Thank you BioBlitz volunteers! Utilizing the iNaturalist app, volunteers using their smartphones identified pollinators such as wasps, bees, and Monarchs, in our parks. More info below on the upcoming BioBlitz.
UPCYCLE
Dates Available:
August 19 5:30-7:30
September 16 5:30-7:30
RECYCLING PLANTS FOR GOOD
UPCYCLE volunteers, in partnership with the City of Des Moines, Blank Park Zoo, Trees Forever, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Confluence Brewing, help us improve our water quality, diversify our woodlands and UPCYCLE our invasive plants into food and fun for Blank Park Zoo’s birds, reptiles, primates and mammals. These invasive species crowd out our woodlands and native plants.

The first 20 adult volunteers to attend will get a free Confluence Brewing drink ticket to be redeemed following the workday! 
HONORING THE PAST
Over the years, dirt, lichens, mold, and mildew have taken a toll on the stone monuments within historic Woodland Cemetery. Some stones date back to the 1800s and many of the families are long since passed too. A generous gift from the community is allowing staff, contractors, and volunteers to help restore stones and protect the memories and history within this cemetery.

Come enjoy the beauty of our cemeteries as you walk the grounds and help us restore the monuments. No experience is necessary. All training and supplies are provided on-site. This is a great outdoor, socially distanced team-building opportunity. Sign up for all day and a boxed lunch will be provided.

Shifts Available:
September 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24
Morning and Afternoon
BIKE PED
LOVE OUR TRAILS?
Enjoy a couple of hours enjoying the fresh air along one of our many trails or street corridors this fall! Hundreds of volunteers are needed to assist with counting and surveying trail users for the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (aka Bike Ped). Info collected helps us manage facilities and support trail grants for existing and future trails. 

All supplies and training are provided. This is a great volunteer event to sign-up with a partner/friend and give back to our community together! 

Volunteers can earn $10 Bike-Ped Bucks (good towards admission, membership, or a rental) OR sign-up for multiple shifts and receive a FREE 2021 or 2022 Mayor's Annual Ride and Run registration.
Dates Available:
Tuesday, September 14, 4:15-7:30
Wednesday, September 15, 4:15-7:30
Saturday, September 18, 11:15-2:30
MARR
Mayor's Annual Ride and Run Moves to September
On Saturday, September 18, Des Moines Parks and Recreation will host the 2021 Mayor's Annual Ride and Run (MARR)! In addition to the bike ride, Des Moines Parks and Recreation will offer a 4-Mile Run and Family Fun Walk to the day's events. We need event volunteers to help make this a success.

Registration/Check-in (2 spots)
Rest Stop Hosts (6 spots)
Run Route Helpers (8 spots)
BIOBLITZ
Pollinator Count
Join us in a fun outdoor event to document a variety of pollinators! With the iNaturalist app, you simply take a picture of a pollinator (bee, butterfly, bat, etc.) or plant, and the online community will help identify the species. Group leaders will be available to assist you using the app and looking for species. Come join the outdoor fun and learn about pollinators in your neighborhood!
THANK YOU
Thank you to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Blank Park Zoo, Trees Forever and Parks and Recreation volunteers who worked at Gray's Lake Park as part of our UPCYCLE program. They removed invasive plants to be recycled and reused at Blank Park Zoo for the animals.
Summer Extern
Our externship program allows teachers to learn real-world S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) applications to take back to their classroom while giving back to the community. Our summer extern, Mary Lazard, donated 240 hours this summer logging 1,364 assets to help create a baseline facility inventory. Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) to capture information helps us identify gaps, create capital improvement plans, & improve preventative maintenance in our 76 parks and 4,000+ acres. Thank you Mary!
Cemetery Tours
Longtime Cemetery Historian and Tour Guide, Archie Cook, is probably excited to welcome another history buff to the team. Thank you to Jeff Kluever for leading his new Civil War tour this month. The tour will highlight stories from Wilson's Creek, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Sherman's March, and more as guests walk through Woodland Cemetery.
Garden Volunteers
Thank you to the garden volunteers that have been working to organize, plant, and donate produce this season. Together our garden volunteers have rescued and donated more than 400 pounds of produce.
A huge thank you also to:
  • All of our Adopt-a-Block, Adopt-a-Trail, and Adopt-a-Park volunteers for helping take care of our City. This month ReMission DSM, Bankers Trust, Ray Knight, Be the Light, Watchman Communities, John Deere NEON, and the Des Moines Adventist Women's Ministry Group
  • Bridges of Iowa-Men for your work in the cemeteries and the Bridges of Iowa-Women for helping mulch Fairmont Park.
  • All of the cemetery volunteers for cleaning up the Memorial Day decorations.
  • Fall transplanting volunteers that prepped mums at the Greenhouse.
  • Mindy Blue and her family, and the Grandview Christian School students for your work on the Gay Lea Wilson Trail.
  • Water Quality Monitors Karen, Michael, Claire, Abby, & Kobie for your help monitoring this summer, especially the habitat and biological inventory.
  • Disc Golf Club and Watchmen Communities for cleaning up Prospect Park.

If we inadvertently missed you, please know we deeply appreciate the work you are doing.