Volunteer with Us!
About the Busy Beavers Volunteer Program
The Busy Beavers are a volunteer team committed to supporting our local wetlands and the watershed they support. Becoming a Busy Beaver is a great way to give back, deepen your understanding of watershed health, meet community members, receive free educational workshops, and get outside!
No prior experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. We ask that Busy Beavers commit to volunteering at least 10 hours a year and we have many different types of volunteer activities to you help support the Indreland Wetland Preserve. Whatever your skill set or interests, there is a place for you!
What Can I do as a Volunteer?
Activities are grouped into three areas: 1. Restoration, Maintenance and Monitoring, 2. Wetland Interpretive Host, and 3. Wetland Naturalist. We offer a mandatory volunteer training in any area of interest.
Restoration, Maintenance & Monitoring
Volunteers engage in direct restoration and enhancement activities to maintain and monitor the wetland. Activities include well/piezometer monitoring, tree watering and wrapping, photo point monitoring, mulching, weed removals and beaver management. Additionally, volunteers will help collect long-term data that may include water quality data (i.e. collecting water samples for lab analysis), fauna diversity (i.e. bird nest counts, wildlife surveys), and flora diversity (i.e. plant surveys). There will be a particular focus on collecting before and after restoration data at the wetland. These volunteers are crucial to the long-term success of restoration and enhancement of the wetland.
Wetland Interpretive Host
The Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve provides Sacajawea Audubon Society members and the community with the perfect opportunity to learn about wetland ecology. The Indreland Preserve is a place of respite to observe the wildlife and plants that use wetlands.
As a wetland interpretive host, you will be stationed at the Indreland Wetland Preserve and help welcome visitors, answer questions about the wetland complex, wildlife, and help familiarize guests to the wetland trails.
Hosting training will be provided, so no experience is necessary! Great for people of all ages.
Wetland Naturalist
Wetland Naturalist are many things: advocates, volunteers, teachers, and environmental stewards of wetlands. The goal is to empower wetland & watershed enthusiasts (YOU!) to put their unique skills to use through local conservation and restoration activities. After naturalist training, they can: Lead hands-on science-based educational activities at the Indreland Preserve with youth and adults; lead school field trips at other wetlands project sites; be guest speakers during lectures or workshops; or volunteer with other local organizations.
Ready to Become a Busy Beaver?
The next Busy Beaver orientation session will be held at the Indreland Wetland Preserve Kingfisher Pavilion on June 6 at 3pm – 4:30pm. This orientation session will cover the natural and human history of the preserve, highlight research projects, and upcoming wildlife & biodiversity workshops. We will also offer a walking tour of the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve — including an opportunity to see its resident beavers!
Directions: Park on Village Downtown Blvd. near the mailboxes and clock tower, just east of N. Broadway Ave. Then follow the short gravel path to the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve. For those who need additional accessibility support, call Loreene at (406) 600-6666.
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