With a home base in St. Paul, Minnesota, Wilderness Inquiry sits right on the bank of the Mississippi River. From this main office and warehouse location, staff are sent to countless locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as throughout the U.S., including popular National Parks such as Yellowstone and Glacier. The sea kayaking base camp in Little Sand Bay, Wisconsin takes kayakers throughout the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior's South Shore—known for its red sandstone sea caves, sandy beaches, picturesque lighthouses, and historic shipwrecks. Both locations offer lots to see and do during your off time!
Whether you're an expert or beginner in outdoor recreation and education (or not particularly outdoorsy at all!) there is a place for you at Wilderness Inquiry. Like participants, staff come from all backgrounds, skillsets, and interests, with one thing in common: we are all passionate about making the outdoors a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community for all. With various program models, staff can enjoy working on extended trips across the country or spend their days working locally and returning to their own homes every night. Over the course of a single trip, Leaders will embrace many roles including educator, guide, leader and more. Seasonal positions are offered from March through November, with staff training dates available each season. Compensation ranges from $18-$21/hour for day programs and $172-$202/day for overnights/extended tours. Staff housing, meals on extended trips, and professional service stipends are also provided. If you're looking for a place to make friends, participate in cool experiences, get paid to spend time outside, and work with a crew of amazing individuals where you feel like you truly belong and make a difference, learn more about the Wilderness Inquiry community.
Join Wilderness Inquiry in 2025! Wilderness Inquiry has finished hiring for the 2024 season. Stay tuned as they begin accepting applications for all 2025 positions beginning in late fall!
Take a virtual tour of the Wilderness Inquiry Apostle Islands Base Camp!
Field Crew and Youth Corps Crew Leaders/Members, Summer Youth Corps Crew Leaders, Field Specialists and Individual Placements
Northeast Minnesota (Grand Rapids, Tower, Moose Lake, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Tofte), Northwest Minnesota (Brainerd, Bemidji, Fergus Falls); Central Minnesota (St. Paul, Hanover, Shakopee); Southern Minnesota Region (Mankato, Rochester, Kilen Woods State Park, Camden State Park, Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge); and in Iowa (Ames). The region is known for its spectacular wilderness: thousands of lakes, the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior, National Forest lands, and environmental policies that support land conservation.
Spend a season or year outdoors conserving natural resources, gain field experience, and make a difference!Conservation Corps provides youth and young adults practical and professional experience, career training, a stable income, and an opportunity to pay for educational expenses. All of this while being outside in the beautiful states of Minnesota and Iowa.
Benefits include a living stipend ranging from $2,200-$2,600/month depending on position, health insurance, student loan forbearance during the service term, a post-service AmeriCorps education award, and the opportunity to explore career options. If you are highly motivated, a committed individual, passionate about habitat restoration and the outdoors, and want to work on a team of peers, build trails, learn how to manage wildfires or lead youth in conservation work, explore current job openings, position descriptions, dates of employment, application deadlines, and sign up to receive monthly Corps updates.
2025 Crew Job Openings! • Conservation Corps has kicked off their biggest round of hiring of the year—offering hundreds of full-time AmeriCorps Crew Member, Leader & Field Specialist positions beginning in January/February with work through November/December.
Why serve outdoors with Conservation Corps MN & IA? Check out with these Members had to say about their experience.
Camphill Communities are dedicated to creating communities where the recognition of each individual's gifts and contributions offer a model of renewal for the wider society. Camphill Volunteers live and work alongside children, youth and adults with developmental and other disabilities in one of fifteen sustainable communities throughout the U.S. (California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont) and Canada (British Columbia).
Spend a year developing yourself—discover your deeper purpose and share your life and gifts in a thriving intentional community with Camphill! Live-in Volunteers grow faster than they imagined possible, build deep, lasting relationships, and develop practical and creative skills that open doors for the rest of their lives. Begin to master new skills and carry them forward into your future. Biodynamic farming. Artisan baking. Woodworking. Leadership and cooperative collaboration. Mindfulness. Through a mix of structured training and hands-on practice under the guidance of mentors, you dive right in, and by the end of your year, you're not only comfortable with them, but you’re also leading others in learning. In addition to college loan support program, the community ensures that every volunteer's basic living needs are covered. This means you receive a monthly stipend, a private room in a beautiful environment, wholesome, mostly organic meals, medical insurance, and other essentials—from toiletries to use of community cars.
Camphill Is Actively Welcoming Live-In Volunteers! Apply for one of the 125 volunteer spots with start dates throughout the year and share your gifts in one of Camphill's 15 sustainable communities. Learn more about the volunteer experience and explore current positions here.
Whether you're an expert or beginner in outdoor recreation and education (or not particularly outdoorsy at all!) there is a place for you at 
Wilderness Inquiry has finished hiring for the 2024 season. Stay tuned as they begin accepting applications for all 2025 positions beginning in late fall!
Apply for one of the 125 volunteer spots with