Iowa Department of Natural Resources Volunteer Opportunities

Each month the Iowa Department of Natural Resources sends out an email to volunteers. I thought I would share this months email in hopes of letting you know that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources does utilize volunteers for many different kinds of projects. You can register to volunteer for the Iowa DNR by going to the website www.keepersoftheland.org and become involved in some great projects in your areas. Below is this months email from the Iowa DNR.

Greetings Keepers of the Land Volunteer!


October approaches and volunteer opportunities with the DNR are still
going strong. Also coming up on October 27 is National Make a
Difference Day. Choose this month to make a difference for Iowa's
natural resources. This is your monthly email letting you know about
volunteer opportunities with the Department of Natural Resources.
Included in this email are some of the upcoming opportunities that might
be of interest to you. Be advised, these are only a few of the
opportunities currently available. For information on all of our
volunteer opportunities including our calendar of events, please visit
our website: www.keepersoftheland.org . If you have an interest or
location which is not listed, please contact us to find an unique
opportunity that fits your interests and needs.



Save a Sioux City Jewel -- Sertoma Park Prairie Rescue Prairie
Plantings/Restoration Event
When:
01:00 PM, October 27, 2007
To
04:00 PM, October 27, 2007

Where:
Sertoma Park
Singing Hills Blvd
Sioux City, Iowa
Woodbury County

What:
A beautiful prairie remnant in the middle of Sioux City needs your help!
Volunteers should bring loppers and handsaws to clear brush in Sertoma
Park.

Requested Time Commitment:
3 Hours

Other Comments:
Volunteers should meet at 1 p.m. in the parking lot on top of the hill,
near the water tower, to receive instructions. Dress for the weather,
and bring gloves. Volunteers will need to provide their own handtools.
Volunteers should RSVP by 4 p.m. on October 24th.

Sponsoring Organization:
Keepers of the Land AmeriCorps

Event Contact: Andrea Blong
Phone: 712-943-6727
e-mail: andrea.blong@dnr.iowa.gov
Please RSVP to Andrea Blong.


**Fall Operation ReLeaf and Plant Some Shade Fall residential tree
distribution events are planned in Fort Doge (Oct.4); Thompson and
Jewell (Oct. 6); Waterloo (Oct. 11); Oskaloosa and Ainsworth (Oct. 13);
and Iowa City (Oct. 18). Volunteers are needed to assist unloading
trees off of nursery trucks, assisting with checking in/out customers
with tree orders, loading of trees into customer vehicles, and bagging
and distribution of wood chip mulch for customers. Not all tasks are
physically strenuous. Dress for the weather (including rain), wear old
clothes, work gloves recommended. Contact Amy Oliver ( 515-281-6749 or
amy.oliver@dnr.iowa.gov )or Matt Brewer ( 515-242-6892 or
matt.brewer@dnr.iowa.gov .)


**Fall 2007 Water Quality Snapshot Schedule Are you looking for a way to
get involved with IOWATER monitoring and meet other volunteers in your
area? If so, consider participating in an IOWATER snapshot sampling
event! During a snapshot event, multiple sites throughout a geographic
area are sampled within a short period of time. And the best part about
participating in snapshot sampling events is that you don't have to be
an IOWATER volunteer monitor - ANYONE can participate!

October 3 (Wed.); Cedar County - tentative
Contact: Dave Meyer
rockcrk@netins.net

October 6 (Sat); Jefferson County Snapshot
Contact: Jack Eastman (641)451-0208
jacktoni@iowatelecom.net

October 7 (Sun); Muscatine County Snapshot
Contact: Ellen Myers (563)263-8933
emyers@ci.muscatine.ia.us

October 9 (Tues); Scott County Snapshot
Contact: Amy Johannsen (563)391-1403 ext. 3 Amy.johannsen@ia.nacdnet.net


October 10 (Wed); Polk County Snapshot
Contact: Susan Heathcote (515)244-1194 ext. 205
heathcote@iaenvironment.org

October 13 (Sat); Johnson and Iowa County Snapshot
Contact: Dave Ratliff (319)354-1397
oldmanscreek@qwest.net

October 13 (Sat); Squaw Creek Watershed Snapshot
Contact: Rick Dietz
rsdietz@yahoo.com

October 13 (Sat); IOWATER Statewide Snapshot
Contact: Lynette Seigley (319)335-1598
Lynette.Seigley@dnr.iowa.gov

October 20 (Sat); Wapsipinicon River Watershed Snapshot Dana Dettmer
(641)330-7105; danadettmer@hotmail.com Tammy Turner (319)882-4742;
bremerwr@butler-bremer.com Jeff West (563)320-3893; jkwest3@aol.com
Vicki Wilson mvw@jtt.net If you've never participated in this event
before, contact: Lynette Seigley (319)335-1598
Lynette.Seigley@dnr.iowa.gov

October 20 (Sat); Dry Run Creek Watershed Snapshot
Contact: Rebecca Kauten (319)296-3262
Rebecca.kauten@ia.usda.gov

October 20 (Sat); Central Iowa River Snapshot (Marshall Co.)
Contact: Diane Pixler
dpixler@co.marshall.ia.us

November 3 (Sat); Cedar River Watershed Snapshot
Contact: Roy Hesemann
roy@cedar-rapids.org


**Fall Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program workshops have been
scheduled around the state.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has an exciting new way for the
public to get involved with wildlife conservation. Become a citizen
scientist and help fill in the gaps in our knowledge raptors, herons or
egrets! The Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program (VWMP) is a 6 hour
training designed to prepare folks for collecting yearly data on Iowa's
declining wildlife and submitting that data to the wildlife diversity
program. These data are crucial to the DNR's ability to monitor
declining populations nesting raptors, and colonial waterbirds. Four
training workshops have been scheduled across Iowa.

Participants in the bird-nest monitoring workshops will learn how to
identify raptors and colonial waterbirds (herons, egrets) and locate and
monitor their nesting sites. Surveyors will visit nests 2-3 times
during the spring and summer and collect data on the number of young
successfully fledged. Bird nest monitoring workshops are scheduled for
Central Park in Jones County, Starr's Cave near Burlington, Chichaqua
Bottoms Longhouse in Polk County and Lost Island Lake Nature Center in
Palo Alto County.

Information presented at the trainings will appeal to adults with an
enthusiasm for the outdoors and an interest in observing wildlife.
Pre-registration is required with a $7.00 fee to cover the provided
lunch. Trainings will run from 10am-4pm. For information on
registration and other details please visit:
http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/diversity/vwmp.html or contact Stephanie
Shepherd, 515-432-2823 x 102, stephanie.shepherd@dnr.iowa.gov. Join us
and become a citizen scientist!

Bird Nest Monitoring:
October 20, 2007 - Center Junction, Jones County
LOCATION: Jone CCB Nature Center
TIME: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
FEE: $7.00

October 27, 2007 - Burlington, IA
LOCATION: Des Moines CCB
Starr's Cave Nature Center
TIME: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
FEE: $7.00

November 3, 2007 - Near Maxwell, IA
LOCATION: Polk CCB, Chichaqua Bottoms Longhouse
TIME: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
FEE: $7.00

November 10, 2007 - Ruthven, IA
LOCATION: Palo Alto CCB Lost Island Lake Nature Center
TIME: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Lunch provided)
FEE: $7.00




If you have any questions or if we can assist you in making your
volunteer experience even better, please feel free to contact Merry
Rankin, Volunteer Program Director ( merry.rankin@dnr.iowa.gov
515/281-0878 ).

Keepers of the Land Volunteer Programs
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
email: dnr.volunteer@dnr.iowa.gov
www.keepersoftheland.org