Dakota County, MN

The Dakota County Recycling Ambassador program provides training on waste reduction, recycling, composting and solid waste.

Ambassadors agree to volunteer 30 hours putting their skills to work. Ambassadors have the opportunity to staff informational booths at community events, make presentations, and work on special projects in their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Dakota County Recycling Ambassador Program. 

Green Squad volunteers help our county events recycle more and create less waste. Green Squad volunteers are composed of Dakota County Recycling Ambassadors who are trained to be good stewards of our resources and to help others make smart decisions when it comes to recycling and waste management.

ATTENTION: Volunteers must first complete Dakota County's Recycling Ambassador training to participate in Green Squad events.

​Protecting Dakota County’s valuable surface water and groundwater resources is an important responsibility for everyone who lives and works here. Dakota County helps protect water quality every step of the way.

The Wetland Health Evaluation Program engages citizen volunteers to help monitor wetlands in their community. Since 1997, WHEP volunteers have been monitoring wetland health throughout Dakota and Hennepin counties. The WHEP program provides important information to city and county planners, engineers, resource managers, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and other local agencies to track wetland health throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. 

WHEP volunteers work in teams to evaluate the biological health and stability of wetlands pre-selected by their community. All training and equipment is provided and volunteer times are flexible and adaptable to a busy summer schedule. Family-friendly and all ages welcome but we recommend this program to those who are 5 years old or older. 

For additional information about this program, check out this intro video , awesome WCCO news story or visit the MN WHEP website.

Please select the WHEP team you would like to join. If your desired team is full, please join the team nearest to where you live. For assistance, please contact Garrett Zaffke at garrett.zaffke@co.dakota.mn.us. 

Training is recommended but not mandatory for WHEP program volunteers. The training consists of three sessions: Introduction & Field Methods, Macro ID, and Veg ID.

Dakota County Citizen Advisory Committees support county government by involving citizens in the decision-making process, meeting requirements of state law, helping to define community norms and standards, providing technical expertise, serving as advocates, offering feedback, and reflecting the diverse interests of Dakota County clients and residents.

Now is the perfect time to get out and help out. Group volunteering is a meaningful break from the work/daily routine to help build camaraderie, collaboration, improve team communications, and to help make lasting change. Dakota County’s volunteer opportunities offer many unique and rewarding experiences for your group to experience together. All supplies, training, and event organization is taken care of by us. All your group needs to do is show up, ready to work and have fun!  

Working together makes us stronger, builds better bridges and opens up a world of opportunity to our residents. The Dakota County Volunteer Network exists to help local non-profits and organizations tap into Dakota County's broader volunteer network. We seek to serve and activate people not just in Dakota County but to people living in the Twin Cities regions and beyond. We work together to build better programming and to share insight and ideas so that all of organizations can flourish and thrive in the causes that they care about. 

Dakota County Volunteer Network - Connecting Communities to Local Opportunities 

DISCLAIMER: Some of these opportunities are not managed by Dakota County Volunteers but with another local organization. You may have to complete additional registration/documentation with the organization to fully sign up for the activity. The organizations that host these opportunities take full responsibility for the organization and management of the opportunities listed below. 

Dakota County is looking for the best and the brightest to join our team and take on the challenging and rewarding work of public service. The work we do is unique – we protect public health, keep our communities safe, ensure our vulnerable residents are cared for, help residents get back on their feet; protect our natural resources, get veterans the help they deserve, make sure traffic flows efficiently, inspire children to read and so much more. Grow your career at Dakota County where you can truly “Be More.”

Looking to explore more of our opportunities? Check out our website at https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Government/Jobs

Disclaimer: The positions listed below are not with Dakota County Volunteers but with another organization located in Dakota County or serving Dakota County residents.

You may have to complete additional registration/documentation with the host organization to fully apply for these openings. The organizations that host these opportunities take full responsibility for the organization and management of their volunteers.

Dakota County Parks offers a variety of opportunities for groups and individuals wishing to share their talents and time volunteering in their county park system. If you enjoy working with people or have a passion for nature, Dakota County Parks is the place for you.

Throughout the year, Dakota County Parks host stewardship opportunities and other habitat restoration events where volunteers can help with seed collecting, tree and shrub planting, plant propagation, greenhouse support and much more. Various sites and opportunities available seasonally across our park system.

Help maintain your dog's mental and physicals health by getting them outside to roam. Dakota Woods Dog Park is a 16-acre, fenced-in, wooded park that is a great place to let your dog run and exercise on and off-leash. The park is centrally located in Dakota County, just east of Rosemount and north of Farmington.  

Lake Byllesby Regional Park is nestled in the scenic Cannon River Valley on Lake Byllesby Reservoir, the largest lake in southern Dakota County. This beautiful park offers vast open space for a variety of year-round activities including cooling off in the splash pad or lake, staying overnight in our campsite, or taking a boat ride to take in the sheer cliff facings on shore that are hundreds of years old. Make sure to catch a glimpse of the Lake Byllesby Dam before you leave.

Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the crown jewel and largest park in the Dakota County park system. Containing almost 2,000 acres, the park offers miles of trails and many lakes for year-round outdoor sports, recreation and environmental education. The Lebanon Hills Visitor Center, located in the eastern section of the park, offers park information, interactive nature displays, courses and programs for all ages, and equipment rentals. 

Enjoy the feel of northern Minnesota from this scenic park that overlooks the Mississippi River. A rest stop along the Great River Road, Spring Lake Park Reserve is the "hidden jewel" of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. The Schaar’s Bluff Trailhead and picnic area provide a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River Valley as well as access to summer hiking and winter ski trails.

This charming 57-acre park provides a quiet get-a-way in the midst of West St. Paul. The park features a large picnic and playground area that overlooks Thompson Lake and miles of wooded trails that link Thompson County Park to Kaposia Park and to the Mississippi River Regional Trail. Thompson County Park is also the home of the Dakota Lodge — a four-season event center that is perfect for weddings, reunions, meetings, banquets, retreats, parties and much more.

What better way to enjoy a summer afternoon in Minnesota than on a lake fishing? No boat? No worries. Take a Kid Fishing allows you to enjoy a popular Minnesota pastime comfortably from the fishing dock on beautiful Thompson Lake in West St. Paul. Lots of hands-on stations led by community partners will be open so that you can learn more about fishing and other environmental topics. There will also be door prizes, giveaways, fun games, art activities and food trucks to help fill up your afternoon of fun. 

Volunteers are needed for this event to be a success. A variety of options are available to help, whether you want to share your fishing knowledge and experience with our young fishing enthusiasts or you would just rather help with general event support, there is something for everyone. To ensure a high-quality experience, pre-registration is required to volunteer. Take a look at the list of open positions below and get hooked on volunteering. 

Enjoy the outdoors while assisting park visitors with questions, directions, and providing an extra support measure in case of emergencies. Our patrol units offer a vital service to our county parks by providing trained individual assistance to our park users, helping to keep everyone happy and safe on our park and regional trails. Volunteer while personally enjoying the trails yourself, so easy and fun! 

Whitetail Woods Regional Park is located in Empire Township in the center of Dakota County, one mile north of the Vermillion River. Whitetail Woods provides year round fun from sledding down hill in the winter to enjoying a walk through the flowering prairie during the spring to taking in the relaxing sounds of an outdoor concert during the summer. Looking to get away for a weekend? Unique cabins for rent offer year-round comfy lodging for you and your family to explore the outdoors.