of birds, like bluebirds, osprey, purple martins and songbirds.

• Who: Individuals
• When: Year-round

Submit Interest for Wildlife Monitoring

Community Science

Contribute to community science projects at our educational sites by surveying for dragonflies or monarch larvae, tallying birds at bird feeders, collecting water quality data, or gathering phenological data by following the seasons and noticing "firsts," like the first snow.

• Who: Individuals
• When: Year-round

Submit Interest for Community Science

Our Adopt-A-Opportunities provide ongoing opportunities to create thriving forests, keep the gardens and landscape areas in Three Rivers looking beautiful and maintain our incredible regional trails. 

These opportunities allow you to focus your time on a specific part of a park or trail, with a group or on your own, for a longer period of time. 

• Who: Groups and occasionally individuals
• When: Year-round
  • Minimum Commitment: Two years

Adopt-A-Woodlot

• Minimum Commitment: Two scheduled events per month

Help keep our forests healthy by suppressing and removing invasive plant species — such as buckthorn, garlic mustard and exotic honeysuckle — by adopting a woodlot.

To apply, review the instruction sheet, then submit your completed application form to the Volunteer Office at Volunteer@ThreeRiversParks.org.

Current volunteers with the Adopt-A-Woodlot program can submit their time and efforts using this Record of Contribution form.

Adopt-A-Garden

• Minimum Commitment: Two scheduled events per month between May–October

Help keep the gardens and landscape areas around Three Rivers looking beautiful, by weeding and cleaning up important areas at the parks. 

To apply, review the instruction sheet and available gardens then submit your completed application form to the Volunteer Office at Volunteer@ThreeRiversParks.org.

Current volunteers with Adopt-A-Garden can submit their time and efforts using this Record of Contribution form.

Adopt-A-Trail

• Minimum Commitment: Two scheduled events per month

Help maintain our beautiful regional trail system, by cleaning up a designated section of a trail, including the trail itself, the trail shoulder, ditch and the taller vegetation beyond the trail.

To apply, review the instruction sheet and available trail sections, then submit your completed application form.

Questions? Contact the Volunteer Office at volunteer@threeriversparks.org.

Current volunteers with Adopt-A-Trail can submit their time and efforts using this Record of Contribution form.

Want to volunteer but not seeing a role that fits your interests and skills?

There are many opportunities to help support Three Rivers Park District behind-the-scenes, which may include:

• Capturing moments in the park with your camera as one of our volunteer photographers
• Helping out with equipment maintenance
• Gathering data as a park use research assistant or a geographic information system (GIS) data collector
• Providing animal care at nature centers
• Processing fiber from sheep at Gale Woods Farm

Training provided for some opportunities; others require previous experience.

For more information about other volunteer opportunities, 

call 763-559-6706 or email Volunteer@ThreeRiversParks.org.

For more information about volunteering, call 763-559-6706 or email Volunteer@ThreeRiversParks.org.