Richfield, MN

Wood Lake has volunteer opportunities for youth ages 12 and up and adults.  If you like nature and enjoy working with people, contact Scott Ramsay, Volunteer Coordinator, at 612-861-9342 or sramsay@richfieldmn.gov.gov to find out how you can get involved.

Who can volunteer? Youth ages 12 and up and adults who share an interest in nature and want to contribute their time and talent to a community organization that focuses on environmental education, recreation and providing these services in the most beautiful and biodiverse natural area possible.

How to get started: Contact Scott Ramsay, Wood Lake Naturalist and Volunteer Coordinator, at 612-861-9342 or sramsay@richfieldmn.gov to discuss volunteer opportunities. A brief orientation meeting may be scheduled for further training. Volunteer based on our needs and availability.

Obligation: There is no minimum hourly requirement. Expect to work 1.5–3 hours each time you volunteer, although special events or projects may require longer periods of time. Schedules may be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or seasonal depending on activities and availability.

Training: Will occur on-the-job by nature center staff as required.

Volunteer activities for youth ages 12 – 18 years:

• Exhibit animal care – assist naturalist staff in the care of exhibit amphibians, reptiles and fish. Duties may include feeding, exercising or cleaning cages.
• Light building maintenance – vacuuming, dusting, cleaning glass on exhibits or windows, sweeping cobwebs and soffit vents.
• Trail patrol and picking up litter.
• Assisting staff with weekend or summer camp program set up, delivery and clean up.
• Assisting staff with invasive plant removal, leaf raking and weeding.
• Light grounds maintenance – sweeping patios, pergolas, picnic shelters, docks and boardwalk, cleaning picnic tables, amphitheaters and nature play area.
• Assisting the public with cross country ski and snowshoe rental.
• Assisting staff with special events – Earth Day, Urban Wildland Race, Halloween and New Year’s Eve.

Volunteer activities for adults: all youth activities plus…

• Receptionist over lunch period – answering phones, light office work from 11:30 – 1:00 pm, Monday – Friday.
• Assisting staff with school programming.
• Assisting staff with outdoor facilities maintenance including trails, benches, gardens, docks and boardwalk.
• Assisting with bluebird and wood duck nest box trail monitoring and maintenance.
• Assisting staff with special natural resource projects – water quality monitoring, insect and plant surveys, aquatic invasive species monitoring and control, forest restoration and individual special interest projects.
• Assisting staff with bird banding activities.
• Assisting with weekly bird survey – hike the trails identifying and listing birds for addition to the weekly database.
• Serve on the Friends of Wood Lake citizen board – assisting with the development of future programs, policies, facilities and fund-raising for the center.

Volunteer activities for groups: Scouts, Community Groups, Corporate Service Teams

• Outdoor group activities include invasive plant species control, garden clean-up, litter pick up and special projects.

• We can accommodate groups up to 25 people.

For more information contact Volunteer Coordinator Scott Ramsay at 612-861-9342 or sramsay@richfieldmn.gov. 

Thank you for volunteering at Wood Lake!

 

 

Your commitment is greatly appreciated and valued by the staff and community as you help make Wood Lake a vital and beneficial resource.