Needs From: Head of the Lakes United Way

Positive Energy Outdoors seeks enthusiastic volunteers to assist with daily sled dog and draft horse care and training at our site 15 miles north of Duluth near Island Lake. Duties include helping with care of animals (feeding, watering, scooping, etc.), grooming horses and brushing dogs, supervising dogs in play pens, helping with kennel projects and assisting with sled dog training using an ATV. Four hour volunteer shifts are available 7 days a week from 8 am - noon.  Teens 14 and older can volunteer without an adult. A minimum commitment of 1 shift per week is required for at least 1 month. Volunteers should not have allergies to dust, dogs or horses, be comfortable around large animals and loud noise (barking dogs) and need reliable transportation to reach our site (no public transportation is available).  For those interested in volunteering throughout the fall/winter season, PEO can train you to drive a dog sled for tours and programs.  Learning to drive a dog sled requires a weekly commitment for at least 3 months (December-March) and the appropriate physical and mental capabilities to manage a sled dog team on your own.  Afternoon shifts are available in the winter, and other schedules may be accommodated depending on volunteer and program needs.  

Adventure Club is an after school program run by Positive Energy Outdoors for children in grades K-3 that combines outdoor education and unstructured nature play for families who need full time or part time after school care for their children. The program runs Monday-Friday after school from 2:15-5:30 at Lowell Elementary School.  

Adventure Club volunteers assist the Adventure Club outdoor education staff in planning and running Adventure Club activities. Volunteers should be interested in outdoor education, environmental education, nature play, and elementary education.  Volunteers meet at Lowell Elementary School at 1 pm for a planning session with staff, and stay through the end of the program day at 6 pm, which includes a 30 minute staff and volunteer reflection time.  The majority of the programming with children will be spent outdoors. High quality clothing/footwear for playing outdoors in all weather conditions is required for all volunteers.  A clothing list is available upon request.

Children in the Adventure Club program play outdoors in hot, cold, wet, rainy, windy, snowy and muddy conditions, and volunteers will have the chance to see how a nature based after school program is run while improving their skills as an outdoor educator.  

Volunteers must pass a background check (ages 18 and older) and be willing to volunteer at least once a week for a minimum of 1 month.  Adventure Club volunteers must be least 14 years old.  

Adventure Club is a Positive Energy Outdoors program and is not affiliated with Lowell School or ISD 709.