Volunteer Opportunities
Imagine yourself as a citizen-scientist, up to your waders in a wetland, assessing aquatic plants and insects, checking your environment’s “vital signs.” Visualize standing in a stream using a Secchi tube to measure water transparency. See nature in a new light while you plant trees to shade trout streams, remove invasive species, or clean up stream debris. Check out these opportunities in the watershed to improve and restore natural resources for everyone.
Adopt-a-Drain
The nation’s largest Adopt-a-Drain program is in the Twin Cities – and the VRWJPO is proud to be a sponsor. This new program invites residents to adopt a storm drain to protect area lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Sweeping up leaves, trash, and other debris around a storm drain protects local lakes and rivers by preventing pollution from entering our shared waterways.
Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP)
The Dakota County Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP) trains volunteers to collect data on wetland plants and macroinvertebrates, providing information to local governments about the health of specific wetlands. No experience is necessary. Training is provided. Citizen teams are guided by a team leader. Volunteers spend between 15 and 30 hours from late May through early August checking on wetlands in their communities.
WHEP teams in the VRWJPO include: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Dakota County Parks, Farmington, Hastings, Lakeville, and Rosemount. Each team collects data on up to five wetlands. Registration takes place in April each year, so check back next April if you’re interested.
Twin Cities Trout Unlimited
Twin Cities Trout Unlimited (TCTU) is a local chapter of the nationwide nonprofit organization Trout Unlimited. As the Vermillion River Watershed is home to several stretches of DNR-designated trout streams and is known for being the only trophy trout stream in the Twin Cities metro area, many people in TCTU are passionate about improving and protecting our watershed. VRWJPO and TCTU representatives regularly meet to inform each other and collaborate on projects.
Check out TCTU’s website for upcoming activities in the Vermillion River Watershed. Activities are open to people of all ages and ability levels.
Volunteer Water Monitoring
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s volunteer water monitoring program engages individuals, school groups, and community members in monitoring the health of the Vermillion River.
Volunteers visit their stream monitoring site once per week to monitor water transparency (using a Secchi tube), water level, and the general appearance of the stream (water color and recreational suitability). The monitoring data collected by volunteers is submitted to the MPCA at the end of the field season. It supplements other water quality monitoring efforts taking place along the Vermillion River.
You can also help monitor local lakes with the Metropolitan Council’s Citizen-Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP). Each volunteer monitors a specific site on a lake on a regular basis from mid-April through mid-October (every two weeks is most common). Volunteers collect a surface water sample, measure water temperature and clarity, and report weather and lake conditions.
All these data help us make better decisions on what work we can do.
Vermillion Stewards
Vermillion Stewards is a volunteer program led by the nonprofit Friends of the Mississippi River. Anyone who cares about the Vermillion River, tributaries, and surrounding natural resources can take part in Vermillion Stewards’ hands-on education and stewardship activities.
Projects may include:
- Invasive species identification and removals
- Native plantings
- Prairie seed collections
- Watershed-friendly gardening programs
To receive notifications about Vermillion Stewards, email volunteer@fmr.org and request to be added to their email list.
Adopt a River
Adopt a River, founded in 1989, is a program of Freshwater Society. Anyone can sign up to lead a cleanup effort along a shoreline and report your efforts, similarly to Adopt-a-Drain. These projects include one-time events and adoptions with a two-year cleanup commitment. Whether you choose to clean once or several times, your efforts go a long way!
To learn more and sign up, visit Freshwater.
AIS Detectors
Aquatic invasive species are a problem. Dakota County is looking for volunteers to become aquatic invasive species (AIS) detectors.
The commitment includes an online course and virtual workshops to learn the principles of aquatic ecology; AIS identification, impacts, and biology; Minnesota regulations; and how to prevent the spread of AIS, perform surveillance, and report potential AIS findings.
Dakota County will reimburse the course fee for up to seven residents who complete it. To maintain active status, AIS detectors complete annual volunteer service and refresher training. Become an AIS Detector.
Lake Stewards
The Lake Steward Program is a program designed for Lake Association use to encourage shoreline restoration projects among its members, and to educate about sustainable land management as it relates to water quality.
Many lakeshore homeowners are unaware of the devastating effects an unnatural shoreline can have on lake health and water quality.
Read the 10 Tips to Lake Stewardship by Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates.