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Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer at Parks

Trail building. Tree planting. Park beautifying. Bumble bee photographing. Weed pulling. Wetland monitoring. Park Stewardship. We’ve got quite the range of opportunities for you to make a difference at Milwaukee County Parks!

Many of our opportunities change with the seasons; some are big projects, some are small. We have volunteer opportunities that are one-day events, and others require orientation and special training. Take a look at our program areas below and see which ones are a good fit for your interests and schedule.

Are you interested in making a difference with Milwaukee County Parks but not sure where to start? Please complete this form to start the process of becoming a Milwaukee County Parks Volunteer, and we will help you connect with the right opportunities. We will also send updates about volunteer needs, service days, and other opportunities for you to make a difference!

Volunteer Intake Form

  • Community Science
  • Conservation
  • Gardens
  • Park Stewards & Group Service

Bird Window-Strike Monitoring

Orientation: April and September

Volunteers monitor “high risk” Parks facilities and document evidence of bird window-strikes during spring and fall migration. Surveys occur daily with a 10-day cycle in spring and a 20-day cycle in fall. Data gathered will be used to retro-fit facilities and manage adjacent habitat making it safer for birds.

Bumble Bee Monitoring

Orientation: June

Help document and protect our native pollinators! Volunteers visit an assigned natural area with suitable pollinator habitat a minimum of six times from May to October and, using protocol from the WDNR’s Bumble Bee Brigade, identify and photograph bumble bee populations. Data gathered provides valuable insight to overall habitat health and suggests management strategies that will protect and attract Bumble Bee populations.

iNaturalist and Roadkill MKE

Contribute to wildlife monitoring year-round! Submit photo observations to iNaturalist and include the park location in the description. These observations are combed over by Natural Areas staff and may be added to wildlife databases as proof of a species existing in our Parks. Photos of roadkill can be important, too. By submitting photos of roadkill and marking the finds as "dead", community scientists can help Parks determine where high collision roads are and contribute to wildlife mortality mitigation strategies. Please stick to trails and publicly-accessible roads when enjoying our Natural Areas. 

Nest Box Adopters

Volunteers help to maintain nest boxes by cleaning out and opening boxes in late fall, closing them in early spring and reporting any issues to staff (i.e. broken/missing parts). When volunteers clean out the nest boxes in fall they report which species nested in each during the breeding season.

Wetland Monitoring

Orientation: February/March.

Volunteers visit assigned wetlands multiple times from March through June to gather data on sensitive wildlife populations. Volunteers attend a mandatory field training and are provided with a wetland monitoring kit to conduct aquatic funnel trapping, visual encounter surveys, frog call surveys and secretive marsh bird surveys (volunteers may participate in a combination of surveys). Data is used to guide management of these wetlands and protect the wildlife that use them.  Spaces limited; priority given to volunteers with prior experience.

Invasive Species Clearing & Weed-Out® Programs

The Weed-Out® program is coordinated by The Park People in cooperation with Parks' Natural Areas Program. Volunteers help control invasive species at different natural areas throughout Milwaukee County Parks. You can find active Weed-Out events for the current season at: parkpeoplemke.org/get-involved/programs/weed-out/. If there isn't a Weed-Out® at your desired park, you can certainly still do invasive species removal!

All Weed-Out® locations must have a certified coordinator which includes attending training (March and August) and may involve becoming a certified commercial pesticide applicator through DATCP. The Park People provide tools, personal protective equipment, and necessary herbicide. Sorry, but no power tools.

Native Seed Collection

Help us restore native plants in our parks! Volunteers collect seed from approved native plant species within Milwaukee County Parks. This is a mostly independent volunteer opportunity so participants must have strong plant identification skills. Gathered seed is delivered to the program coordinator and planted at target restoration sites by Natural Areas staff.

Volunteers attend an online orientation to receive training on identification of target species and proper seed collection protocol.

Tree Planting

Tree planting isn't only for Earth Day! October is for annual reforestation where, on average, we plant 1,500 to 2,000 trees with multiple planting dates offered across a few weeks. Volunteers work with staff to plant 3- to 5-gallon sized, potted native trees and shrubs in pre-drilled holes. You can expect to be carrying about 15 pounds, kneeling for extended periods of time, and getting your hands dirty! We recommend wearing work clothes that will allow you the full conservation experience — mud and all! No previous experience is required.

Volunteer at Wehr Nature Center

Wehr has volunteer opportunities for all and is always taking new applications. As a volunteer, you might spend a few hours a year assisting with a special event, a few hours a week volunteering as part of a group or a few hours every day feeding the animals. 

How Do I Become a Volunteer?

Volunteer at Boerner Botanical Gardens

Volunteers at Boerner Botanical Gardens are needed for a variety of activities including organizing family events, running classes, staffing the gift shop, leading garden tours and providing weeding and garden support for horticultural staff.

How Do I Become a Volunteer?

Volunteer at The Domes

Volunteer opportunities at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory include staffing the gift shop, organizing fundraising events and assisting and running educational programs.

How Do I Become a Volunteer?

 

Park Stewards

Clean-ups are a great way to bond with your community while beautifying our parks. In the form below, any individual or group looking to be Park Stewards can select which park, beach, or trail you'd like to clean up or reach out to Engagement Manager, [email protected] to find a park that is in need of clean up. Examples of work could include weed clearing, trash and debris pick-up, etc. 

  • All volunteers will be required to fill out a Milwaukee County Parks Volunteer Agreement.
  • Primarily offered April – October.
  • Note: Volunteers are not allowed to collect needles, sharp or otherwise hazardous objects. Note the location of such objects and submit an Issues Report Form so Parks staff can assist: Milwaukee County Issue Reporter
  • Groups: Please give at least 2 weeks notice to coordinate clean-ups.

Clean-Up Registration Form

Group Service Day

Group service days are a great way for your corporate team, church group, school or organization to give back to the Parks while enjoying a fun team building day. Group service days typically include activities like invasive species removal, trail maintenance, gardening/landscaping, bumblebee surveys, or a special project like painting benches, for example.

  • All volunteers will be required to fill out a Milwaukee County Parks Volunteer Agreement.
  • Primarily offered April – October.
  • Minimum group size of 10.
  • For most groups, 3 hours is the perfect amount of time.
  • Please give at least 3 – 4 weeks notice to coordinate group service projects.

Group Service Day Request 

Eagle Scout Projects

Scouts looking to do a construction-oriented project — such as building a fire pit, enhancing an archery range, etc. — need to submit their projects through a Park Improvement Project Request. Project applications are reviewed by Parks planning staff and ultimately accepted or denied. The process can take 4 to 6 months depending on project scope, so plan ahead. All project costs must be raised by the Scout. Please use the Community Project application form.

Puncheons and Nest Boxes: If you are interested in building a trail puncheon or bird nesting box, contact [email protected]
All project costs must be raised by the Eagle Scout.

Oak Leaf Trail Inspectors

Pledge to bike or walk a line of the Oak Leaf Trail 6 times or more a year and fill out a checklist to help coordinate maintenance work by county staff. BONUS: Picking up garbage and sweeping up glass while inspecting the trail is much appreciated! This opportunity is on your own schedule. 

Forked Aster Trail Inspectors

Pledge to walk a Forked Aster Trail at least 4 times a year and fill out a checklist to help coordinate maintenance work by county staff. BONUS: Picking up garbage while inspecting the trail is much appreciated! This opportunity is on your own schedule.

Trail Maintenance

Help trim back plants that grow into the Forked Aster Trail in any of the 30+ trail locations. Receive a 1-hour training and bring your own tools (loppers or hand saw).

Trail Building

Join scheduled work days around the county to improve the sustainability of the hiking trails. Training and tools provided on-site. Task may include: trailhead improvements, new trail construction, trail closings, erosion control, and invasive species removal.

Fireworks Cleanup Volunteers Will Be Needed

Locations:

  • Bender Park
  • Dineen Park
  • Gordon Park
  • Grant Park
  • Humboldt Park
  • Jackson Park
  • Lake Park
  • Lincoln Park
  • Mitchell Park
  • Noyes Park
  • Warnimont Park
  • Washington Park
  • Wilson Park

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