Turtle Crossings and Surveys

Why did the turtle cross the road?  Find out!

Turtle crossings usually occur from May through September each year.  The most important period to watch is in June when turtles cross roads to get to nesting areas. 

Volunteer to monitor roads and bridges for turtles crossing or for dead turtles on the road near the Cloquet River and tributaries by Rollins, MN and the St. Louis River area around Hwy 53, both in St. Louis County.  The exact location can be determined based on your interest.  If it is safe to do so, you can also assist turtles across the road.

Informal turtle surveys are also needed to determine what types of turtles are using the Kettle River in Carlton and Pine Counties.  Canoe or boat the river or walk along the shore on a warm sunny day from mid-April to mid-June. You can choose a stretch of river that is convenient for you or the DNR can provide the location of priority areas for surveys.  

Butterfly Milkweed Planting - May 17

Hike and plant thousands of butterfly milkweed seedlings in the prairie and savanna at Rice Area Sportsmen’s Club Wildlife Management Area , 73rd St and 250th Ave, Royalton, MN on Thursday, May 17 from 11 AM – 5 PM.  Snacks and lunch provided.  Open to all ages, but children must be supervised.

Help re-introduce this important host-plant to the site for Monarch butterflies to use to reproduce and pollinate. They and other pollinators find the beautiful orange blossoms delicious! 

Woodpecker Surveys

Woodpeckers hammer holes in trees to reach insects that live beneath bark and within wood. Left alone, many of those insects could damage trees. Some­times people blame woodpeckers for hurting trees, but this insect-eating can actually help keep trees healthy.

Help the DNR develop best management practices for conserving woodpeckers on lands by conducting surveys anywhere in the state where there are large blocks of forested public lands.

As a Volunteer Woodpecker Surveyor, you will:

• Walk 2-mile transects in the forest looking and listening for nesting woodpeckers between May 22 and July 6, 2018 (minimum 1 day, maximum of 45 days)
• Collect nest site data
• Collect forest stand information (identify main tree species, measure some average and large tree diameters)

PlayCleanGo Event - April 27-29

Support the outreach and education campaign “PlayCleanGo: Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks” by staffing the booth at the Outdoor Adventure Expo at Midwest Mountaineering, 309 Cedar Ave. South, Minneapolis, April 27 - 29, 2017.

Help educate recreationists about invasive species and the simple steps they can take to avoid accidently spreading terrestrial invasive species.  The term "invasive" is reserved for the most aggressive nonnative species capable of harming the environment, economy or human health where they establish.

Receive a free tee-shirt, ball cap and tote bag for helping!

Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program: June 29-July 9

Volunteers across the state are needed to track Minnesota’s loon population.  Now celebrating its 25th year, the Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program will assign you to a pre-selected lake to count the number of loons you see on one morning between Friday, June 29th and Monday, July 9th, 2018. Detailed instructions, training materials, maps, and a data form will be provided.