Volunteering
"Working with people to manage Minnesota's natural resources"
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) volunteer opportunities are listed by geographic location or by specific programs. (Check the links to the right.) "Statewide opportunities" indicate jobs that either are scattered throughout the state or that you can do regardless of where you live.
These listings do not include all DNR volunteer opportunities -- just those DNR staff have requested be advertised. If a volunteer opportunity is not listed for your area, contact your local DNR office to inquire about available volunteer positions. To find your local office, call 1-888-646-6367 for DNR directory assistance, or check the online office locator
CyberNews Service - Receive volunteering news via e-mail!
Subscribe to DNR volunteering CyberNews services and be the first to receive news and updates on DNR volunteering opportunities. Go to the CyberNews Service page and under the "subscribe" section, check the box by "Volunteering news." Type in your e-mail address, click on the "subscribe" button, and you're done! You will receive notices of new seasonal volunteer positions four times a year plus an occasional volunteer news item.
If you subscribe to the CyberNews and are currently receiving a printed copy of this newsletter by US Mail, please e-mail: renee.vail@dnr.state.mn.us to remove your name from the printed mailing list. This will reduce mail clutter in your home and save your tax dollars on postage. Be sure to state your name, current address, and ID number next to your name on the mailing label, if possible.
Focus on Volunteers: Winter 2009
Jennifer Gravelle
Jennifer Gravelle has taken reduce, reuse, recycle to heart! She gathered more than 500 candles waiting to be recycled from past candlelight events at Fort Snelling State Park and from weddings at the Memorial Chapel. Her dad, Bruce, made the candle molds and Jennifer organized 10 volunteers from her girl scout troop to melt these down, pour them into the molds, and made 375 new candles.
According to Linda Radimecky, Fort Snelling State Park Naturalist, “These new candles will be used for future candlelight programs in state parks. She already has another 700 candles waiting to be recycled after area churches and friends contributed to the cause.” Jennifer said, “Everyone I talked to was thrilled the candles could be reused in some way.” What a great use of old candle stubs!
See these candles in action at Fort Snelling State Park’s Candlelight Walk/Volkssport and Skating Pond event on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31 from 3-8 p.m. This New Year’s Eve event is in partnership with the MN Trail Travelers as a culmination event of their 10th anniversary. Volunteer help is needed! See the article under Metro Area and Central MN.
Also on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, Feb 14, 2009, Fort Snelling State Park will be hosting its Annual Candlelight Ski/Walk and Ice Skate from 4-8 p.m.
Terri Phillips
Terri Phillips celebrated 20 years as a DNR volunteer this past August doing her favorite thing – volunteering for the DNR Adopt-A-River booth at the State Fair! Cake, ice cream, posters, and a scrapbook full of old photos and stories of her were presented. She even had her photo taken with one of the raptors performing on the DNR Garden Stage during the fair.
Coming into the DNR Central Office in St Paul one to two times weekly, Terri normally helps with mailings, data entry, and a variety of other tasks. Another one of Terri’s favorite volunteer activities is registering people on a riverboat for the annual Mississippi River Clean-up. Terri’s two main staff supervisors over the years, Renée Vail, DNR Volunteer Programs Administrator, and Paul Nordell, Adopt-A-River Coordinator, agree that she is an outstanding volunteer! Congratulations, Terri!
Nesting Box Volunteers
Retirees in the Park Rapids area assist DNR Wildlife Technician, Tom Stursa, in constructing bird nesting boxes for wood ducks, mallards, blue birds, etc. Approximately 25 mallard "hen houses" were constructed, along with over 50 wood duck boxes, and 70+ blue bird boxes this past year. Many of the duck boxes went to the Detroit Lakes Area and the blue bird boxes went on the Heartland Trail.
Pictured in the photo, left to right, is Chuck Yliniemi, retired DNR Assistant Fisheries Manager; Dennis Ernst, retired DNR Fisheries Manager; Ron Norenberg, retired DNR Private Forestry Management Forester; Steve Maanum, retired Park Rapids school teacher; and Bob, a retiree from the private sector.
