Welcome! We're so glad that you're interested in volunteering with us! By joining at any of the various opportunities listed below, you are directly supporting the important work of the program areas below year-round.

How to use the Volunteer Portal:

  1. Current volunteer opportunities are listed below. Click on each type of activity listed to read more about it. Some volunteer activities are only visible to volunteers with an account, or only visible during the season when they take place.

  2. Click the button on the right of any page that says Fill in an application. This will take you to a waiver - read the waiver and input a volunteer username and password at the bottom to sign the waiver, then fill in the rest of your information to create an account. You will need to do this in order to sign up for activities or receive notifications about new volunteer events. 

  3. Once you have an account, you can sign up to volunteer at any workday or volunteer event, upload certifications, and more! Use our General Guide and Overview of MyImpact for further guidance.

Questions?

  • Check out Better Impact's Site Guide (ignore the Client Help and Donor help sections).

  • Contact the DCP Volunteer Program by using the "Contact" tab or below:

More information about:

I would like to volunteer

Fill in an application

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Get Social

Administrative & Creative Projects

Assist with unique projects and show off your organizational or creative skills! These opportunities vary widely and occur throughout the year. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Office Assistant at the Heritage Center 4 3/19/2026 4/16/2026

Community Events & Outreach

These opportunities are perfect for volunteers who like to help with large and small events in a wide range of ways. Whether you enjoy talking with the public or helping set up popup tents, there's a role for you! These opportunities vary widely and occur throughout the year. In order to sign up for any of these shifts, you must have an account in MyImpact. You can make an adult account if you are 18 and over, a youth account if you are under 18 (parent signature required), or a group account if you wish to sign up yourself and multiple others (up to 10 people, could be family members, coworkers, or other!)

Activity Shifts Start End
Check-in Table (Earth Day Extravaganza) 3 4/22/2026 4/22/2026
Lead Native Plant Volunteer (Earth Day Extravaganza) 2 4/22/2026 4/22/2026
Native Plant Transplanting (Earth Day Extravaganza) 2 4/22/2026 4/22/2026
Trash Pickup Lead Volunteer (Earth Day Extravaganza) 0 4/22/2026 4/22/2026
Tree Planting (Earth Day Extravaganza) 3 4/22/2026 4/22/2026

Ecological Restoration: Invasive Tree and Brush Removal

Fall and winter are the seasons when we typically focus on removing invasive brush and trees from prairies and oak savannas. These workdays are staff-led and occur during the week, typically on Tuesday and Friday mornings. View our Tree & Brush Removal webpage for more information. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Hauler - Women's* Workday at W.G. Lunney Lake Farm 1 3/28/2026 3/28/2026
Sawyer - Women's* Workday at W.G. Lunney Lake Farm 1 3/28/2026 3/28/2026
Women's* Chainsaw Sharpening Workday 1 3/19/2026 3/19/2026

Ecological Restoration: Restoration Workdays

These workdays are typically held by our volunteer Certified Land Stewards with the exception of staff-led Walking Iron Workdays. Specific tasks vary and may include invasive brush removal, invasive weed removal, seed collection, or seed sowing. Workday schedules vary by property and may be held on weekdays or weekends.

Activity Shifts Start End
Invasive Tree and Shrub Removal at Lower Mud Lake 0 3/13/2026 3/27/2026
Natural Areas Workdays at Schumacher Farm Park 0 3/27/2026 10/23/2026
Remnant Prairie Restoration Workday at Stewart Lake 3 3/14/2026 5/9/2026
Restoration Workdays at Lower Mud Lake 0 4/17/2026 5/29/2026

Education & Interpretation

These opportunities are great for volunteers who enjoy working with youth, assisting or leading environmental education programs, and providing support to those programs. Volunteer activities primarily occur in the summer, but opportunities may occur throughout the year. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Animal Ambassador Caretaker 37 3/16/2026 5/15/2026
Bike Maintenance 1
Fishing Pole Maintenance 1
Volunteer Educator - Lil’ Explorer Adventure Assistant 7 3/17/2026 5/9/2026
Volunteer Educator - Summer Camp Craft Assistant 33 6/17/2026 8/26/2026
Volunteer Educator - Summer Camp Field Trip Assistant 12 6/26/2026 8/20/2026

Friends Groups

We rely on our many Friends Groups and Partners to help support individual properties throughout the system. View our Friends Groups and Partners webpage to learn about who these groups are, what they do, and how you can get involved to help support your favorite park! 

Activity Shifts Start End
Friends of Donald - Board Meetings 1

Gardening & Landscaping

Our gardening volunteers are incredibly important in maintaining gardens and green spaces around Dane County. These opportunities typically occur throughout the growing season and may be led by staff, lead volunteers, or Friends Groups.

Activity Shifts Start End
Garden Workday at Lake Farm 8 4/27/2026 7/27/2026

Independent Volunteering

There are many ways that volunteers can work independently at Dane County Parks and with certain programs within the broader Land & Water Resources Department. Volunteer opportunities are available for everyone regardless of initial skill level, experience, or time availability.

Activity Shifts Start End
Disc Golf - Park Maintenance 1 1/1/2024 12/1/2030
Graphic Design Artist 1
Independent Volunteer: General Park Maintenance 1 12/31/2023 12/1/2030
Independent Volunteer: Invasive Tree and Brush Removal 1 12/31/2023 12/31/2030
Independent Volunteer: Native Plant Grower 1

Park Maintenance & Campgrounds

We rely on our park maintenance volunteers and campground hosts to create a welcoming park environment for everyone! These opportunities primarily occur in the spring, summer, and fall. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Drop-In Cleanup Assistance - Annual Dog Park Cleanup Day 0 4/4/2026 4/4/2026
Volunteer Campground Host 1 12/1/2025 10/31/2026

Tree Care & Maintenance

Do you like trees, planting them, and helping to care for them? Then these events may be for you! Opportunities may occur year round. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Women's* Tree Planting Workday at Mendota County Park 1 4/28/2026 4/28/2026

Volunteer Trainings

We host a variety of trainings for our volunteers throughout the year. Come join us and learn something new! 

*** Note: Some of our trainings, such as our Chainsaw Safety trainings, are fee-based and have a different registration process. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Monarch Monitoring Training 1 5/13/2026 5/13/2026
Volunteer Educator Training 1 4/13/2026 4/13/2026

Youth Specific Opportunities

These opportunities are meant to be welcoming spaces specifically for youth volunteers where the only adults present are chaperones and event leaders. 

Activity Shifts Start End
YV4C Bluebird Box Installation and Monitoring 1 5/17/2026 5/17/2026
YV4C Burn Season Prep 101 1 4/11/2026 4/11/2026
YV4C Chainsaw Learning Lab 1 3/15/2026 3/15/2026
YV4C Photography & Conservation Storytelling 1 4/19/2026 4/19/2026
YV4C Seed Sowing and Native Plant Establishment 1 3/28/2026 3/28/2026
YV4C Shoreline Cleanup 1 4/25/2026 4/25/2026

About LWRD & General Questions

We believe that everyone deserves to live in a community with healthy land and water resources and with access to natural resources. Read our Mission Statement and learn more about our commitment to Equity and Inclusion and our Climate Initiatives. 

General Help & Questions

Below you will find step by step walk-throughs and video tutorials of some of the most commonly asked questions about this volunteer portal

 General Guide and Overview of My Impact 

Mobile App

Reset a Lost/Forgotten Password

Searching and Signing Up for an Opportunity

Uploading Certifications and Completing Qualifications

Withdraw from an Opportunity or Shift

Confirming My Participation/Checking Your Schedule

Log Hours and Feedback

Update Your Contact Info

Add Assignments to Your Google, Outlook Calendars

Set Up a Weekly Schedule Reminder

Resign as a Volunteer

Better Impact's Privacy Policy

 

MyImpact Portal Feedback & Suggestions

https://bttr.im/f2gow