Wildlife management volunteer opportunities
Wildlife management volunteer opportunities
Becoming involved in habitat and wildlife management provides numerous opportunities for rewarding experiences, which are beneficial to you, conservation and your community. Adopt a Fish or Wildlife Area and Wildlife Friends Groups are group-oriented partnerships that focus on a specific state property. If you cannot form a group or are looking for work more closely related to wildlife, other opportunities exist such as wildlife surveys, Southwest Wisconsin Deer Research, waterfowl banding and carnivore tracking.
Donate to Cherish Wisconsin and help preserve Wisconsin's public lands.
Discover more volunteering opportunities.
Adopt a Fish or Wildlife Area
What Adopt a Fish or Wildlife Area is about
Wisconsin state fisheries areas, wildlife areas, flowages, wild rivers and riverways provide critical fish and wildlife habitat along with outstanding nature-based recreation. The department can use your help in managing these lands, including property posting, habitat improvements, litter removal, surveys, financial donations and many other activities. Sponsors may choose from over 300 fish and wildlife areas throughout Wisconsin.
If you or your organization are interested in adopting a fish or wildlife area, please apply via fillable PDF [Download] and contact the assistant public lands specialist to get started. They will work with you and the property manager to create the best fit for your group or organization. By adopting a fish or wildlife area, volunteers agree to a minimum of 100 hours over at least three workdays or a financial donation of $3,000 per year. Agreements run for three years with the option to renew. The DNR will also provide necessary training and equipment if it falls within the parameters of the agreed activities. Partner efforts will be recognized through property signage and social media outreach.
Adoptable properties include:
Current Adopt groups
Current sponsors
| 1) Rat River Wildlife Area - Winnebago County Sheriff's Office | 22) George W. Mead Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association |
| 2) Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Southeast Wisconsin and Jefferson County Chapter | 23) Glacial Habitat Restoration Area - Fox and Basel-Nicolet/Snyder Properties - Pheasants Forever, Fox River Valley |
| 3) Manion Wildlife Area - UW-River Falls Resource Management Club | 24) Buena Vista Wildlife Area - UW-Stevens Point Wildlife Society |
| 4) Swinging Gate Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Kinni Chapter | 25) Goose Lake Wildlife Area - Backcountry Hunters and Anglers |
| 5) Heath Van Handel Memorial Forest - Outagamie Conservation Club | 26) Big Muskego Lake Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association |
| 6) Little Turtle Flowage Wildlife Area - Northwoods Wildlife and Wetlands Club | 27) Mud Lake Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association |
| 7) Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area - Groundswell Conservancy | 28) Hallie Marsh Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Chippewa Valley Chapter |
| 8) Rome Pond Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association | 29) Dike 17 Unit Black River State Forest - Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation |
| 9) Goose Lake Wildlife Area - Pearson Family Foundation | 30) Adell Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Sheboygan/Manitowoc Chapter |
| 10) Turtle Valley Wildlife Area - Mr. Hubbard's Hounds | 31) Bloomfield Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Walworth County Chapter |
| 11) Thunder Lake Wildlife Area - Nicolet Bird Club of Three Lakes | 32) Tichigan Wildlife Area - Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited |
| 12) Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Ozaukee/Washington Chapters | 33) Poynette State Game Farm - Friends of Poynette Game Farm |
| 13) McMillan Marsh Wildlife Area - Boy Scouts of America Troop 385 | 34) Prince's Point Wildlife Area - UW-Whitewater Ducks Unlimited Chapter |
| 14) Mud Lake Wildlife Area - Door Sand Hill Farm | 35) Hook Lake Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Dane County Chapter |
| 15) Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area - Ducks Unlimited | 36) Nagel Wildlife Area - Nagel Family |
| 16) Lake Mills Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association | 37) Yellowstone Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Southwest Wisconsin Chapter |
| 17) Woodboro Lakes Wildlife Area - Ruffed Grouse Society | 38) Van Loon Wildlife Area - Friends of McGilvray Road |
| 18) Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association |
39) Tiffany Wildlife Area - Swede Ramble/ Tulip Unit Ruffed Grouse Society, Missi-Croix Chapter |
| 19) Paradise Valley Wildlife Area - Wisconsin Waterfowl Association | 40) Mullet Creek Wildlife Area - Pheasants Forever, Fond du Lac County Chapter 582 |
| 20) Glacial Habitat Restoration Area - Pheasants Forever, Dodge County Chapter | 41) Dewey Marsh Wildlife Area - Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, UWSP Chapter |
| 21) Bluff/Whitewater Creek Fishery Area - Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited |
Friends Groups
Friends Groups
Wildlife Area Friends Groups are an integral part of conserving, enhancing and educating people about natural resources in several wildlife areas around the state. Friends Groups are nonprofit conservation organizations that volunteer their time and services and continually improve state public lands for the benefit of residents and visitors of Wisconsin.
What Friend Groups do
Friends Groups are located in the larger and/or ecologically vital wildlife areas in the state. Each group brings something unique to their conservation efforts, but the key activities focus on:
- apply for grants to undertake development projects including the expansion of recreational opportunities, fixing health or safety issues, habitat restoration and improvement of environmental education programs;
- sponsor and support volunteer services and environmental education activities, seminars, lectures and other informative programs;
- provide and distribute interpretive materials for the wildlife area, such as brochures and maps;
- actively raise funds through membership fees and coordinated events to update education programs and infrastructure to provide financial support for the wildlife area or property; and
- participate in building and maintaining trails, observation structures and other public use infrastructure.
There are multiple Wildlife Friends Groups around the state that are always looking for more volunteers. If you wish to join a group, follow the links at the bottom of the page to find one near you. Each has membership opportunities to contribute to the organization, along with a variety of activities and projects to get involved with.
Friends Groups
Other opportunities
If you are looking to volunteer to gain experience, become involved in wildlife management or something else entirely, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. For example, students who want to gain experience can look into volunteering with the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study. Want to capture photos of wildlife in their natural habitats? Check out the Snapshot Wisconsin program to help monitor animals and gather data needed for wildlife management decisions.
Conducting wildlife surveys is an integral component of assessing and determining wildlife populations. The DNR relies on the registration of harvested animals to create population estimates. However, citizen scientists are also critical in determining the final numbers. You can get involved by collecting data that helps the DNR create population estimates — volunteer in the surveying of several different species such as deer, grouse, pheasant, turkey and waterfowl.
Use the links provided below to see what the DNR offers. This webpage does not have all volunteer opportunities listed, as they may be too specific or they pertain to a particular county or region. If you are interested in a certain species or specific state land, use the contact information provided to inquire about additional options.
Other volunteer opportunities include: