Dakota County is calling on community members who don't mind getting a little muddy for a good cause – and no, it's not for some new extreme sport. The county has opened up registration for volunteers to help monitor the health of its wetlands, as part of the Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP). Interested individuals have until May 15 to sign up, according to Dakota County.
Volunteers will collect data on local plant life and macroinvertebrates, including beetles, bugs, and snails, to help monitor wetland health. The total time commitment is about 10–20 hours over the summer, including training, fieldwork, and lab analysis. Despite the modest hours, Dakota County considers the work essential for tracking environmental trends and managing these ecosystems.
As per Dakota County, training for the program covers fieldwork methodologies, macroinvertebrate collection, and plant survey techniques. Once trained, volunteers will be organized into teams to survey 3–5 wetlands between June and August. These wetland teams will operate across a range of locations in Dakota County, including Apple Valley, Burnsville, and several county parks, among others.
For those prepared to join the program and help protect the local wetlands, the actual process of signing up couldn’t be simpler. Prospective volunteers simply need to visit the Volunteer website and complete the registration. More information on the program and its impact can also be found on the WHEP website.
