Volunteer Opportunities

For information about these and other volunteer projects, contact Louise at 246-5366

Nine Springs E-Way: Led by the Nine Springs Network, along the north side of McCoy Rd. between Hwy 14 and Syene Rd. For exact dates and information about the Nine Springs Network, call 255-7631.

Donald Park: Our newest park, in the driftless area near Mt Vernon. Burns, field work, plantings and other projects throughout the year. Call for information about regular work parties. A project in the Upper Sugar River Watershed.

Prairie Foster Parents: The many acres of prairie we plant annually need help with weed control during the early years. Most weeding is done in the summer, using sharp shovels to cut roots of parsnip, Queen Ann’s lace, sweet clover, burdock, thistle, box elder, and honeysuckle. Individuals or small groups adopt targeted areas and commit 10 to 20 hours per month during the growing season (May 1 - October 1) for weed control. We’re looking for people in reasonably good physical condition to spend a couple of hours at a time using a shovel or pulling up plants. You must be willing to make the commitment and work alone, but could recruit friends or other volunteers to join you occasionally. Training covers issues of prairie management, weed identification, effective use of the shovel, herbicide and the areas available for “adop-

tion.” Our priority areas are Lake Farm Park, the Nine Springs E-Way, the Ice Age Trail Junction Area and Donald Park (the latter two are projects in the Upper Sugar River Watershed)..

Seed Collecting For Adults & Families: Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 at Lake Farm Shelter #1 and Thursday, October 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cross Country Rd. section of the Ice Age Trail Junction Area. Bring large paper grocery bags; call for directions and parking, and to sign up. Youth groups interested in scheduling seed collecting should contact Wayne Pauly at 246-3899.

Certified Pesticide Applicators. Volunteers treat stumps to prevent re-growth, individually or as part of a workday group. Those who want to become Certified Pesticide Applicators can now take the “Right of Way” test as training, instead of “Turf & Ornamental.” The latter exam includes information about insecticides, which is not relevant for our purposes

Office Volunteers: Primarily data entry. We use Microsoft Office; prefer experience but will train. Flexible hours. Come join our congenial office! Free parking.

Park History: Research your favorite County park. Written material may be used on park information kiosks, brochures or in a future publication.

SCHUMACHER FARM NEWS

Judy Borke, Site Coordinator

The farmhouse has a fancy new roof with the authentic appearance of dimensional shingles, thanks to Dane County Parks Department and the Friends of Schumacher Farm. A donated granary and shed is scheduled to arrive during early June. The dedication ceremony will be held on October 3 at Harvest Fest. Upcoming public events at Schumacher Farm are:

Hymn sing-alongs, 2 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month through October.

The annual Harvest Fest on Sunday, October 3 from 1-4 p.m.