Native plant seed collection is winding down for 2026 at Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy (KNC) in Williams Bay, and we now have a large supply of harvested seeds to clean and prepare for winter and early spring sowing. We’ll be volunteering in the cozy confines of the Village of Williams Bay’s Lions Recreation Center or "Lions Field House" across the street from Kishwauketoe; no warm outerwear is required! Seed cleaning is a great way to volunteer to benefit our beautiful KNC without the need to walk long distances or perform strenuous tasks – this is a sit-down volunteer work effort; and, you’ll meet some great people who share the same love of Kishwauketoe! Bring your water bottle.

Join restoring lands staff and volunteers as we do invasive species at Koch Woodlands! RSVP required through event link. Important! Koch Woods does not have a parking lot. Please park and meet in the American Family Insurance parking lot located at 8330 N Teutonia Ave. Please dress for the elements and be prepared for hiking off trail. Work gloves are recommended, tools provided. Please be aware this preserve does not have a restroom. Group and family-friendly, children 13 and under require parental supervision. volunteer waiver required.

Volunteer work is focused on restoring and protecting the Badger Lands within the Sauk Prairie State Recreational Area. Work varies depending on the season, but may include invasive species control or brush removal. Details on specific work day will be listed on the events page.

It’s a tree-rific day to be in the park! Bring the family and use all your senses to see and learn about trees and shrubs and how they survive the winter weather conditions. A Master Naturalist will be your guide as you hike along the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail. All ages are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center, parking lot P3. A volunteer is needed to lead this walk that focuses on trees in winter. (Program time can be between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.)

Drop in at the nature center to create holiday ornaments, cards, and more using natural and other crafting materials. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center, parking lot P3. Volunteers needed to help visitors with ornament making. 2-2.5 hour shifts.

Participate in a Citizen Science project at Hunt Hill! Citizen Science empowers the curious and concerned to collect valuable data that contributes to specific scientific research. No prior experience is needed to participate. Program Fee: Free, but donations are appreciated. Location: Meet at Hunt Hill Nature Center at 7:45 am Registration is required by December 17. Limit: 20 people Participate in the National Audubon Society’s 127th Christmas Bird Count (CBC)! The count is the longest-running citizen science program in the world and involves volunteers traveling assigned routes to count birds. The Christmas Bird Count is open to all levels of birding experience and ability.

Who’s out and about in the wilds of Kohler-Andrae today? Join a Master Naturalist for a walk on the beach or dunes to look for signs of winter wildlife activity. Whose footsteps are you following? Where will your footsteps take you? All ages are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center, parking lot P3. A volunteer is needed to lead this walk.

Animal tracks abound at Kohler-Andrae. Come on over to the nature center and learn about walkers, waddlers and bounders. Then, cast an animal track medallion to take home. This messy hands-on program is geared for kids and adults. We suggest wearing old clothes or an art smock. We’ll be using water, plaster-of-Paris and sand to create small animal track necklaces. No experience needed, but patience is helpful. Please pre-register with the park office, so we have enough materials, 920-451-4080. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center. Crafty volunteers are needed to run this station.

Crisp, clear winter nights offer a chance to view stars, planets, and constellations while getting some fresh air. Join a naturalist this afternoon to learn what you might see in the evening sky. Get familiar with apps that can help you identify constellations and other phenomena in the evening sky on a winter’s eve. Listen to some stories of how the constellations came to be. Give your new-found skills a try in the park or at home after the program. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center, parking lot P3. A volunteer, familiar with the night sky is needed to lead this program.

Bluebirds are arriving in Wisconsin; are you ready for them? Participants will learn about bluebird behaviors and assemble X-Box-style birdhouses to take home. Bring a hammer if available. You’ll have two hours to assemble your birdhouse. This event is recommended for folks ages 10 and up. Birdhouse kits cost $10 each and can be purchased at the Park Office upon arrival. Please register in advance at the Park Office to be sure we have enough materials, 920-451-4080. Leave a message with your name, the number of participants, and the number of kits you would like to buy. Volunteers are needed to assist participants with building a wooden Bluebird house and to share Bluebird nesting habits.

Bluebirds are arriving in Wisconsin; are you ready for them? Participants will learn about bluebird behaviors and assemble X-Box-style birdhouses to take home. Bring a hammer if available. You’ll have two hours to assemble your birdhouse. This event is recommended for folks ages 10 and up. Birdhouse kits cost $10 each and can be purchased at the Park Office upon arrival. Please register in advance at the Park Office to be sure we have enough materials, 920-451-4080. Leave a message with your name, the number of participants, and the number of kits you would like to buy. Volunteers are needed to assist participants with building a wooden Bluebird house and to share Bluebird nesting habits. Volunteers are needed to assist participants with building a wooden Bluebird house and to share Bluebird nesting habits.

Orioles and Red-breasted Grosbeaks love grape jelly and oranges! Come learn about these brightly colored birds and craft an Oriole bird feeder from heavy copper wire. $7 per feeder. Pre-register by phone, 920-451-4080, or email. Folks aged 14 and up. Limit 20. Meet at the Sanderling Nature Center, parking lot P3. Volunteers are needed to assist visitors in creating Oriole bird feeders and sharing Oriole and Red-breasted Grosbeak natural history and habits.

Join staff and other volunteers to get ready for summer! Depending on the weather, projects may include trail, cordwalk, or campground maintenance, Nature Center setup, and other activities to prepare for the busy season ahead. We suggest wearing closed-toe shoes or boots, long pants, a hat and work gloves. Water, a snack and sunscreen will help you stay comfortable. Bring shovels and rakes if you have them. Individuals and groups are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. *No experience necessary.

Join our staff and volunteer community to restore and improve the natural habitat for plants and animals, including the conservation of rare communities, and invasive plant removal on our beautiful 185 acres of land. Volunteer groups go out on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. For ages 14+.

Lead guided hikes, answer questions about what visitors see on the trails, direct visitors in the Center, or even help visitors interact with live animals. Training provided. The Nature Ambassador Role was created by Wisconsin Master Naturalists who wish to interpret nature for the general public. For ages 18+.

The Kohler-Andrae Conservation Team meets on Friday mornings from 8:30-noon between Labor Day and Memorial Day. The Conservation Team helps with land management, facilities maintenance, sign installation and much more.

We welcome new leaders and topics! You don't have to bd an expert, just share your enthusiasm about nature. It's easy and fun! Madison FUN is a partnership of parks, envirinmental, educational and friends of parks organizes. Together we co-sponsor 120 regularly scheduled free educational naturalist led Bird and Nature Adventures in 10 nearby parks and natural areas every year, with 2 or 3 every weekend. Outings are informal, family and kid friendly, welcoming, and fairly accessable for all ages. We welcome new leaders and topics and will help train and connect you with opportunities to lead or co-lead.

This Master Naturalist project will focus on understanding the major controls on phosphorus storage and transport in streambank sediments on Blackhawk Island and Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center. The Master Naturalist will work collaboratively with researchers at UW – Green Bay and UW – Madison and the staff at Upham Woods to sample streambank porewater (groundwater), take soil cores, collect surface water samples, and download data from dataloggers. The details of the project will be developed in collaboration with researchers and Upham Woods staff. The Master Naturalist will also support mentoring a student apprentice who will receive initial training by Upham Woods staff. Anticipated Time Commitment: October 2026 – November 2026: • one field day (~8 hours) every three weeks • optional support of field experiment sampling with research team (~ 2 days) • data analysis: varies based on project goals (up to one day per month) December 2026 – February 2027: • two water sampling days (less than 1 hr) • data analysis: varies based on project goals (up to one day per month) March 2027 – September 2027: • one field day (~8 hours) every three weeks • data analysis: varies based on project goals (up to one day per month) Requirements: • Reliable transportation to and from Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center • Ability to hike and canoe • Start October 2026

Join us to improve the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the natural areas we manage! Activities include invasive species removal, trail work, planting, etc.

Join us to improve the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the natural areas we manage! Activities include invasive species removal, trail work, planting, etc.

Project RED volunteers monitor for aquatic invasive species (AIS) on moving waters – rivers or streams. Volunteers monitor for AIS while paddling, fishing, wading, or walking along a reach of river. The time you spend monitoring for AIS is up to you! Any and all time dedicated to searching for AIS is appreciated. You can monitor anywhere! You are welcome to “adopt” a section of river to keep an eye on, or monitor any river in Wisconsin you happen to be on. You can monitor while on the water paddling or fishing, or while simply walking along the shoreline. Visit our website to learn how to get started and find a Project RED field training near you.

Get started with WAV by becoming a baseline stream monitoring volunteer! Baseline volunteers visit the same stream site once a month from May to October to gather baseline information about the health and water quality of the stream. With multiple years of consistent baseline data, we will have a well-rounded understanding of the stream’s water quality and can better detect changes over time from land use or restoration efforts. In-person field trainings are held throughout the state from April–June and provide hands-on training at a stream site to teach you how to measure the five WAV parameters of stream health. We typically post spring trainings starting in early March. Keep an eye on our events page to see upcoming training sessions around the state and talk to your local WAV coordinator about other baseline training opportunities that they provide. Trainings are open to people of all abilities, and adults and youth ages 10 and older are welcome. Youth must be accompanied by an adult who can provide supervision and support.

From May through October, Docents lead weekend walking tours of The Clearing property. These tours focus on Clearing History and the native landscape. Special in-depth training is provided.

Upham Woods leads hour long fishing programs for 10-20 youth multiple times a week. We are seeking a volunteer who can come out to help us fix fishing poles and/or support these classes by being a second set of hands during the program. If you are working with/around youth we will need to follow youth protection policies including a background check, mandatory reporter training and more. Please reach out for more information! We would love to have you on our team.

Stewardship opportunity to remove Cattails at Friends Pond; dates to be determined.

Stewardship opportunity to manage Honeysuckle at the Black River Trails; dates to be determined.

Stewardship opportunity to manage Honeysuckle in the Campground; dates to be determined.

The Kohler-Andrae Conservation Team meets at various times for invasive species removal; dates to be determined

Stewardship opportunity to manage Silver Poplar in the Park; dates to be determined.

Be that friendly face for visitors on the weekends at the front desk. Visitor Greeters are responsible for cleaning and stocking the Visitor Center as needed, answering visitors' questions, and other duties as assigned. This position is great for folks wanting to engage with the public who visit CNC.

Stewardship opportunity to help maintain The Clearing's 128 acre property, April through November on Thursday mornings

Although we’d like to spend more time walking on the trails, sometimes we’re stuck in the office doing paperwork. We’re looking for volunteers who would adopt our trails and walk them as they are able (usually once per week or once per month), carrying along loppers for those unruly prickly shrubs, and letting us know if there are fallen trees that need removal. We have several trails of various lengths waiting for you to adopt!

Upham Woods welcomes over 10,000 visitors a year and we are looking for support for some of our projects. This is for a general, long-term volunteer, but fi you would loke to be an event volunteer please keep an eye out for separate event postings. Types of long term volunteers: 1. Volunteer Naturalist: Join us in early May to get trained in 1-2 of our classes and commit to teaching it at least 6 times over the next year. A full list of our classes can be found on our website, but some of our more popular classes include Wacky Water Critters (stream ecology), Peanut Butter Mountain (teambuilding), and Blackhawk Island Hikes. 2. Animal Caretaker: Upham Woods has 5 turtles, a snake, an owl and a red-tailed hawk that need daily care from diet preparation, and enrichment, to enclosure cleaning. Learn to take care of these animals on a regular basis. There is also the possibility of presenting the animals in our classes if you are interested! 3.Conservation Service Projects: We routinely run conservation projects. Come help us remove invasive species, build/clear trails, and thin our understory. Commit to being a volunteer on a project or help us lead projects for visitors and students. Please contact Jen, jen.maggio-laack@wisc.edu, if you would like more information or to schedule your hours!

Be that friendly face for visitors on the weekends at the front desk. Visitor Greeters are responsible for cleaning and stocking the Visitor Center as needed, answering visitors' questions, and other duties as assigned. This position is great for folks wanting to engage with the public who visit CNC.

A citizen science project on iNaturalist to collect observations by Wisconsin Master Naturalists and trainees. Recording observations for this project qualifies as volunteer service or as part of a training project. Why Join & Participate? (1) Connect Our Impact: Showcase the reach of our community science efforts. Observations from neighboring states (MN, IA, IL, MI) are welcome, too! (2) Learn & Share: Sharpen your ID skills, see what fellow naturalists are finding, and deepen your ecological connections. (3) Support Conservation: Your observations build natural history records that inform local research and stewardship. How to Get Involved (1) Join the Project: Click "Join" in the top right corner. (2) Start Sharing: Add your observations from Wisconsin and surrounding areas! (3) Engage: Help verify IDs, comment on finds, and watch this Journal for updates and bioblitz opportunities.