Revel in spring! Hennepin County seeks wetlands volunteers

Frogs singing, cattails swaying, dragonflies circling, snails crawling...springtime is coming and Hennepin County is looking for volunteers for its Wetland Health Evaluation Program.

Here's the specific call for volunteers:

Adult volunteers -- who do not need a science background or previous experience -- work under the direction of a team leader and receive training on wetland monitoring protocols, including both plant and insect identification. They wade through wetlands to collect and identify dragonflies, snails, cattails and more. The total time commitment is 20 to 40 hours throughout the months of May, June and July. All equipment is provided. Participating cities use the collected data to help determine the health of water resources and assist with natural resource management.

For more information or to become a volunteer, call Mary Karius at 612-596-9129 or visit the program website at www.mnwhep.org.

Every year I promise myself I'm going to make a stereo recording of frogs serenading me from the bogs along the Gateway Bike Trail. For a few weeks in April, they sing their little hearts out. Someday I'm going to put them on the radio.

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