Volunteering for Fun
Our primary volunteer activities take place at our regularly scheduled workdays (See “Upcoming Workdays” calendar at right). These workdays occur outdoors at the Carl Hansen Woods/Poplar Creek Forest Preserve from 9 a.m. until approximately noon on alternating Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. Please see Where We Work for more information.
Our Workday Activities vary depending on the season. Although we work hard, our workdays are fun! They are a great time to enjoy the great outdoors, get some exercise, learn about native Illinois habitats, meet new people, and make new friends. We have a mid-morning break (please be sure to bring water), and volunteers often go out for lunch at a nearby casual eatery after the workday ends.
Please see What to Wear to ensure that you are dressed appropriately for the volunteer work.
NOTE that If you are under age 18, you MUST either be:
1) accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or
2) accompanied by a teacher or leader of an organized youth or school group, who has arranged in advance with us to bring a group out. Student/leader-teacher ratio cannot be greater than 10 to 1. Even with a group, each student must bring a Volunteer Agreement & Waiver Form signed by their parent or legal guardian.
Volunteering for School Credit
If you are reading this, you have probably been told by a teacher that you can receive credit for volunteering with the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards.
NOTE that If you are under age 18, you MUST either be:
1) accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or
2) accompanied by a teacher or leader of an organized youth or school group, who has arranged in advance with us to bring a group out. Student/leader-teacher ratio cannot be greater than 10 to 1. Even with a group, each student must bring a Volunteer Agreement & Waiver Form signed by their parent or legal guardian.
To receive credit, you must attend one or more of our workdays. Please plan to arrive in time for our
9 a.m. start, and to stay for the entire workday, which goes until approximately noon. If you have an attendance card or other document that must be signed to show you attended the workday, please be sure to bring it with you, and we will be happy to sign it at the end of the workday. Please be sure to bring water. We will provide any tools or training you need for the morning’s activities.
NOTE that to participate in the workday, you must be appropriately dressed; if you are not, we reserve the right (for safety reasons) to turn you away, and you will not get credit for the workday.
Bringing Your Group to Volunteer
We are always happy to host groups that want to volunteer! If you are bringing a group of more than five people, please send us a message with:
- The workday date you want to attend
- The approximate number of volunteers in your group
- Whether your group is all ages, adults only, younger children, or older children/teens
Be sure to include your name, email address, and phone number(s) and how you heard about us. This will ensure that we can contact you if we have questions and plan for enough work leaders, tools, and refreshments for all the volunteers.
If your volunteers are under 18, they will need to bring a completed Volunteer Agreement & Waiver Form that includes a parent’s or guardian’s signature. Student/leader-teacher ratio cannot be greater than 10 to 1.
Please be sure your volunteers bring water, and that the information found on What to Wear is clear to the members of your group.
Thank you for your interest—we hope to see you soon! If you have questions that we have not answered, please please send us a message. You can also check out our Facebook Page!
Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards 