We schedule volunteer workdays each spring and fall at our nature preserves to clear and develop trails, install signage, and remove invasive species. Please contact us to be added to a list of workday volunteers, or to sign up as a trail monitor.
MAY - NATIVE PLANT SALE
Kids 12 and up and adults can assist with gathering and packing trees for each order, we have a lot of trees to package, and seeing new faces makes the work much more enjoyable!
JUNE - SCRAP TIRE COLLECTION DAY
On the last Saturday of June each year, with the Oceana County Road Commission in Hart, anyone high school age and older (this could be a good opportunity for school/sport groups). Helpers will check IDs of participants, direct traffic, collect surveys, or help load tires into a semi trailer.
Many of the people that we work with have old car and truck tires on their property. This event would provide a one-time drop-off day to help clean up our community. It will be hard work loading tires, and we need some strong volunteers that are ready to get dirty!
Scrap tires are also accepted at the transfer station year-round for a minimal fee.
SPRING - GARLIC MUSTARD PULL
In late April - early June anyone of any age (great for school groups!) can volunteer to help pulling invasive Garlic mustard plants in public natural areas of the county such as townships of Hart, Colfax, Crystal and Greenwood. Garlic mustard is an invasive herbaceous plant that can completely take over the understory in a forest. It is not often used for food by wildlife, it re-seeds readily and spreads quickly. We hope to catch this early in our county. Plus, this is a nice, leisurely way to explore a new area of the county.
No specific dates are scheduled yet, but we will make a special event if your group is interested
SPRING thru FALL - INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT
An influx of invasive species has the potential to degrade pasture land, devalue a forest, inhibit proper drainage and water flow of ditches and streams, inhibit recreation, and affect wildlife habitat. The District is hoping to receive grant funding (along with other partner groups) to manage invasive species in our county. While most of the work will be grant funding dependent, we are still hoping to get the ball rolling on our own, with or without that funding.
Generally June – September, volunteers can help hand-pulling, digging, hand-cutting or herbicide spraying. Anyone is welcome to volunteer, all around the county on public lands and waters, though certain jobs would require different age groups
No specific dates scheduled yet. If you have an interested group, we can schedule an event for you.
APRIL thru SEPT - ADOPT - A - HIGHWAY
Anyone high school age and up (younger ok with chaperones) interested in helping to keep our highways litter-free is invited to join us - our stretch of highway is US-31 from the Polk Rd exit in Hart going north to the Wayne Rd. overpass.
Lots of traffic passes through our county on US-31. Keeping the area clean and inviting helps encourage passers-by to stop and see what our county has to offer. Not to mention it helps keep the drivers safe from blowing debris.
If you or your group would like to help on any specific day during these weeks, please let us know and we'll plan clean-up days around your schedule as much as possible.
AUGUST - HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTER COLLECTION DAY
Every year, folks end up with dead batteries, unused chemicals pharmaceuticals and electronics that they can't use. We provide this service to help recycle these items and keep them out of landfills. Over 300 cars come through to drop off items, and our volunteers help to keep things running smoothly.
On the 3rd Saturday in August, at the Hart Department of Public Works, anyone 18 years of age or older is invited to volunteer at this annual event to take surveys from participants, direct traffic, collect batteries, or collect electronics.
APRIL - TREE SALE
Annually, on the 3rd Saturday in April helpers (kids 12 and up, and adults) can assist with gathering and packing trees for each order. We have a lot of trees to package, and seeing new faces makes the work much more enjoyable!
YEAR ROUND - INVASIVE SPECIES SURVEYS
Open to anyone that is interested in learning to identify plants, bug, trees and just spending time outside anywhere in the county - public lands, roadsides, rivers, lakes, your own backyard, year-round, at your leisure. We will provide you with materials and training to identify species, so that if you see an invasive while you're out and about, you can report it to us. If you are smart phone savvy, we can even show you hot to report the species with your phone!
The District is hoping to receive grant funding (along with other partner organizations) to manage invasive species in our county. Currently, other groups around the county are working to manage Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Phragmites, and Japanese Knotweed, and European Frogbit. We can work together to prevent the spread of other new invasives. We need your eyes out there to tell us where problems are so that we can get a handle on things. The more eyes on the forest and in the water, the better!
