Washington County can accommodate large volunteer groups. This is great for scout troops, company volunteer days, volunteer organizations and more.

If your company or organization is interested in a private group volunteer event for ~10+ people for seed collecting in September, October, please complete this form and email it to our Natural Resources Coordinator.

Volunteer to help us collect information from park visitors at various places around the County. During specific 2-hour periods, volunteers count visitors and hand out visitor surveys. This data helps staff determine park use and visitor preferences. Volunteers are needed at nearly all parks, including the Hardwood Creek Trail in Hugo / Forest Lake. If you are interested in being a random survey volunteer, please contact the Parks Division at 651-430-8370 or email.

Come volunteer in Lake Elmo Park Reserve by helping land stewardship efforts within the park such as cleaning up the trails, planting trees shrubs and wildflowers, weeding and controlling invasive plants. You will also learn about plants, animals, pollinators and the work we do to improve the parks natural resources. The event will be led by either a lead volunteer steward and or Washington County Seasonal employee. 

Volunteer days are scheduled May through October.  Please wear weather appropriate clothes and hiking shoes, no sign-up required, meet at the Nordic Center Trailhead and sign a liability release form.

• Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • May 7
  • June 11
  • July 9
  • August 6
  • September 10
  • October 8
• Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • May 9
  • June 13
  • July 11
  • August 8
  • September 12
  • October 10

Washington County Parks regularly receives requests for Eagle Scout/Silver Award volunteer projects, where a scout has identified a project to solve a problem/need in the parks. Below is a list of current potential projects, we also encourage scouts to present their own ideas: 

• Construct wooden benches in the parks
  • Scouts must propose bench locations for installation as part of the project submittal.
• Natural resource activities (buckthorn removal, tree planting, prairie seed collecting, growing prairie plants from seed, plant a wildflower garden with native plugs)

Please spend time in a county park or facility and think about the project, discuss the project with troop leaders and parents prior to submitting the Eagle Scout Project Description form. Once you have submitted the form, a response will be given within 30 business days. Please email the general parks email with the completed proposal form as a scanned PDF.