Mississippi River Visitor Center Volunteer
Volunteers who are trained to staff the Mississippi River Visitor Center at the Science Museum of Minnesota can sign up for shifts through the button on the left. MRVC volunteers commit to a recurring weekly shift.
Habitat Restoration Crew Leader
Volunteer crew leaders commit to attending a few large group habitat restoration events per month, April through October. At events, volunteer crew leaders assist general volunteers in plant identification, invasive species removal and planting techniques. Volunteers must be comfortable working in variable weather conditions and spending time standing, crouching and walking on uneven ground. Crew leaders are models for safety and strong work ethics – as a crew leader, you can inspire others to become stewards of the Mississippi River!
If you are interested in becoming a crew leader for the National Park, please email volunteer@parkconnection.org.
Trails and Rails Volunteer
Trails & Rails (T&R) is a partnership program between Amtrak and the National Park Service. Mississippi National River and Recreation Area volunteers board Amtrak's Empire Builder to share stories about national, state and local parks as well as places of interest along the route.
A call for new and interested T&R volunteers happens in the winter with training in the spring. Minimum qualifications for a T&R volunteer include having completed 25-hours of volunteer service with Mississippi National River and Recreation Area within the past three years of spring training. T&R volunteers must be willing to: complete all required trainings, complete a background investigation, and commit to a minimum of 8 trips during the summer season (approx. late April/early May through late August/early September).
T&R trips involve a minimum of a 15-hour volunteer day with another volunteer and can be longer depending upon the operation of the trains; volunteers need to arrive at Saint Paul Union Depot at approximately 8:00 a.m. and expect to be leaving the depot no earlier than 10:30 p.m. Shifts are scheduled Monday - Wednesday and are subject to change.
Monarch Larva Monitoring Volunteer
Recruitment for the 2024 season has closed! If you would like to receive updates for when 2025 recruitment begins, email jessica_loeffler@nps.gov.
The Monarch Larvae Monitoring Project is a community science project that tracks monarch butterfly populations from caterpillars to butterflies within the park. Spend time with nature in a group at a set time or set up your own schedule at a designated park. To sign up for shifts, you will need to have special training.
Paddle Program Support
Vermillion River Bottoms & North Mississippi Regional Park.
Recruitment for the 2024 season has closed! If you would like to receive updates for the 2025 recruitment season, email miss_volunteer@nps.gov.
The Paddle with a Ranger series has two routes: (1) Vermillion River Bottoms (VRB) in Hastings and (2) Paddle Share’s City route that starts at North Mississippi Regional Park and ends at Boom Island Park. Programs are offered on Thursdays and Saturday-Monday with varied start times.
Volunteers are expected to support National Park Service staff in preparing boats for launch, resetting boats after the program, greeting participants, assisting participants in equipment use, promoting responsible recreation practices, communicating NPS staff about potential safety concerns, and providing informal interpretation to participants. We ask that volunteers average one paddle per week. All safety equipment and watercraft will be provided; we ask the volunteers to use their own water shoes if available.