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.