Stewardship Workdays
|
Join us to get outdoors, get some exercise, learn new skills, meet new people and do some volunteer stewardship!
Workdays may be planned for any day of the week. This will enable us to accommodate the availability of more volunteers, and allow for activities that may pop up. (e.g., a mild winter and early spring cause invasive plants to start growing sooner). Pop-up workdays are scheduled when volunteers are available to come. This allows us to be flexible with weather and preserve needs. This information will be shared on social media and through our volunteer newsletter, so make sure you are signed up! To participate, please register in advance by contacting us at volunteer@heinzetrust.org or by calling us at 219-242-8558. For day of event information, call Eric at (219) 916-7625. |
|
Brush Clearing & Invasive Species Removal
Mon and Tues, Jan 20 and 21
9am - 2pm
Hawthorne Park
Porter, IN
The beautiful woodlands and wetlands along the Little Calumet River Corridor have seen major improvements over the past several years. In our continuing effort to work with the Town of Porter and the Parks Department, we will be removing bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose and other invasive brushy species to open up the understory and create space for native flora to flourish.
Join the Stewardship Staff as they continue the restoration efforts! You are welcome to arrive any time and stay for as little or long as you like. If you arrive at 9am, meet us in the main parking lot in front of the Community Center and we'll hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, walk around the Community Center to the trailhead and follow the Volunteer Workday signs.
Please dress appropriately for the weather. Waterproof boots are strongly recommended, as certain areas are often muddy or soggy. We will provide all the necessary equipment and gear, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Native Wildflower Seed Cleaning
Tues, Jan 21
9am - 12pm
Meadowbrook Conservation Center
Valparaiso
During the autumn months, volunteers and students collected wildflower seeds from several of our preserves, and we need your help to remove the chaff to improve dispersal and germination. Once the seeds are cleaned, they will restore degraded habitats and enhance our native ecosystems.
Join the fun with Preserve Steward & Master Gardener Peggy Foster and Preserve Steward Maureen Kolbusz at the Meadowbrook Conservation Center any time between 9am and 12pm. We will provide water, coffee, and granola bars, but warmly encourage you to bring your own reusable water bottle.
Seed cleaning can be dusty work and dust masks will be available. People with respiratory issues may not be comfortable with this activity, but we will have dust masks on hand.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Greenhouse Restoration: Knee Wall Replacement
Tues, Jan 21
1pm - 4pm
Barker Woods
Michigan City
The quaint strawbale and rough-hewn timber greenhouse at Barker Woods has seen some major improvements in the past year! Next on the project list is to remove the disintegrating strawbale wall on the southern side of the greenhouse. To improve the structural integrity and insulation in the greenhouse, we will be removing the strawbales and reinforcing the south wall with repurposed lumber framing and covering it with repurposed exterior grade wood siding.
We need help cutting the brush around the perimeter of the greenhouse, pulling out the strawbale, loading it on a trailer for removal, and - most importantly - measuring, cutting, and installing the knee wall framing. We will provide all the necessary gear and equipment, as well as goggles, gloves, and dust masks. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes and clothing, as there is uneven ground and thorny brush around the greenhouse and hardware mesh inside the greenhouse.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Lydick Bog Invasive Species Removal
Wednesdays - Jan 22, Feb 26, Mar 25, Apr 22, May 27, and Jun 24
Saturdays - Feb 8, Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9 and Jun 13
9am-noon EASTERN
Lydick Bog
South Bend
Due to high winds and rain, we have canceled the Jan 11 Volunteer Workday for the safety of our volunteers and staff. We hope you join us on Wed, Jan 22 or Sat, Feb 8!
The trail to Lydick Bog has been cleared and we will be removing invasive species to restore the habitat surrounding the bog with our main focus for the winter being bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and rubus; in the spring, we'll focus on garlic mustard.
We will host this series of Volunteer Workdays on the second Saturday and fourth Wednesday of each month now through June, so mark your calendar and ask your friends to join the fun!
All the necessary equipment and gear will be provided, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear waterproof boots if you have them as some areas may be muddy.
Please note that the time is 9am - 12pm EASTERN time. Meet us in the parking lot at Lydick Bog and we'll hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, follow the Volunteer Workday signs south of the parking lot to find us.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Adopt-A-Trail & Preserve Steward Training
Sun, Feb 2
1pm - 4pm
Meadowbrook Nature Preserve
Valparaiso, IN
Adopt-A-Trail volunteers and Preserve Stewards are an invaluable cadre of dedicated individuals who provide important protection for and feedback about our nature preserves. Our limited Stewardship Staff is often unable to visit all our preserves and we need extra eyes and ears to help us out. Have you been wanting to learn more about these great programs? Now's your chance!
Join Christine Maloney (Volunteer Coordinator), Sarah Barnes (Program Manager) and Eric Bird (Stewardship Director) as we share the newly updated AAT and PS program guidelines and expectations, special projects, and safety protocol. Also, hear from a few of our long-time Preserve Stewards and how they've embraced their preserves based on their personal skills and expertise. When we are done, we will enjoy some light refreshments, and then Eric will lead us on an exclusive guided hike.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by Jan 28 by emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org or calling the office at 219-242-8558. We look forward to providing support for your effort to preserve, protect, and restore our beautiful preserves!
Our volunteers are the heart of our organization! Come and learn how to join in!
Woodland Cleanup
Sat, Feb 15
9am - 2pm
Meadowbrook Nature Preserve
Valparaiso, IN
The woods to the east of Meadowbrook Conservation Center is overgrown and full of dead ash trees. Because the area is visible from 700N, we would like to beautify the area to increase its aesthetic appeal. We need help hauling brush out of the woods and stacking logs, with the intention of burning them at a future Volunteer Workday (with marshmallows and hot cocoa, of course).
Stewardship Director Eric Bird will be hosting and leading this Volunteer Workday. Come out and work side-by-side with him, ask him your nature and conservation questions, and help improve the quality of this beautiful moraine forest. If you arrive at 9am, meet him in the main parking lot of the preserve and hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, walk to the mail trailhead and follow the Volunteer Workday signs to the east.
Please dress appropriately for the weather. Waterproof boots are strongly recommended, as certain areas are often muddy or soggy. We will provide all the necessary equipment and gear, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Mon and Tues, Jan 20 and 21
9am - 2pm
Hawthorne Park
Porter, IN
The beautiful woodlands and wetlands along the Little Calumet River Corridor have seen major improvements over the past several years. In our continuing effort to work with the Town of Porter and the Parks Department, we will be removing bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose and other invasive brushy species to open up the understory and create space for native flora to flourish.
Join the Stewardship Staff as they continue the restoration efforts! You are welcome to arrive any time and stay for as little or long as you like. If you arrive at 9am, meet us in the main parking lot in front of the Community Center and we'll hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, walk around the Community Center to the trailhead and follow the Volunteer Workday signs.
Please dress appropriately for the weather. Waterproof boots are strongly recommended, as certain areas are often muddy or soggy. We will provide all the necessary equipment and gear, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Native Wildflower Seed Cleaning
Tues, Jan 21
9am - 12pm
Meadowbrook Conservation Center
Valparaiso
During the autumn months, volunteers and students collected wildflower seeds from several of our preserves, and we need your help to remove the chaff to improve dispersal and germination. Once the seeds are cleaned, they will restore degraded habitats and enhance our native ecosystems.
Join the fun with Preserve Steward & Master Gardener Peggy Foster and Preserve Steward Maureen Kolbusz at the Meadowbrook Conservation Center any time between 9am and 12pm. We will provide water, coffee, and granola bars, but warmly encourage you to bring your own reusable water bottle.
Seed cleaning can be dusty work and dust masks will be available. People with respiratory issues may not be comfortable with this activity, but we will have dust masks on hand.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Greenhouse Restoration: Knee Wall Replacement
Tues, Jan 21
1pm - 4pm
Barker Woods
Michigan City
The quaint strawbale and rough-hewn timber greenhouse at Barker Woods has seen some major improvements in the past year! Next on the project list is to remove the disintegrating strawbale wall on the southern side of the greenhouse. To improve the structural integrity and insulation in the greenhouse, we will be removing the strawbales and reinforcing the south wall with repurposed lumber framing and covering it with repurposed exterior grade wood siding.
We need help cutting the brush around the perimeter of the greenhouse, pulling out the strawbale, loading it on a trailer for removal, and - most importantly - measuring, cutting, and installing the knee wall framing. We will provide all the necessary gear and equipment, as well as goggles, gloves, and dust masks. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes and clothing, as there is uneven ground and thorny brush around the greenhouse and hardware mesh inside the greenhouse.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Lydick Bog Invasive Species Removal
Wednesdays - Jan 22, Feb 26, Mar 25, Apr 22, May 27, and Jun 24
Saturdays - Feb 8, Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9 and Jun 13
9am-noon EASTERN
Lydick Bog
South Bend
Due to high winds and rain, we have canceled the Jan 11 Volunteer Workday for the safety of our volunteers and staff. We hope you join us on Wed, Jan 22 or Sat, Feb 8!
The trail to Lydick Bog has been cleared and we will be removing invasive species to restore the habitat surrounding the bog with our main focus for the winter being bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and rubus; in the spring, we'll focus on garlic mustard.
We will host this series of Volunteer Workdays on the second Saturday and fourth Wednesday of each month now through June, so mark your calendar and ask your friends to join the fun!
All the necessary equipment and gear will be provided, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear waterproof boots if you have them as some areas may be muddy.
Please note that the time is 9am - 12pm EASTERN time. Meet us in the parking lot at Lydick Bog and we'll hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, follow the Volunteer Workday signs south of the parking lot to find us.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Adopt-A-Trail & Preserve Steward Training
Sun, Feb 2
1pm - 4pm
Meadowbrook Nature Preserve
Valparaiso, IN
Adopt-A-Trail volunteers and Preserve Stewards are an invaluable cadre of dedicated individuals who provide important protection for and feedback about our nature preserves. Our limited Stewardship Staff is often unable to visit all our preserves and we need extra eyes and ears to help us out. Have you been wanting to learn more about these great programs? Now's your chance!
Join Christine Maloney (Volunteer Coordinator), Sarah Barnes (Program Manager) and Eric Bird (Stewardship Director) as we share the newly updated AAT and PS program guidelines and expectations, special projects, and safety protocol. Also, hear from a few of our long-time Preserve Stewards and how they've embraced their preserves based on their personal skills and expertise. When we are done, we will enjoy some light refreshments, and then Eric will lead us on an exclusive guided hike.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by Jan 28 by emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org or calling the office at 219-242-8558. We look forward to providing support for your effort to preserve, protect, and restore our beautiful preserves!
Our volunteers are the heart of our organization! Come and learn how to join in!
Woodland Cleanup
Sat, Feb 15
9am - 2pm
Meadowbrook Nature Preserve
Valparaiso, IN
The woods to the east of Meadowbrook Conservation Center is overgrown and full of dead ash trees. Because the area is visible from 700N, we would like to beautify the area to increase its aesthetic appeal. We need help hauling brush out of the woods and stacking logs, with the intention of burning them at a future Volunteer Workday (with marshmallows and hot cocoa, of course).
Stewardship Director Eric Bird will be hosting and leading this Volunteer Workday. Come out and work side-by-side with him, ask him your nature and conservation questions, and help improve the quality of this beautiful moraine forest. If you arrive at 9am, meet him in the main parking lot of the preserve and hike back to the work site together. If you arrive after 9am, walk to the mail trailhead and follow the Volunteer Workday signs to the east.
Please dress appropriately for the weather. Waterproof boots are strongly recommended, as certain areas are often muddy or soggy. We will provide all the necessary equipment and gear, as well as granola bars and water, but we encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle.
So that we can best plan for the event, please RSVP by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing Christine at cmaloney@heinzetrust.org. For information about last minute cancellations, please check Facebook.
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Native Garden Helper
Shirley Heinze Land Trust is in search for volunteers to help maintain the native garden outside our offices at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve in Valparaiso. Tools can be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. There are no set dates or times for this project. Volunteers are welcome to come as it fits in their schedule; we just ask you to let us know when you are coming by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing volunteer@heinzetrust.org.
Adopt-a-Trail Program
This program is designed for volunteers to help maintain the 17 miles of hiking trails on Shirley Heinze Land Trust nature preserves. Individuals, families, or groups agree to maintain a section of trail at one of the preserves. Scouts, fraternities, sororities, and school groups are encouraged to participate. Volunteers are asked to make a 6-month commitment and may engage in the following activities:
Preserve Steward
Volunteers are available to apply for the Preserve Steward program after completing 6 months of Adopt-a-Trail. Preserve Stewards assume oversight responsibility for a specific Shirley Heinze Land Trust preserve. We need preserve stewards at all of our preserves, but currently these have the biggest need: Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve in Gary, Gordon and Faith Greiner, and Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserves in Hobart, John Merle Coulter Nature Preserve in Portage, and the Little Calumet River Project Area in Chesterton.
Stewards may engage in some of the following activities:
If you are interested in any of these opportunities or have questions, please contact us at volunteer@heinzetrust.org or 219-242-8558.
Shirley Heinze Land Trust is in search for volunteers to help maintain the native garden outside our offices at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve in Valparaiso. Tools can be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. There are no set dates or times for this project. Volunteers are welcome to come as it fits in their schedule; we just ask you to let us know when you are coming by calling the office at 219-242-8558 or emailing volunteer@heinzetrust.org.
Adopt-a-Trail Program
This program is designed for volunteers to help maintain the 17 miles of hiking trails on Shirley Heinze Land Trust nature preserves. Individuals, families, or groups agree to maintain a section of trail at one of the preserves. Scouts, fraternities, sororities, and school groups are encouraged to participate. Volunteers are asked to make a 6-month commitment and may engage in the following activities:
- Walk the trail at least once a month
- Provide staff with routine updates on the current conditions and needs of the trail
- Pick up litter and debris
- Help maintain boardwalks, bridges, and benches
- Trim grass, brush, and low-hanging limbs
Preserve Steward
Volunteers are available to apply for the Preserve Steward program after completing 6 months of Adopt-a-Trail. Preserve Stewards assume oversight responsibility for a specific Shirley Heinze Land Trust preserve. We need preserve stewards at all of our preserves, but currently these have the biggest need: Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve in Gary, Gordon and Faith Greiner, and Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserves in Hobart, John Merle Coulter Nature Preserve in Portage, and the Little Calumet River Project Area in Chesterton.
Stewards may engage in some of the following activities:
- Visit and monitor sites
- Help maintain trails and parking lots
- Assist with ecological management (requires training)
- Remove invasive species
- Monitor and report native species, interesting plants, birds, frogs, etc.
- Collect and distribute native seeds, plant trees, etc.
- Participate in workdays, events, and training opportunities associated with the preserve
If you are interested in any of these opportunities or have questions, please contact us at volunteer@heinzetrust.org or 219-242-8558.