Volunteer to protect and enhance natural resources

All Wisconsinites are invited to roll up their sleeves, and volunteer this Earth month and every month of the year. Volunteers are essential to helping the DNR protect and enhance Wisconsin’s abundant natural resources.

Lend skills and talents for an hour, a day, a weekend or as much time as someone is willing to give. Join others throughout April, at various properties across the state, for family-friendly activities that help enhance public lands in communities.

These Work Play Earth Day events lead to lasting enhancements, increased awareness and continued support, for Wisconsin’s state parks and wildlife areas. Activities may include planting trees and shrubs, removing invasive plants, helping with trail and campground maintenance, picking up litter and more.

This year, the Wisconsin State Park System is celebrating 125 years of serving people. As part of this milestone celebration, volunteers who participate in a workday event, may receive a special Work Play Earth Day token of appreciation thanks from the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks.

Following service projects, volunteers are encouraged to stay, play and enjoy all that Wisconsin’s state parks, forests, recreation areas and trails have to offer.

It also happens to be Citizen Science Month, also known as community science, which means celebrating the dedicated volunteers in scientific research and monitoring efforts. There are active community science projects in every county, with volunteer opportunities available for everyone, regardless of skill level, science experience or availability.

Some of the community science projects happening around the state, include monitoring for native mussels or bats, the Bumble Bee Brigade, carnivore tracking, animal identification through Snapshot Wisconsin and much more.

Find more information about community monitoring efforts and how to get involved, at dnr.wisconsin.gov.