Our volunteers are enthusiastic about native plants and exploring natural habitats. We are especially in need of people with dependable plant identification skills and prior field experience. Volunteers will travel to assigned sites, search for and count plants of the target species, collect general habitat data, and potentially collect seed for seed banking. Volunteers will work alongside staff and other volunteers initially and may have opportunities for independent surveys once fully trained.    

If you are interested in joining MN PlantWatch, please review the following to determine whether the program is a good fit for you. 

General commitment:

While we do our best to provide a variety of dates and locations, opportunities in any given season may be limited. Many volunteers travel considerable distances to reach habitat locations and fully participate in the program. Most staff-led survey and seed collection events occur from Monday-Friday during regular working hours, with only occasional weekend opportunities. Once trained, experienced volunteers may have the option to work independently and set their own schedule.

Training details (with estimated time commitment): 

• Online (MUST be completed prior to any fieldwork): 

  • DNR safety trainings (1 hour) 

  • Protecting rare species and other sensitive data (2 hours) 

  • Using data collection applications (1 hour) 

  • Plants of Concern training modules (1 hour) 

• Field training: 

• Volunteers must attend at least one MN PlantWatch field training day (6-8 hours, not including travel). A limited number of trainings are held in the spring and early summer. 

Assignment details: 

A typical assignment requires 4-8 hours of field survey work, not including travel time. The following abilities are needed to successfully participate as a volunteer. 

• Identify plant species with the aid of photos, written descriptions, and other resources (we will work with you to ensure you are familiar with your assigned plant) 

• Learn and follow specific survey protocols and record accurate field data 

• Navigate off-trail in remote or undeveloped areas using maps, GPS, compass or smartphone mapping applications 

• Search for and count individual plants of the assigned species 

• Provide your own transportation to/from field sites (we do NOT have funding to reimburse costs) 

MN PlantWatch volunteers searching for rare plants in remnant prairie habitat.