Volunteering

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is fortunate to have a nationally recognized volunteer program. Each year, hundreds of volunteers help staff accomplish goals for prairie restoration, ecological monitoring, public services, and cultural heritage. We could not do this important work without a stellar volunteer crew! Volunteers gain a variety of benefits such as spending time in nature, socializing with peers and staff, and the experience of making a positive impact on our public lands in Illinois, the “Prairie State.”

Midewin’s volunteer program is coordinated by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the USDA Forest Service.

Step 1: Pick an opportunity (or two!) that interests you

Prairie restoration is one of the most popular and essential ways for volunteers to support Midewin’s mission. Whether you just want to volunteer once or become a dedicated part of our team, this is a good place to start. Restoration volunteer days involve a variety of activities throughout the seasons, such as:

• Planting prairie seedlings – late spring through early fall
• Seed harvest – fall
• Seed spreading – winter
• Invasive plant removal – year-round

A variety of other volunteer activities take place at Midewin. However, they may require existing knowledge/skills and we may not be currently recruiting/training for these programs. If you have an interest in a specialized activity please let us know, either on your online application or by contacting one of our Volunteer Coordinators. Here are some examples:

• Ecological Monitoring (floristic quality, bird, butterfly, frog, streams, etc.)
• Youth Education (Mighty Acorns program with local schools; Midewin for Kids programs)
• Interpretation (Ranger visitor information trailer, tours, webinars, etc.)
• Cultural Heritage (farmstead restoration and research, curating artifacts, excavations, etc.)
• Construction (repair bridges, construction projects, equipment maintenance, etc.)

Step 2: Complete the Volunteer Form

Interested in volunteering at Midewin? Please complete the online application below. It will inform us of your interests, skills, schedule, and will help us match you with available volunteer opportunities. After submitting this application, you will be contacted by a Volunteer Coordinator.

Create a Volgistics account and fill out the volunteer form.