Stewardship & Training Resources

Dane County Parks hosts a number of training and capacity building programs for volunteers. Some example trainings include: chainsaws, herbicide application, and controlled burns. Some example capacity building programs include: social media, fundraising, etc. These will be listed on our event calendar and also sent out to Friends group board members.

Video recordings from our virtual training sessions:

• Successful Event Planning, Social Media and Communications
• Friends Group Organization and Incorporation
• Membership and Fundraising
• Interpretive Signage and Design

The Natural Areas Program aims to restore and sustain natural communities in these lands while fostering a deeper connection to our natural resources. Resources for this program are below.

Individual sections form the Volunteer Handbook are linked below as individual PDFs:

• Brush Pile Burning Policies and Procedures Checklist
• Dog Exercise Areas 
• Driving on Trails
• Fire Department Contact Information
• Herbicide Recommendations
• Tips for a Successful Brush Pile Fire
• Tool and Supply Pickup Locations
• Using Herbicides and Herbicide Best Management Practices
• Volunteer Etiquette and Responsibilities
• Volunteer Positions

• Chainsaw Waiver Form (PDF)
• Chainsaw Requirements (PDF)
• Chainsaw Safety (Occupational Safety & Health Administration, OSHA)

• How to Manage Small Prairie Fires - Wayne R Pauly
• Tallgrass Restoration Handbook: Chapter 14 - Conducting Burns
• Prescribed Burning

• Dane County Land & Water Resources Department website
• Wisconsin Invasive Species Calendar (UW Extension)
• WI Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR)
• Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin (IPAW)
• Monitoring Invasive Plants in Wisconsin (PDF)
• Invasive Plants of Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, UWGB)

• Native Plant ID Cards
• Dangerous Roadside Plants (New York State Department of Transportation, NYSDOT)
• Control and Prevention of Ticks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)