Dates: Ideal times for volunteer projects are spring (April - June) and fall (September + October). Advance notice of at least six weeks is preferred. Required: at least two weeks' notice.

Time: Projects are generally scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Fridays. Projects typically start at 9 am or 1 pm; each lasts between 1.5 - 3 hours.

Group size:

• Spring = Five people min. - 50 people max.
• Fall = 25 people max.
• For groups larger than 50 people, contact our Volunteer Coordinator. 
• Capacity is determined by tools, parking, staff, and general property impact. 

What to expect: Prepare to get dirty and work outside for several hours. It’s always possible to encounter bugs, prickly plants, and weather / temperature changes.

What to wear: Dress for the weather (recommended: long sleeves and pants) and wear clothes that can get beat up a bit; wear closed-toe shoes, gloves (extra will be provided), safety glasses (extra will be provided).

Park Maintenance

• Opportunity available Monday - Friday from 8 am - 3 pm.
• Available May - November

Great for individuals or small groups (four or fewer). Assist with trash clean-up, painting picnic tables, wood chipping trails, or weeding planting beds.

Invasive Species Control

• Available May-June & Sept-Nov
• Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays for at least two hours between 8am-3pm.

Do you love working outdoors and improving your local green spaces? Volunteers ages 18+ will get hands on experience with native plant and invasive species identification as well as experience with various control techniques.

Self-Guided Garlic Mustard Removal

• Available May-July
• Volunteer on your own schedule (sunrise-10pm)

Feeling independent? Volunteer on your own with no staff supervision in any park and on your own schedule (sunrise - 10 pm). We'll furnish you with a map of where to pull garlic mustard in your selected park(s) and this training video. 

Adopt-A-Park Program

Help us maintain the beauty of the County Park trails, green spaces, and garden beds with your group.

Looking for more information? Visit our main Adopt-A-Park page here.

Limited availability.

Adopt-A-Trail

Maintain and protect the beauty of the County's recreational trail systems with your group.

Looking for more information? Visit our main Adopt-A-Trail page.

Limited availability. 

Adopt-A-Drain

Spend 15 minutes twice a month to help protect our lakes and rivers by cleaning the surface of storm drains. Then report the quantity and composition of debris removed.

For more information, visit the main Adopt-A-Drain page.

Eble Park Gardens

The Eble Park Gardens are powered by our treasured Waukesha County Parks volunteers.

Whether fulfilling certification requirements or just raising the community's joy levels, you'll love digging into Florence's gardens!

Get your hands dirty in the flower and herb gardens and cultivate the vegetable gardens for donations to the Food Pantry of Waukesha.  

Special Event Opportunities

From assisting with parking, sharing visitor information, and greeting guests, look at our various special events and let us know which you would like to assist with.

Volunteer needs may vary per event.

Become a Teaching Naturalist

An apprenticeship program to become a Volunteer Teacher Naturalist who can assist Education Naturalist staff with environmental education programs for school groups, scouts, and the general public. Recommended for ages 18+. 

Team up with Master Naturalist Carrie Frantz to survey bats using high-tech detectors! These devices capture the ultrasonic calls that bats use to communicate.

View Schedule / Register

Join us for a hands-on invertebrate survey! Assist in monitoring invasive Asian clams.

View Schedule / Register

Stop by The Tap Yard been garden for a bat-tastic presentation by Wisconsin Master Naturalist Caroline Frantz! Learn why bats are vital to our ecosystem, how to spot them, and what you can do to help. Stick around afterward for an optional short hike with acoustic gear to hear the bats in action.

Program is free, but Park entry requires a daily permit or annual membership.

View Schedule / Register

Join our team and invertebrate enthusiasts for a fun, hands-on bumble bee survey! Learn all about these fuzzy pollinators while helping us spot and ID them in the field.

View Schedule / Register

Join us for a hands-on invertebrate survey! Help track dragonflies and damselflies.

View Schedule / Register

Did you know that more than half of Wisconsin's 52 native mussel species are in trouble? Habitat changes and invasive zebra mussel are putting the squeeze on these underwater gems. Join us in the water to help search for these rare freshwater clams!

View Schedule / Register

With 300+ species and 70+ eBird hotspots, Waukesha County is a birder's dream! Join our staff for seasonal bird surveys and help track which feathered friends are calling our Parks home. Perfect for experienced birders.

View Schedule / Register

Join us for a walk in the woods and learn about the mushrooms you see along the way - part of our ongoing efforts to monitor fungi in the Park System!

View Schedule / Register

Do you love birds? You can be one of our volunteers that monitor songbird nest boxes across Waukesha County Parks and greenspaces.

A volunteer visits each box once-a-week from March 15 through September 30. The volunteer determines which species is using it; counts eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings; and performs minor maintenance. There are ten or more boxes per location.

View Schedule / Register

Eagle Scout Information

• View the Eagle Scout Project Guide
• Fill out the Project Request Form

Habitat Restoration Workday:

These volunteer projects are done alongside our park staff at predetermined parks on weekends and select weekdays. Depending on the time of year the focus will be on pulling invasive weeds, cutting invasive woody brush, or tree planting.

Work with our staff and volunteer Site Stewards to remove invasive species from our natural areas. Our habitat restoration workdays have a particular focus on the globally imperiled oak ecosystems that occur within Waukesha County. You can take part in recovering these habitats of regional importance.

What to wear: Dress for the weather (long sleeves and pants are recommended) and wear clothes that are OK to get beat up, closed-toe shoes, gloves (extra will be provided), safety glasses (extra will be provided).

What to bring: Water, sunscreen, bug spray, loppers (optional).

Cancellation or rescheduling plan: If the workday is cancelled, an email will be sent to the address that you RSVP’d from.

Register for a Habitat Restoration Workday.