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Volunteer

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 Let’s Get Things Done

We Need Your Help

Upcoming Volunteer Needs

If you would like to be part of the safety crew for Leon’s Triathalon (6:00am Sunday June 5th) please send an email here.

If you can help with the Trial Creek Fun Float on Saturday June 25th please send an email here.

Interested in becoming a River Scout or River Clearing Crewing? Drop us an email and we’ll set you up.

Be Part Of Our Team!

NWIPA gets everything done with the help of volunteers.  And what the volunteers get is satisfaction, time on the water, friendships and a real community.  You will participate in conserving and developing our natural resources, making our region a destination for like-minded people, and making an impact in something that’s as big as the lakes and rivers that make Northwest Indiana such a surprising outdoor experience.

Look through this list of activities and roles, and drop us an email if you have a question or are ready to get involved.


Paddling Opportunities

The heart of NWIPA is getting people on the water.  We organize a dozen or so events every year that put new and experienced paddlers in boats on the region's rivers and lakes.  Each event needs a little help from a lot of people.  Roles include:

  • Event Steward who does the planning and keeps things moving

  • Safety Paddlers to make sure people have the right gear, and get on and off the water safely

  • Shore Workers organize the movement and staging of boats at the put-in, help get boats and gear unloaded and launched, and help at the take-out with landing and reloading

  • On-line Event Manager to service the event’s information and sign-up web page

  • Check-in Table to welcome attendees, complete the registration process, hand out t-shirts

  • Some events need other specialized help such as food management, parking, or other needs

All-in-all there is a role for anyone. Regardless of the role, you’ll find helping with events is fun, satisfying, and puts in you touch with people who love getting outside and appreciate your help. 

Waterway Stewardship

We have adopted a few of our waterways, especially the East Branch Little Calumet River, and work hard to keep them open to paddlers.  This program is run in cooperation with the Indiana Dunes National Park, and with the support of many of our partners. There are two key roles here.

  • River Scouts are accomplished paddlers who regularly paddle a section of the Little Calumet River, Deep River or Trail Creek and report on jams.

  • River Crew members do the heavy lifting of using chainsaws, mechanized pullers, and grunt work to disassemble jams and remove material from the river bed.  The work is heavy, hard, wet and dirty. We are careful to respect the river environment and make sure we leave habitat in place for river wildlife.

Both of these roles also clean up trash on the rivers.  During events, NWIPA members also pick up trash whenever we can as part of our stewardship. To learn more, download these documents: Scout Guidelines - Scout Report Form - Crew Clothing Guidelines - National Park Service Volunteer Application.

Education

NWIPA hosts on-water education sessions run by professional trainers.  These tend to be smaller events but need some of the same type of help as the rest of our events.  It’s always useful to have a few expert paddlers on hand to support the trainer.

Voice For The Regions Paddlers

The two main vehicles we have to advocate for paddlers and our region’s waters are our website and NWIPA’s board.  If you have editorial, photography or web skills, consider helping with the web site.  Members who serve on the board bring passion, experience and a time commitment to help further our goals.

Equipment Stewardship

Our association assets include boats, paddles, PFDs, trailers, saws and host of other equipment.  We need people with some experience and time who can help keep everything in operation and clean. (Well, at least not too dirty.)  Some folks bring technical skills, but organizational skills are just as important.

Adaptive Paddling

NWIPA is considering expanding our program to include adaptive paddling - that is, developing our skills and hosting events to seamlessly integrate individuals with physical disabilities into paddling experiences.  We have not yet operationalized this program, but let us know if you have particular interest.