UPCYCLE Stewards

Des Moines Parks and Recreation, Blank Park Zoo, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and Trees Forever invite you to join us for UPCYCLE this summer! Come help restore Gray’s Lake’s woodlands, provide browse for the Zoo’s animals, and connect with your community at this unique event. No experience necessary, you do not need to fill out a volunteer application.

Removing invasive plants creates space for native plants to thrive, improves water quality and provides food for pollinators. Metro volunteers can make a big dent in our invasive species problem, and knowing that the invasive plants will be enjoyed by the zoo animals makes our hard work even more rewarding!

Our great friends and fellow conservationists at Confluence Brewing Company have offered to give one free beer... to the first 40 UPCYCLE volunteers over 21! Confluence is a local Iowa brewery with a variety of craft beers on tap. Their taproom is located at 1235 Thomas Beck Road, or accessible via the Meredith Trail on the south east end of Gray’s Lake. If you want to learn more about Confluence, feel free to check out their website: http://confluencebrewing.com/

What to bring:

• Water bottle
• Sturdy boots or shoes that can get muddy
• Hat, gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirt
• Sunscreen, bug spray

Details:

• No experience necessary
• Children age 14+ welcomed
• You will be asked to sign a liability waiver
• Port-a-pot on site

2024 Dates: Upcycle occurs on Thursdays: June 20, July 18, and August 15 (rain date of 9/19)

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Ewing Park

Signup Here!

For questions or more information contact the Zoo's Volunteer Manager at, volunteer@blankparkzoo.net