Join us for the 3rd annual New Year’s Eve Candlelight Walk at Fort Snelling State Park located on Post Road off State Highway 5, St Paul, just west of the main terminal exit for the International Airport. This stunning event promises to be even larger this year with the co-sponsorship of the Northstar Trail Travelers www.nstt.org There will be a 5K Folkssport Walk and a 1 mile path. Weather and ice thickness permitting, there will be a skating rink on Snelling Lake. The walk is from 3-8 pm on Wednesday, December 31.
Volunteers Needed: To make this event the best thing to do on New Year’s Eve, we will need your help! Volunteers are needed for traffic/parking assistance, helping at the skating rink, setting up the candles along the trails (and picking them up on Jan. 1), tending the fires outdoors for marshmallow roasting (s’mores), staffing an information station, and tending to the refreshment table (cider and hot chocolate). To volunteer contact Linda Radimecky, Park Naturalist, Fort Snelling State Park, St Paul at 612-725-2731 or email Linda.radimecky@dnr.state.mn.us
The Department of Natural Resources has served as the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) for many projects undergoing environmental review. The Environmental Review Program has the responsibility of keeping the administrative record for these projects. We have been organizing the files and project documents for long-term storage. We would like to improve access to these files and invite volunteers to help digitize copies of official documents and prepare the files for proper storage. This project will improve access to these materials and insure they are saved for future reference. It would be an advantage for volunteers to have some experience with computers and copy machines. The work must be done on equipment in the DNR Central Office, 500 Lafayette Rd, St Paul, weekdays between the hours of 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Training will be provided. The project will take approximately 10 hours per week for several months, but the weekday schedule can be flexible to fit individual needs. Learn more about Minnesota's process of environmental review, meet interesting people doing interesting projects, and help us out if you can. We look forward to meeting you. For more information, contact Ronald Wieland, Senior Planner, Ecological Resources, St Paul, at 651-259-5157 or email Ronald.wieland@dnr.state.mn.us.
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.
Assist the Division of Waters 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 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 Waters, 651-259-5716 or email Felicia.barnes@dnr.state.mn.us
If you enjoy libraries and have some experience working in one, then this may be the perfect volunteer position for you! This is also a great opportunity for a library school student to get hands-on experience. The DNR Library, located at 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, has opportunities for volunteers to provide general assistance in the day-to-day operation of the library, as well as special projects during the week, Monday-Friday. Most previous volunteers have done a little of both, depending on experience and interest. If interested in either of these, please contact JoAnn Musumeci, Librarian, at 651-259-5483 or e-mail joann.musumeci@dnr.state.mn.us for more information and to set-up an interview. Both of these can vary in the level of knowledge needed to perform the task. Training will be provided. Volunteers are needed 3-4 hours/week. Hours are flexible.
General Assistance - Shelving magazines and books; checking in and routing journals to interested DNR staff; photocopying articles for staff and interlibrary loan; file aerial photos; process circulation records and overdue notices; limited reference work; prepare newly cataloged books for shelving. Qualified volunteers must be familiar with filing methods, be attentive to details, and have some previous experience working in circulation or shelving at a library or equivalent experience.
Special Projects - Assist with interlibrary loan; locate bibliographic records in library catalogs for pre-cataloging check; document journal holdings; assist with usage statistics, update journal database in Access; assist with library Intranet web pages. Qualified volunteers must have some experience or training in library science (degree not required), searching databases, spreadsheets or interlibrary loans. At a minimum, volunteers must have some previous experience working in a library or equivalent experience with the Internet, document files, or electronic records.
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 through out the state. Projects are typically carried out on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted, most weekends spring through fall. Activities include prairie and woodland seed collection, removal of exotic species, pulling buckthorn, and cutting brush such as sumac. These activities are posted under the SNA Program at www.mndnr.gov/volunteering/sna
Please join us! We are always looking for volunteers to work, write or photograph.
By registering in advance, we can mail detailed directions to you and contact you in case of severe weather. Call Christine Drassal at 651-259-5102 or email Christine.drassal@dnr.state.mn.us If you register by phone please speak slowly.
For phone or e-mail registration please provide the following information:
Project Learning Tree (PLT) program is a natural resources education program for teachers across Minnesota. PLT needs 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, Project Learning Tree Coordinator, at 651-259-5263 or email laura.duffey@dnr.state.mn.us to arrange for delivery to site and to get Minnesota DNR recognition! The Project Learning Tree program could 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 
If you enjoy the great outdoors, scenic vistas, comfortable surroundings and the company of other campers, then consider becoming a Campground Host this next summer in a Minnesota State Park or Forest campground.
Hosts are provided with a free campsite in return for services rendered helping in the campground. Hosts provide their own camping unit and equipment and must purchase a state park vehicle permit. The primary responsibilities of a host includes some light maintenance, such as cleaning up sanitation buildings and vault toilets, stocking with toilet papers, picking up litter, pulling/hoeing weeds in campground spurs, greeting campers and answering questions, and reporting problems in the campground to the park manager/assistant manager. Hosts are needed to set a good example by being a model camper, practicing good housekeeping in and around the host campsite, and by observing all campground rules.
Typically, campground hosts stay in the park Wednesday through Sunday, and take Monday and Tuesday off. Days off are somewhat negotiable, but being present in the campground on weekends is a must! A minimum commitment of one month is required. Avid campers or RV'ers are encouraged to apply!
For more information on the Campground Host Program, check it out at www.mndnr.gov/volunteering/stateparks/campgroundhost.html
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
Consider becoming a Certified Volunteer Instructor for DNR Enforcement Education Programs-- Firearms Safety, MN Bowhunter Education, Snowmobile Safety, ATV Safety Training and Advanced Hunter Education.
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 training you will learn instruction methods and procedures and review instructor and student materials associated with a specific program. Once certified, you will find nearby instructors to work with for the first time. They then will often start a new team of instructors. With this in mind, you may want to have several potential team members take the training with you. It is helpful, but not necessary, that you have completed the enforcement education programs as a student prior to taking the instructor training.
Check current certified volunteer instructor classes or sign up for our instructor e-mail list to get notification of any additional instructor training sessions go to www.mndnr.gov/safety/instructors.
To be considered for instructor training, you must be at least 18 years old.
Following the training, a thorough background investigation will be completed on the person requesting certification.
Additional information is available by calling 1-800-366-8917.
© 2008
MN Department of Natural Resources
