Volunteering

Focus on Volunteers Summer 2010

Fisheries Volunteer – Ea Xiong

Last summer Ea Xiong was busy helping fisheries staff harvest catfish for stocking into some metro area ponds. According to St Paul DNR Fisheries Specialist Rick Walsh, “This is hard work involving two boats and a crew of five or six people – so volunteers are welcome!”

Ea also volunteered at the Festival of Fish that is sponsored by the DNR MinnAqua program. At this event about 300 youth from Minneapolis and St. Paul come to Fort Snelling State Park for a day of learning and activities. When the kids go fishing, volunteers work with the beginners.

The State Fair needed Ea’s help, too. He helped collect and transport fish the day prior to the fair opening. These fish go on display in tanks and the pond located in the DNR Park of the MN State Fairgrounds.

Thank you, Ea, for being such a willing volunteer with the DNR!

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Kevin Shields

In 2009, former smokechaser, Kevin Shields, stepped up and provided assistance to an office desperate for help. Kevin was able to use his skills to help the Southern Metro Wildlife Office in Jordan with their burn season by prepping breaks in the winter all the way to mopping up the sites after the burns in May. “This office was able to complete 11 burns, which is a recent record for our small office,” said Jamie Gangaware, Assistant Area Wildlife Manager.

Kevin was also able to help with projects that would not have been completed due to lack of staff. He took on mourning dove banding, pheasant surveys and scent-post predator surveys. He was also available when assistance was needed for things such as parking lot construction, tree removal, and mowing. “Kevin was such an asset and helped the office have a successful year. Without his help we could not have accomplished nearly as much as we did. Kevin has a great attitude and was a pleasure to work with,” said Gangaware.

Thanks Kevin!

Allen Schmitz – Lake Level Gage Reader

Allen Schmitz was one of the youngest Lake Level MN Program gage readers when he began assisting as a volunteer 33 years ago. Since 1977, he has submitted over 4,750 lake level gage readings during the open water seasons on Big Fish Lake in Stearns County.

According to Sandy Fecht, Surface Water Hydrologist and Lake Level MN Program Coordinator, DNR Water Monitoring & Surveys Unit, St Paul, “The information provided so consistently by volunteers is used by decision-makers and lake users for a better understanding of our water resources and its influences from year-to-year.”

Mr. Schmitz notes, "I've been very fortunate to live at Big Fish Lake and reading the lake gage is a way to give back."

Thank you, Allen, for your long record of commitment!

Note: All reported historical lake levels for over 1300 lakes are available for all to view and use on the DNR website at Lake Finder.