Volunteer to protect and clean up the Vermillion River. Participate in hands-on educational programs, including prairie ecology or bird hikes, invasive species identification and removal, native plantings, prairie seed collections, litter clean-up events, trout surveys and more.
Sign up for these and other events with the Friends of the Mississippi River. If you care about the Vermillion River, you too can be a Vermillion Steward.
The majority of Vermillion Stewards are individuals and families who want to make a difference and contribute to the health and well-being of the local lands and waters.
Volunteer events
South Creek, Vermillion Stewards Earth Day Cleanup
Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m.–noon
South Creek, Lakeville
Join Lakeville Friends of the Environment and Friends of the Mississippi River to clean up South Creek, which feeds the Vermillion River—an important tributary of the Mississippi River and trophy trout stream. A variety of cleanup options will be available, volunteers can stick to sidewalks, the field, the marshy area next to the creek, or grab waders (their own or ours) to clean up from the stream-side.
All supplies are provided, including a light breakfast, lunch and volunteer T-shirts from the City of Lakeville.
All individuals, families and groups are welcome. Please RSVP with FMR Registrar Lindsay Hefferan at 651-222-2193 ext. 24 or lhefferan@fmr.org to help us make sure we have enough supplies.
Hastings Area Birding Festival
Saturday, April 20, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Carpenter Nature Center, Hastings
Whether you're an experienced birder or can't tell a robin from a chickadee, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the birds that live in our backyard. With bird banding demonstrations, field trips to local birding hot spots for experts or beginners, a youth birding competition, and "Raptors 101," people of all ages and birding levels will find much to enjoy at the Hastings Area Birding Festival.