Conservation Roles
Conservation Crew
DHNC- Adults/ Families Want to make a positive impact on the environment of your local natural landscape? Conservation crew is the backbone of our outdoor projects, from trail maintenance, invasive species removal, planting new trees and shrubs, brush burning, and more, the conservation crew is behind it all! Join the crew and help us conserve the land we cherish! Plus, we have a special Conservation Crew Internship for ages 13 and up during the summer! Accessibility requirements include traversing rough terrain, bending, squatting, lifting, and pulling. |
Arborist
DHNC- Adults Are you trained to handle a chainsaw? We are looking for individuals who specialize in cutting down trees and bucking them. Help us maintain our natural landscape by clearing away dead or declining trees and woody plants. Accessibility requirements include traversing rough terrain, bending, squatting, lifting, and pulling. |
Prescribed Burns
DHNC- Adults Interested in an exciting, fiery experience that helps manage the land? Join us for prescribed burning, where we effectively and efficiently burn parts of the land to manage and conserve different habitats around our property. Attend training and learn how to safely restore the land for new growth. Contact hschwanke@dhnature.org to be added to our "burn list"! Accessibility requirements include traversing rough terrain and bending. |
Trail Stewards
DHNC, FG, WG- Adults/Families Want an excuse to get your steps in? Our trail stewards walk our trails on a schedule that works for them. They pick up trash and sticks, and report back to us if there is anything that needs our attention. Accessibility requirements: hike up to a mile on our flat trails, ability to bend and pick up |
Special Area Stewards
DHNC- Adults/Families Take care of a place special to you buy picking up litter and sticks around the Nature Center such as the nature play area, picnic area, gazebo, butterfly garden and more . Come in around your schedule to help and get a plaque talking about all your hard work in the area. Accessibility requirements: hike up to a mile on our flat trails, other requirements vary depending on specific area |
Litter Patrol
DHNC- Adults/Families Many people enjoy our facilities. Unfortunately, being along a busy road, we collect a lot of litter around our property. Help us pick up trash along our road, parking lot, outdoor classroom, and picnic area. on a schedule that works for you. Accessibility requirements: hike up to a mile on our flat trails, ability to bend and pick up |
Critter Castle Creation
DHNC- Adults/Families With as many trees as the Nature Center has, there is always brush to be moved. How do we use this brush? We pile it into "Critter Castles" for wild animals to enjoy. Come out around your schedule to assist us in this environmentally kind task. Accessibility requirements: hike up to a mile on our flat trails, ability to bend, pick up, and carry branches |
Invasive Species Specialist
DHNC- Adults Non-native species are sometimes introduced into an area where they can rapidly thrive and reproduce. This hinders the growth of native plants, which in turn hinders local animal life. We will train you on how to spot certain invasive, and then you can come around your own time to remove them. Accessibility requirements: walk along unpaved woods, ability to bend and pick up |
Native Seed Collector
DHNC- Adults/ Families Native plants are vital to our ecosystem. Help us cultivate native plants by helping us collect seed from our prairie and other local areas in the fall. We will train you on how to collect, and then you can come in around your schedule to assist in our native plant efforts. Accessibility requirements: hike up to a mile on our flat trails, ability to travel through our prairie, bend and pick up |