Volunteer Project Catalog

Polk County Conservation

Help support our mission to restore Iowa’s native habitats by harvesting seed grasses and wildflowers from PCC tallgrass prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. All seed harvested is used for future habitat restoration projects across Polk County. As a seed harvester volunteer, you will collect native seed by hand that is ready to harvest from select plant species. This role will require bending at the knees, standing, kneeling, and walking through uneven terrain through grasses and wildflowers. Volunteers can be approved to work independently or with local stewardships groups to harvest seed within Polk County parks and along trails. Once onboarding and training are complete along with continuous ongoing support and direction from PCC staff, volunteers can harvest seed from approved locations on their own time. Each volunteer holding this position is required to report volunteer hours dedicated to harvesting efforts within designated areas. Volunteer hours that are self-reported are those that are completed outside of publicly promoted events led by PCC staff.

Seed HarvestingSeptemberYellow Banks ParkEaster Lake ParkOctoberJuneChichaqua Bottoms GreenbeltIndependent Volunteer OpportunityNovemberJulyMayAugustIndependent Volunteer Opportunity

Polk County Conservation

Whether you are seeking an inspiring setting in which to give back to the outdoor community; a senior looking to enjoy retirement; or simply wishing to spend quality time in a beautiful county park, all are invited to share their unique talents and passion for the outdoors and conservation with park visitors entering into their adventure at Jester Park. What Will You Do? Volunteers will be serving an important role at the Jester Park Nature Center welcoming visitors into their outdoor adventure at Jester Park. Volunteer Duties: *Welcome and assist visitors *Direct visitors to the various amenities that Jester Park provides *Provide information regarding events and programs *Check in and out Park Packs *Help set up and clean up for programming and events

Jester ParkJester Park Nature CenterNature Center VolunteerWeekendWeekdayYear-round

Polk County Conservation

Help beautify our parks and community through litter cleanup! Removal of litter from waterways and beyond has lasting impacts on water quality, animal health, and more. Volunteers can be approved to work independently or with friends and family to remove litter within Polk County parks, trails, and watersheds during. Volunteers that sign up for this role will identify parks or focus areas with PCC volunteer staff for litter removal and will be given supplies including trash bags, trash grabbers, and gloves. This volunteer position is designed to be flexible allowing volunteers to participate on schedules that work for them. Volunteers are required to report volunteer hours dedicated to litter removal within our parks, trails, and watersheds. When possible, volunteers are asked to weigh and report the trash removed. Locations volunteers can participate include any Polk County park or trail. Find a list of our trails here: https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/ *Hours should be reported for litter removal completed outside of publicly promoted litter removal events.

Chichaqua Valley TrailYellow Banks ParkBrown's WoodsThomas Mitchell ParkEaster Lake ParkYear-roundFort Des Moines ParkJester ParkIndependent Volunteer OpportunitySycamore TrailsStrasser WoodsLitter RemovalWeekendWeekdayIndependent Volunteer Opportunity

Polk County Conservation

At Jester Park, over 6 miles of cross-country ski trails provide winter recreation opportunities for our local community. Each year, members of the Des Moines Nordic Club in partnership with Polk County Conservation and other members of our community help to maintain the trails and utilize equipment to groom the ski trails as the snow flies. Volunteers can help maintain these trails in primarily two ways: 1) Seasonal maintenance including mowing, removing sticks and other debris from the trails 2) Trail grooming utilizing Polk County Conservation's grooming equipment during the ski season To have either of these roles, volunteers are expected to complete a training provided by Polk County Conservation staff and pass a motor vehicle record check. In addition, volunteers will work closely with members of the Des Moines Nordic Club who provide leadership on annual maintenance and care for these trails.

Jester ParkTrail Construction & MaintenanceNordic TrailsFebruaryDecemberJanuaryIndependent Volunteer Opportunity

Polk County Conservation

Are you interested in becoming a water quality monitor volunteer? Across Polk County, volunteers help monitor 70 sites along our local waterways as a part of the Polk County Conservation Water Quality Monitoring Program (PCCWQMP). Each month volunteers monitor sites collecting data on weather, stream conditions, and basic chemical testing (pH, nitrate/nitrite, chloride, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen). WHAT TO EXPECT: TIME COMMITMENT Water quality monitoring occurs the first and/or third weeks of each month of the year. Monitoring takes 15-20 minutes at individual sites during most of the year. In mid-July/early August additional habitat assessments and biological (benthic macroinvertebrate collection) assessments are completed. These assessments typically take 1-2 hours. TRAINING and SUPPLIES All monitors receive free training prior to taking on a monitoring site. Online independent learning modules are available. All supplies, including equipment needed to complete water quality, testing will be provided to each volunteer. Field monitors submit their data through an app. FIELD ENVIRONMENT Monitoring takes places along our local waterways throughout neighborhoods of Polk County. Monitors are asked to monitor in the flow of the stream, although sometimes this is not possible so sampling along bridges is allowed in those cases. If becoming a water quality field monitor sounds like a good fit for you, we encourage you to sign up! After signing up, you will be asked to complete the agreement and the 5 modules of water quality training. Please contact the coordinator if you have questions. Thank you!

Water Citizen ScienceWater Quality MonitoringYear-round

Polk County Conservation

Polk County Conservation is working in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, IA DNR, and the City of Des Moines to collect data for the Urban Wildlife Information Network. A primary goal of the Urban Wildlife Information Network (based out of the Lincoln Park Zoo) is to gather and share data so that partners can quantify differences in the composition of urban wildlife communities both within and among cities. This study utilizes 25 trail camera traps placed along a linear transect to document wildlife sightings within various cities across the United States. Volunteers are assigned folders of images captured by the camera traps and are asked to go through each photo and to tag any animals they can locate within each image. The online photo library utilizes a Google library, and a Google email will be required to participate. This volunteer activity can be done from anywhere with a secure internet connection. Volunteers interested in this position will be asked to review information and training prior to participating in the UWIN camera study.

SeptemberMarchWeeknightDecemberOctoberJuneYear-roundWildlife MonitoringWildlife Citizen ScienceNovemberFebruaryVirtual OpportunityAprilWeekendJulyWeekdayJanuaryMay