Volunteers-At the Heart of Greening
Volunteers are at the heart of Great River Greening's success. Since we began our work in 1995, we have involved more than 12,000 volunteers in restoring the Twin Cities' major river valleys.
Who Are Our Volunteers?
Ecological restoration projects are a great match for many individuals and groups searching for volunteer opportunities.
We involve volunteers of all ages and abilities. Our volunteers include:
- Individuals and families
- Youth and adult groups
- Neighborhood and garden clubs
- Community and service organizations
- Corporations and businesses
- Scout troops
- Church groups
- Students from local colleges and schools
- Anyone who wants to help
Volunteers help Great River Greening with our spring and fall plantings and invasive species removal events, which are typically 3 hours long and held on Saturday mornings. But we also lead weekday and evening events. Our events have involved as few as a dozen volunteers and as many as 1,100!
Event day:
Some jobs require digging right in and getting dirty, but not all of them. Here are some of the ways volunteers help us restore the Twin Cities' river valleys during our events:
- Planting native trees and shrubs
- Removing exotic and invasive species
- Collecting and broadcasting prairie seed
- Assisting with parking, registration, food set-up and clean-up
The week before an event, our field crew needs help:
- Sorting and labeling plants
- Loading event equipment
- Laying out plants at the site
- Loading tools
- Flagging work units
Volunteers help us spread the word about Greening and our volunteer opportunities by:
- Staffing our display at conferences, open houses and other special events
- Giving presentations about Greening in their own communities
- Assisting with graphic design and communications projects
Everyone Benefits
The Community:
Including volunteers in ecological restoration activities provides hands-on opportunities for people of all ages to improve the environment in tangible ways, builds a sense of community and fosters long-term interest in ecological restoration and stewardship.
The Volunteers:
While learning about the natural landscape and its ecology, our volunteers experience a sense of accomplishment, meet lots of great people and develop new skills. (They may not realize that volunteering also has been shown to reduce stress, strengthen the immune system and prevent depression.)
Lead Others
Volunteers who want to lead others at Great River Greening's restoration events can become Volunteer Supervisors.
Events Calendar/Sign Up
Questions? Contact Mark Turbak, Volunteer Program and Events Manager.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Clerical Volunteer
Objective: We have just installed a great new database and we are looking for a volunteer who can help us increase the efficiency of Great River Greening's staff by assisting with data entry and other clerical tasks.
Desired skills:
o Basic computer skills; Greening will provide training on our data base
o Accurate and detail-oriented
o Reliable
Responsibilities:
o Entry of new data
o Clean-up existing data
o Additional clerical tasks as needed
Location: Great River Greening office on Wabasha close to downtown St. Paul
Hours: Needed immediately. We can provide flexible hours, but ask that you can work at least 4 hours per week. Your hours can be arranged for your convenience Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Perks:
o Small, friendly staff
o Free parking
o Location - right on the river, close to Harriet Island and a great walking path
Contact Deb Gagner for more information
Fall Colors photo © Susan Troha
