Volunteers make our work to protect and preserve Lake Leelanau possible. Do you want to do something meaningful with your time, join a community of people who share your love for Lake Leelanau and all it offers, and share your skills to help our mission? Learn about our current volunteer opportunities below!

Summer Volunteer Opportunities

The summer is when a lot of our work happens, and when we need a lot of hands to make it happen! Sign up now to lend some of your summer time to help protect Lake Leelanau. Click the links below to learn more.


Committee or Outreach Support

The Lake Leelanau Lake Association (LLLA) has grown in the past few years, and so has its need for year-round volunteers and committee members. Right now, we are looking for help in the following areas.

 

If you would like to get involved in any of the activities above, please fill out our volunteer interest form below.

If you volunteered with us last year and would like to volunteer again but have not yet heard from your program lead, or if you have any questions in general, please email us at [email protected].

Volunteer Interest Form

Volunteer Opportunities

Summer Volunteer Opportunities

Community-Based Monitoring Program

Observe your own shoreline 2x/week or more when in residence, looking for sprigs of an invasive plant

PREVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON THE NORTH LAKE, BUT IS NOW FOR ALL HOMEOWNERS ON LAKE LEELANAU AND ITS TRIBUTARIES!

Needed: Waterfront owners willing to purposely survey their own property shoreline while in residence during the summer season

When: At least 2x/week in June, July, and August

Responsibilities: Walk and observe your own personal shoreline (in the morning with a cup of coffee or while you’re out kayaking) and report any suspicious plant that looks like Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) by sending a picture or two from your phone to our plant ID expert. This plant naturally fragments to reproduce, and those fragments routinely get washed up on shore.

Skill Sets Required: No technical knowledge required! Simple training aids will be furnished. All you need is a deep desire to help our team identify EWM in its early stages so we can immediately find and eradicate it, thereby ensuring EWM in Lake Leelanau remains in maintenance mode!

Please join our army of property owners and encourage your neighbors to do the same!

Community-based Monitoring
Boat Wash Employee

Boat Wash Station Volunteer

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) spread between lakes when boats are not properly washed before entering lakes. Volunteers are needed at our boat cleaning stations to educate and encourage boaters to wash their boats to prevent the spread of AIS.

Needed: Individuals/groups committed to signing up for shifts to staff a boat wash station of choice

  1. DNR Narrows – 136 S. Lake Leelanau Dr., Lake Leelanau
  2. DNR East/Bingham – 7822 E. Bingham Rd., Traverse City
  3. Suelzer Park – 4343 N. Lake Leelanau Dr., Lake Leelanau
  4. DNR West – 4491 S. Lake Shore Drive, Cedar

When: Preferred schedule is one three-hour slot on each Tuesday or Thursday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Preferred time slots are 9 am-12 pm or 12 pm-3 pm, but we will be flexible and accommodate scheduling conflicts.

Responsibilities: (training provided)

  1. Talk to boaters about the need to prevent the spread of AIS and hand out information
  2. Wash boats and show boaters how to use the boat wash station
  3. Record data on a clipboard for each boater

Skill sets preferred:

  1. Good verbal communication skills and willing to approach people
  2. Passionate about protecting the lake and preventing AIS
  3. Knowledge of boats is a plus

Note: Community groups/neighborhood associations are acceptable for filling individual slots. Children ages 14-18 can volunteer, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Pea Gravel Bag Filling Volunteers

Bags filled with pea gravel are required to secure burlap barriers used to control the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM). Throughout the summer, a handful of bag-filling sessions are needed to supply the crew with sufficient bags.  

Needed: 4-5 individuals required per bag-filling session. Looking for a pool of ~30 people to commit to a few sessions/summer

When: Filling will occur on needed dates and times for ~1-2 hours during the summer.

Responsibilities: Fill 5-10# bags with pea gravel. This will be an assembly line process which will include volunteers performing one or more of the following tasks: shoveling pea gravel to bin, scooping pea gravel to bag, holding bag open, tying bag and sliding bag from a table to the trailer.

Skill sets:

  1. Adaptable to a flexible schedule
  2. Able to work in small teams
Pea gravel bags
Annual Meeting Helping Hands

Event Helping Hands

Help LLLA put on our summer member events - the Summer Social on June 18 and the Annual Meeting on July 23. Extra hands are needed to execute set up and take down of events. Form community with fellow volunteers while assisting the hardworking organizers of these events!

Needed:  5-10 individuals

When:  June 18 and, July 22, July 23, and 24

Responsibilities: 

  • Before events: Set up tables and chairs, arrange food, place tablecloths, etc.
  • After events: Take down tables and chairs, clear food, place materials in boxes, etc.

Skill sets preferred: An eagerness to help and ability to lift/move tables and chairs 

Estimated time commitment per session: 2-3 hours

Committee or Outreach Support

BSPbanner

Business Supporter Program Outreach Volunteer

Help LLLA promote and build a community of supporters by sustaining and strengthening relationships with businesses that share our commitment to safeguarding Lake Leelanau and the surrounding communities.

Needed: Individuals who are passionate about LLLA’s mission and can visit area businesses to solicit new or sustained business supporters, and/or individuals who are interested in helping to strengthen the program by developing community engagement opportunities for area businesses.

Roles Include:

Business Support Recruiter: Visit local businesses to share information about LLLA’s  Business Supporter Program (BSP), follow up with additional information, and help onboard them into the program.

    • Time Commitment: ~5 hours/month, year-round, depending on availability for recruitment, ~1 hour per month for committee meetings
    • Skill sets preferred: Good communicator, passionate about LLLA’s mission, familiar with LLLA’s activities, community-oriented, willing to get out and talk with business owners

Business Support Program Developer: Assist LLLA in developing the Business Supporter Program by attending monthly meetings and contributing towards the objective of engaging with the business community through education, communication, and events to support LLLA’s mission.

    • Time Commitment: ~ 1 hour per month for committee meetings, ~1 hour per month for offline program development
    • Skill sets preferred: Leadership, community-oriented, ability to think from the perspective of the business community

Zoning for Water Quality Representatives

Assist LLLA in their goal to engage with townships to educate on zoning measures that can be taken to protect our water quality.

Needed: Individuals who live in Suttons Bay, Bingham, Leland, Elmwood, and Solon Townships (1-2 individuals per township)

Roles:

Agenda Scouter: Review township meeting agendas to identify agenda items that may have an impact on Lake Leelanau’s watershed.

    • Time Commitment: ~1 hour per month to review the agenda and send a report to the committee, ~1 hour bi-monthly to attend committee meetings, and some additional time for document review/education
    • Skill sets preferred: Organized, ability to become versed in water-related zoning topics, and ability to write short, concise reports

Township Representative: Attend township meetings to learn more about topics discussed at meetings that may have an impact on Lake Leelanau’s watershed and report back to the committee regarding any action items. 

    • Time Commitment: ~2 hours per month to attend meetings and send a report to the committee, ~1 hour bi-monthly to attend committee meetings, and some additional time for document review/education
    • Skill sets preferred: Organized, ability to become versed in water-related zoning topics, interest in participating in local government, and a good communicator

Committee Member: Do you just have an interest and expertise in zoning and want to get involved? Join our Subcommittee to lend your expertise to our group to help review master plans, zoning ordinances, etc. and provide comments.

    • Time Commitment: 1 hour every other month to attend Subcommittee meetings, a few hours in between to review documents.
    • Skill sets preferred: Ability to become versed in water-related zoning topics, ability to review zoning documents, and a good communicator
Zoning
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