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Land Management Projects, 2026 signup sheet

Below are opportunities to assist with land management projects at Cedar Creek, which will give volunteers preference in the 2026 fall deer archery hunt lottery. You may sign up for one or several! Please be mindful of the limited number of slots though - there is a lot of interest in volunteering and we'd like to give as many folks as possible a chance to participate. Please do not sign up for slots unless you are able to attend. If the slots are all full, please do not show up 'just in case' - we are intentional about listing the number of people needed for each task. Registered participants will receive an email with additional details and reminders of timing and what to bring a few days in advance of each event.

Tree cleanup around the main headquarters. We will be taking some dead trees down and trimming others, then hauling brush to the burn pile. This work has to be done in March while the oaks are still dormant.

What to bring: water bottle, lunch/snacks, sturdy shoes, work gloves, weather appropriate work clothing. If you have them and can use them safely, feel free to also bring chainsaws or pole saws!

Trash pickup along county roads. Every spring at Cedar Creek, prescribed burns are conducted in research plots across Cedar Creek. Many of these research plots have been burned regularly for 60 years. When burning the units along a county highway, most of the ditch is burned along with the research plot. As many of us have seen, the ditches around here can be littered with a lot of stuff that shouldn’t be burned or may present a hazard to the fire crew if unknowingly burned or driven over. To prevent this, we are asking for volunteers to help remove litter from the ditches along the south side of our property. Volunteers should expect to walk 3-4 miles while filling up trash bags with litter they pick up as they go.

What to bring: water bottle, lunch/snacks, sturdy shoes, work gloves, weather appropriate work clothing. We will provide orange vests and garbage bags.

Trail work. We are finally making headway on a new ¾ mile trail school groups can use to safely travel from the headquarters area to the creek on field trips! Working alongside our tractor, volunteers will be cutting brush, rolling logs out of the way, etc.

What to bring: water bottle, lunch/snacks, sturdy shoes (bring rubber boots if possible, some can borrow), work gloves and eye protection (can also borrow), weather-appropriate clothing that can get dirty. If you have and can safely operate a chainsaw or electric or gas pole saw, bring that too! We will provide all needed tools and equipment.

Beckman Lake boardwalk repairs. Chest waders required. We will lift the existing platform up and reposition it to its proper place with added wood bracing. Also level out the walkway.

What to bring: chest waders!! We do not have many in adult sizes to loan. Water bottle, lunch/snacks, sturdy shoes, work gloves, weather appropriate work clothing that can get wet.

Experimental cleanup. Volunteers will help remove rebar from an abandoned experiment in the heart of Cedar Creek.

What to bring: water bottle, snacks, work gloves (Cedar Creek can provide some gloves), weather appropriate work clothing.

Garlic mustard removal. Garlic mustard is an invasive plant that is overly abundant in some areas of the property. Volunteers will work with staff from Cedar Creek and Anoka County to remove it as part of ecosystem restoration efforts. No plant identification or experience needed - we will provide training and oversight!

What to bring: water bottle, snacks, work gloves (Cedar Creek can provide some gloves), weather appropriate work clothing, and bug repellant. We will provide tools and plant identification guidance at the start of the event.

Tree cleanup and replanting on the ecology walk. We will be taking some dead trees and old deer fencing down and replanting others.

What to bring: water bottle, lunch/snacks, sturdy shoes, work gloves, weather appropriate work clothing.