Green Infrastructure Volunteer Opportunities

Get Involved

Our Resilient Communities Program offers a variety of volunteer opportunities aimed at promoting environmental justice and implementing green infrastructure projects in Milwaukee’s northside. Whether you’re interested in education, installation, or outreach, there’s a way for you to get involved. To plan a volunteer activity or learn more about these opportunities, please contact Ethan Taxman, our Green Infrastructure Manager, at etaxman@cleanwisconsin.org. 

 

 

 

Documents for Volunteers

Please fill out the Volunteer Liability Waiver and either email the completed form to etaxman@cleanwisconsin.org or bring a printed copy to your first volunteer shift. For Master Gardeners, use the hour tracking form linked below to log your volunteer hours with Clean Wisconsin.

Liability Waiver
Hours Tracker

 

What is Green Infrastructure?

Green infrastructure is an approach to stormwater management that protects, restores, or mimics the natural water cycle. Examples of green infrastructure practices include rain gardens and rain barrels. Clean Wisconsin engages with communities across the state to grow resiliency through green infrastructure. Learn more about Clean Wisconsin’s Resilient and Sustainable Communities Program here

 

FAQ

 

Who can volunteer?

Anyone in Wisconsin is welcome to participate in this volunteer program.

Do I need to know anything about green infrastructure to participate?

No, we will provide all necessary background education on green infrastructure to help volunteers participate fully. You can learn more about green infrastructure from the EPA’s website

Why are Master Gardeners specifically invited to participate?

Clean Wisconsin is excited to offer gardening and community education related volunteer opportunities to Master Gardeners as a result of recent changes in the UW-Extension Master Gardener Program that give Master Gardeners more flexibility in choosing which org they volunteer at.

Can I earn Master Gardener Volunteer hours by volunteering with Clean Wisconsin?

Yes, Clean Wisconsin was added to the Online Reporting System in early March. Master Gardeners can select Clean Wisconsin as an approved organization to volunteer with and log their hours under “Educating Others” for the Education & Outreach Team or under “Gardening” for the MKE GI Installations Volunteer program. If you have any questions about logging your hours in the ORS, please contact your regional Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator.

I have more questions!

Please feel free to reach out to Ethan Taxman, Green Infrastructure Manager, at etaxman@cleanwisconsin.org with the subject line “Green Infrastructure Volunteer Program” Thanks for your interest!

 

Installing a StormGUARDen at a Milwaukee home
Community members in Milwaukee Wisconsin work together to plant a rain garden in a neighborhood front yard

Stories from the field

700 Rain Barrels and Counting…

House by house, neighbor by neighbor, one Milwaukee community is working to take on flooding issues that have plagued the area for decades. In the wake of Milwaukee’s catastrophic 2010 flood, Clean Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, along with the Century City Triangle Neighborhood Association and Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, have engaged thousands of residents to install green infrastructure like rain barrels and rain gardens, capturing more than 2 million gallons of stormwater per year.