Volunteer at Whitewater State Park this spring/summer!

Picturesque limestone bluffs and deep ravinesmake Whitewater a very popular southeastern state park. Enjoy the view and take part in one of the following volunteer opportunities offered here:

• Tree Planting Project during the Week of Earth Day, April 21 – 26, 2014: Assist with planting 500 small tree seedlings around the park.  Work at your own pace and plant as many trees as you feel comfortable doing.  No tree planting experience necessary as training will be provided. Volunteers must be able to bend, lift 5 gallon buckets of water, and use tree spades and shovels to dig. Up to 10 volunteers are needed. This would be a great project for scouting groups or other groups looking for volunteer service hours.

• Prairie Butterfly Garden Maintenance:  Work with other park volunteers to maintain the butterfly garden in front of the visitor center. Assist with weeding, mulching, watering and labeling plants. There may also be opportunities for seed collecting. The time commitment is flexible, but all volunteers must attend a volunteer training for this project on Saturday, April 26 from 1 – 4 PM.  Up to 20 volunteers are needed.

• 2nd Annual Parsnip Pull, Saturday June 21:Work with a group of volunteers to pull wild parsnip from heavy use areas of the park.  This is a service project combined with a fun social atmosphere as lunch is provided. This year there will be activities and entertainment focused on invasive species. No experience is necessary, but volunteers must be able to bend over and carry spades, shovels or other tools necessary for removing parsnips.  An unlimited number of volunteers can be involved, so invite your friends and bring a group!

For more information contact Sara Grover, Lead Interpretive Naturalist, Whitewater State Park, 19041 Hwy 74, Altura MN 55910 at 507-932-3007 ext 226 or emailSara.grover@state.mn.us