Volunteer
Annual Watershed Cleanup
Each year, more than 1,000 volunteers clean up garbage and debris at 60+ sites across the watershed, from the Fox and Wolf Rivers to Lake Winnebago, Shawano Lake, and the bay of Green Bay. It’s a chance to come together as a community and help protect water quality in our region.
After a morning of cleanup, join us at noon at Telulah Park in Appleton for the Cleanup Picnic, with lunch, music, bounce houses, raffles, and games for the whole family!
Adopt-A-Launch
Volunteers visit their adopted boat launch at least three times between April 1 and November 1. Each visit, they check for aquatic invasive species, clear plants and litter from the launch area, and report any problems they spot.
No experience needed! We’ll train you on everything, including how to safely identify and report invasive species and launch issues.
Native Plant Shoreline Restoration
Native plants help protect our waters by soaking up runoff and filtering out phosphorus and sediment before they reach our lakes and rivers.
In winter, help us start native plants in milk jugs. From spring through fall, get outside to plant them at our shoreline restoration sites and help care for them as they grow.
Contact our Winnebago Waterways Coordinator for more info >>
Citizen Lake Monitoring Network
Join more than 1,000 volunteers statewide in the Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN) and help track the health of the lakes you love. You choose what to monitor, from water quality to ice on and off dates to aquatic invasive species.
Your data goes to work, too. The DNR, UW-Extension, and university researchers use it in projects that help improve your lake. Fox-Wolf coordinates the program locally in Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties.
Contact our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for more info >>
Clean Boats, Clean Waters
Help stop aquatic invasive species from spreading in Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers. As a volunteer watercraft inspector, you’ll meet boaters at local landings, check boats and trailers for invasives, share simple prevention tips, and report any new infestations.
Fox-Wolf coordinates the program locally in Brown, Outagamie, Calumet, Fond du Lac, and Winnebago Counties.
Contact our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for more info >>
AIS Statewide Snapshot Day
Join volunteers across Wisconsin for AIS Snapshot Day, held each year on the second or third Saturday in August. We’ll teach you how to spot aquatic invasive species, then you can search from the shore with binoculars and a rake or wade in for a closer look.
It’s fun for the whole family and makes a real difference for the waters you love. Choose from sites statewide, including several right here in our watershed!
Contact our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for more info >>
Purple Loostrife Biocontrol
Help fight purple loosestrife, an invasive plant that can quickly take over wetlands and ditches. Volunteers raise tiny Galerucella beetles on caged, potted loosestrife plants at home. Once the beetles grow, we release them into local wetlands, where they feed only on loosestrife and leave native plants alone.
It’s one of the best long-term ways to control loosestrife in Wisconsin. Fox-Wolf coordinates the program locally in Brown, Outagamie, Calumet, Fond du Lac, and Winnebago Counties.
Contact our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for more info >>
Project red
Love to paddle, kayak, or canoe in rivers and streams? Help look for invasive species during this relaxing pastime! You will be trained on how to easily identify aquatic invasive species, some native look-a-likes, and how you can keep an eye out for them when you’re floating just around the riverbend!
Fox-Wolf locally coordinates Project RED volunteers in Outagamie, Brown, Calumet, Winnebago, and Fond du Lac Counties.
Learn more about the River Alliance >>
Contact our Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for more info >>
Water Quality Monitoring
We are looking for in-lake and tributary water quality monitors in Calumet, Fond du Lac, and Winnebago Counties. Sampling occurs from ice out to October.
Volunteers can choose from six water quality sampling sites in the four Winnebago Pool Lakes or six stream sites for tributaries that feed into the Winnebago Lakes. This is part of a long-term trend monitoring project for the Winnebago Waterways Recovery. Please note: For safety reasons, lake sites require a boat that can handle 2-4 foot swells.
Contact our Winnebago Waterways Coordinator for more info >>