State Natural Areas Volunteer Program
- Workdays are limited to the number of participants that can be socially distanced (e.g., space to be 6 ft apart) on a site or property.
- If you are not fully vaccinated, wear a mask if unable to social distance from others at the site.
- Please clean and disinfect tools and equipment when sharing.
If you have any questions, please call DNR Volunteer Coordinator Jared Urban at 608-228-4349.
Help us care for some of our state's most pristine public lands, State Natural Areas (SNA). Encourage native plants and animals to thrive by cutting brush, controlling invasive species, collecting seeds, monitoring rare species and preparing fire breaks. Show up for a day or become a steward responsible for all volunteer activities at a SNA. Any level of participation is encouraged and no experience is necessary to start volunteering.
Learn more
- Browse the Volunteer Handbook for information on the program
- Read stories about our work in our 2020 annual report or the 2019 report
- Find training opportunities for first aid, chainsaw safety, and more
- Or secure volunteer gear
- Discover additional DNR volunteering opportunities
Wild Common Milkweed Harvesting September 10 - 30, 2021
Volunteers in Wood, Portage, Adams, Juneau, Waushara and Marquette counties are encouraged to harvest wild common milkweed seedpods from their property or neighbors’ fallow fields (with the property owner’s permission) from Sept. 10 through Sept. 30. Collected seeds will be used as part of a monarch habitat restoration project across several State Natural Areas in the Central Sands region.
Join us at a workday
Workdays are one of the main ways volunteers accomplish tasks. They occur throughout the year at different SNAs. They are a great way to get some exercise, have fun, learn something new and see if you’ve got what it takes to enjoy restoration. Come join us for a workday to see for yourself. You can also learn about individual volunteer opportunities.
I work in an industrial setting that does not inspire and reward me in the way these volunteer opportunities do. I get to learn things that I can apply to my own land. I've enjoyed meeting people who share my enthusiasm for restoration of our land. I've also been shown some prairie remnants in our SNAs that I never would have realized were still in existence. It's like finding treasure for me.
| Date | Site | Time | County | Activity | Meeting location | RSVP required? | Contact | Additional info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/17 | Cherokee Marsh | 9 a.m. -noon | Dane | Phragmites | Google map | Yes | Jan Axelson 608-215-0426 |
Note this is not public access. We will cancel if raining or threat of thunderstorms. |
| 9/18 | Chiwaukee Prairie | 10 a.m. -1 p.m. | Kenosha | Weeds | See webpage | No | See webpage | Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month. |
| 9/18 | Genesee Oak Opening | 9 a.m. -noon | Waukesha | Seeds | Google map | Yes | Walter Mirk | Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month at different sites nearby. |
| 9/18 | York Prairie | 9 a.m. -noon | Green | Brush, seed | Google map | No | Shannon Roznoski 608-334-6920 |
If it’s steady/heavy rain we’ll cancel. If light or scattered rain we’ll still be there and you can decide if you’d like to be outside. Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month. |
| 9/23 | Hogback Prairie | 9 a.m. -noon | Crawford | Seeds | Google map | No | Justin Nooker 920-360-1463 |
Please note there is no cell reception at the site. |
| 9/25 | Sugar River Wetlands | 9 a.m. -noon | Dane | Seeds | Google map | Yes | Wade Moder 608-437-7707 |
Occur on the 4th Saturdays of the month. |
| 9/29 | Empire Prairie- Westport Drumlin | 1-4 p.m. | Dane | Seeds | Google map | No | Jared Urban 608-228-4349 |
|
| 9/30 | Berg Prairie | 9 a.m. -noon | LaCrosse | Seeds | Google map | No | Justin Nooker 920-360-1463 |
RSVP recommended in case of cancellation/rain. |
| 10/1 | Waubesa Wetlands | 1-4:30 p.m. | Dane | Seeds, brush | Google map | Preferred | Alex Wenthe 608-282-5403 |
Occur on the 1st Friday of the month. |
| 10/8 | Ridgeway Pine Relict | 9 a.m. -noon | Iowa | Seeds | Google map | Yes | Mary Kay Baum 608-935-5834 |
Occur on the 2nd Friday of the month. |
| 10/9 | Scuppernong Prairie | 9 a.m. -noon | Waukesha | Seeds | Google map | Preferred | Ginny Coburn 262-441-0393 |
Occur on the 2nd Saturday of the month at different sites nearby. |
| 10/14 | Maiden Rock Bluff | 9 a.m. -noon | Pepin | Seeds | Google map | Yes | Dean Edlin 608-792-3054 |
Occur on the 2nd Thursday of the month. |
| 10/16 | Chiwaukee Prairie | 10 a.m. -1 p.m. | Kenosha | Weeds, brush | See webpage | No | See webpage | Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month. |
| 10/16 | Lulu Lake | 9 a.m. -noon | Waukesha | Seeds | Google map | Yes | Walter Mirk | Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month at different sites nearby. |
| 10/16 | York Prairie | 9 a.m. -noon | Green | Seeds, brush | Google map | No | Shannon Roznoski (608) 334-6920 | Occur on the 3rd Saturday of the month. |
| 10/20 | Empire Prairie- Ashton Unit | 1-4 p.m. | Dane | Seeds | Google map | Preferred | Jared Urban 608-228-4349 |
|
| 10/21 | Rocky Run Oak Savanna | 9 a.m. -noon | Columbia | Seeds, brush | Google map | Yes | Jared Urban 608-228-4349 |
Occur on the 3rd Thursday of the month. |
| 10/21 | Rocky Run Oak Savanna | 9 a.m. -noon | Columbia | Seeds, brush | Google map | Yes | Jared Urban 608-228-4349 |
Occur on the 3rd Thursday of the month. |
| 10/23 | Sugar River Wetlands | 9 a.m. -noon | Dane | Seeds, brush | Google map | Yes | Wade Moder 608-437-7707 |
Occur on the 4th Saturday of the month. |
Receive email updates on upcoming workdays
We have divided the state into volunteer regions. Receive email updates on upcoming volunteer workdays in the region. Sign up for as many regions as you'd like.
Upper Lake Michigan | Email sign-up
Southeast | Email sign-up
Southwest | Email sign-up
West Central | Email sign-up
Northwest | Email sign-up
Driftless | Email sign-up
Central Sands | Email sign-up
North Central | Email sign-up