Volunteer Opportunities

Call for Volunteers

Background

The Go Blue! Community Makeover is a project funded by a Minnesota Clean Water Grant. It is designed to reduce stormwater runoff into Diamond Lake by installing best management practices, such as raingardens, permeable pavements, and rainbarrels, at residences throughout the watershed participating in the grant.  It is a collaboration between Friends of Diamond Lake, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Hedberg Landscape, Hale Page Diamond Lake Community Association, and Metro Blooms.

The Go Blue! project team is currently seeking volunteers to assist with key aspects of the project through the fall of 2010.  If you have an interest and some time to give, please consider these areas in which we are seeking expertise.

Please contact Gail Schaal at 763-392-5920 or gschaal@hedbergaggregates.com if you are interested in volunteering for any of these activities.

Volunteer “Job” Descriptions

Go Blue Celebration Event/Picnic PRESSING NEED!
We’re planning a “Go Blue” celebration event (picnic) Friday, June 18 at Pearl Park.  This event for the whole community will include fun, educational activities and opportunities for project participants to meet each other.   We need numerous people to assist with setup, manage kid’s activities during the event, serve food, and help with cleanup afterward. Most shifts are just one hour, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the celebration.  See the complete list here. Oh yeah, there’s a free t-shirt in it for you, too.

Education Project Manager
The “Go Blue” team hopes to offer several educational opportunities over the course of summer 2010 for residents installing “Go Blue” projects and for the general public. We already have several volunteer educators, a lot of ideas, and a lot of resources, but need someone to help coordinate them.  We anticipate this would involve setting up meetings for the volunteer educators, identifying and arranging speakers, planning two to three workshops, compiling educational materials, and developing a distribution plan (approximately 8-16 hours per month over the summer).

Documentary Photographers and/or Videographers
If you like to take photographs and/or videos and could spend 6-12 hours over the summer, we’d love to have you help us document the Go Blue Community Makeover. We’re interested in getting before and after photos or videos of the projects, some community photos from the celebration event on June 18th and possibly some photos or videos of the educational events.

Documentary Project Manager
Coordinate the “Go Blue” photographers and videographers so we end up with a central storage location for photos and videos for the project. (approximately 6-8 hours)

Documentary Writer/Story-teller
Work with the “Go Blue” project team to create a story of the project that can be used for publicity and presentations. (approximately 6-8 hours)

Adopt-a-Storm Drain “Recruiters”
One of the long-term activities neighbors have requested in conjunction with the Go Blue Community Makeoverä is to organize an Adopt-a-Storm Drain ongoing program in the Diamond Lake watershed.  This would involve recruiting residents interested in “adopting” a storm drain in the Diamond Lake Watershed, agreeing to check it regularly, and remove grass clippings, leaves and other debris (approximately 5-7 hours over the summer).

Adopt-a-Storm Drain Project Manager
Identify and staff a longer term process to keep in touch with FoDL Board, volunteers who’ve adopted a storm drain, monitor success, and identify storm drains needing a new person to adopt them (as people move, etc), Could partner with “Go Blue” educational group and explore ongoing relationships with existing community organizations interested in clean water volunteer work (HPDL, schools, scouts, churches, etc.).  (approximately 5-7 hours per month)

Note to Go Blue Community Makeover project participants: any of these volunteer opportunities will count toward the 10-hour volunteer match requirement.

Please contact Gail Schaal at 763-392-5920 or gschaal@hedbergaggregates.com if you are interested in volunteering for any of these activities.