Volunteer

Volunteers are a crucial component in many areas of park operation. We offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities throughout Minneapolis-Saint Paul and the surrounding communities. Most options do not require training or a lengthy time commitment and we welcome drop-ins. It’s a great way to meet others, as well as a fun and rewarding way to spend the day.

Sign up to receive monthly updates on our volunteer events, training opportunities, and community engagement events. Learn how you can make a positive impact on the Mississippi River!

Additionally, check out our Volunteer Events Calendar to view the different volunteer events happening throughout the year!

Explore Opportunities

Thursday; April 25; 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Drop in and get your hands dirty while restoring river habitat! The Coon Rapids Crew plans to meet bi-weekly for the remainder of winter and early spring at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park in Coon Rapids, MN. This crew is focused on removing introduced species, such as buckthorn, from the site to restore native habitat along the river. If you like to be outdoors and create tangible change in the environment, this opportunity is for you!

This crew will meet at Pavilion 1 at the park. Volunteers should be prepared to hike on steep, sometimes slippery terrain and bend over frequently. We will use hand tools to remove vegetation. No experience is required!

Saturday, April 27; 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 8; 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Help us take care of the floodplain forest! The Crosby Crew meets regularly at Crosby Farm Regional Park, which hosts the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change study—a long-term research project aimed at helping our forests become more resilient. The Crew will primarily focus on maintaining research plots and collecting data, providing crucial care in the project's formative years. We will also manage introduced species like garlic mustard and burdock throughout the park.

Friday, April 26; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

In celebration of Arbor Day, we are hosting a virtual Lunch n’ Learn about past and current tree campaigns at the park! The Plant for the Future (PFF) project was a joint Mississippi Park Connection and National Park Service campaign to plant 15,000 trees throughout the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area from 2017-2021, addressing canopy gaps from emerald ash borer and low natural floodplain regeneration.

The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) is an international network of research plots developed in partnership between researchers and managers. In 2020, the first urban and floodplain forest installation in the network was established at Crosby Farm Regional Park, with trees planted from the PFF campaign. We will share background information and preliminary results from the ASCC plots and the PFF campaign.

Saturday, April 27th; 7:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Share your knowledge of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area with runners participating in the Twin Cities in Motion Get in Gear race. All Twin Cities in Motion events are held within the MNRRA corridor. Spend your morning outdoors and share your knowledge and stories with energetic runners who love being outside.

Saturday, April 27

Half day: 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM and 11:30 - 3:30 PM

Full day: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Are you looking for a way to foster joy in the next generation of rangers? To celebrate National Park Week, we are searching for support with Junior Ranger Day! Assist with activities such as greeting, handing out booklets/instructions, helping to create bee houses with supplies, assisting with set up/take down, swearing in Junior Rangers, handing out badges and supplies, potentially assisting other visitors at the MRVC, assisting with lunch breaks, and just plain having fun!

Learning Opportunities: Thursday, May 9 & Friday, May 10

Program Assistant Shifts: July 13, August 10, & September 14

Junior Ranger: Fins & Feathers (F&F) is a summer event series that is an evolution of 2023’s Let’s Go Fishing! programs. F&F is a family-friendly program that targets BIPOC youth and their families, but it is open to the public. Park staff and park partners will lead recreation-based activities including fishing, biking, birding, and an urban, ranger-led walk at Boom Island Park on Saturdays.

Click on the link to learn about the learning opportunities and different program assistant shifts!

May 7-9, 14-16, 21-23; shifts depend on school scheduling but typically 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Big River Journey is an integration of river and classroom experiences that connect 3rd-5th grade students with the science and heritage of the Mississippi River, and promote stewardship. Volunteers are needed to assist with a riverboat excursion on the Mississippi River featuring hands-on learning stations. This is a very unique opportunity to engage with students on a trip that they will remember for a very long time!

Saturday, May 18; 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) is one of two SNAs in the Mississippi River and National Recreation Area. The site hosts upland dry prairie and lowland floodplain forests and is a valuable habitat for wildlife such as the North American racer and Henslow’s sparrow. MPC and NPS, in partnership with the DNR, are hosting habitat restoration events throughout the season to preserve the prairie. Join us at first event by removing garlic mustard and bittercress!

There are no maintained trails or facilities onsite. Please wear close-toed shoes, long pants and sleeves, and sunscreen. Bring your own water bottle, we will provide the necessary tools and equipment.

For further information about Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, read the MN Department of Natural Resources’ webpage for a map and site description.

We are calling for blog post contributions from our community about the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area! Write about your cherished memories on the river, volunteer experiences, what the Mississippi River means to you, and more. Contributions must pertain to the Mississippi River, but everything else is up to you and your creativity! Check out our blog for inspiration. Hours spent on writing will be added to your volunteer profile. For submissions or questions, email Lily at ljones@parkconnection.org.

Ongoing, at your convenience

The National Park Service has been collecting data on the habits and habitats of beavers throughout the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, and this is your chance to participate in the research! Have you ever seen trees with beaver bite marks or beaver lodges and dams? We want to know about it. Just visit parkconnection.org/beaver from your mobile device or click the button below!

We have a new page for volunteer training resources! From history and interpretation to natural resources, we have something that might pique your interest. We have now included training for volunteers to learn more about diversity, social justice, and equity as it pertains to outdoor spaces. Please take some time to learn how you can make a positive impact on our river community and create a welcoming environment for everyone. Hours spent on these resources can be added to your volunteer profile! Report them to Erika at miss_volunteer@nps.gov.

Join MPC's Forestry Program Coordinator Marielle in surveying survival among trees planted during the Plant for the Future campaign. Survey sites will be throughout the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and can vary from walking to tree plantings just off paved paths to hiking into forests with uneven terrain. Surveys will be conducted using a tablet or smartphone and Survey123 to collect information on location, species, height, and survival. Tree identification skills are not required, but a healthy interest in trees is encouraged!

Training is required to be a surveyor. For new volunteers, future field training dates are TBD. Survey dates are Mondays and Fridays from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

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.

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.

St. Anthony Falls visitor center volunteers can sign up here! You must be specifically trained to work at the visitor center to sign up for these shifts.

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.