Below you'll find a summary of our 2026 events schedule, things you should expect at or bring to HEP field events, and other ways you can get involved with Hastings Environmental Protectors. We appreciate your support - it takes a village.

All events are subject to change based on weather and partnership updates.
April
Apr 4 Sat with Trout Unlimited South Branch Vermillion, buckthorn cutting & treating
Apr 12 Sun, 1-3 pm with Hastings SNA, guided plant walk
Apr 25 Sat, 8 am Hastings Bird Festival at Carpenter Nature Center
May
May 16 Sat, 10-12 am with Hastings SNA, Ravena Trail cleanup
May 21 Thurs, 1:30 pm with Friends of the Mississippi River, Southwest Ponding Basin (19th St.), dame’s rocket removal with Hastings High School students
May 28 Thurs, 6-8 pm Cari Park wetlands invasive plant removal
June
June 4 Thurs, 6-8 pm Old Mill Park removal of invasive plants in pollinator garden
June 6 Sat, 10 am Lock & Dam 2 new island guided walk along levee
June 8 Mon, 6-8 pm with Friends of the Mississippi River and Sand Coulee South SNA, removal of Russian thistle and cedar
June 11 Thurs, 6-8 pm LeDuc Mansion pollinator gardens invasive plant removal
June 18 Thurs, 6-8 pm SW Ponding Basin removal of invasive plants in HEP pollinator garden and one or more of 3 new Friends of the Mississippi River patches
June 25 Thurs, 6-8 pm Kennedy School and Depot rain garden removal of invasive plants in pollinator garden
June 26 Fri with Trout Unlimited South Branch Vermillion, wild parsnip flower clipping
June 27 Sat with Trout Unlimited, Trout Brook 1 – Miesville wild parsnip flower clipping
July
July 7 Tues, 5:30-8 pm HEP tabling at Hastings Party in the Park, Levee Park
July 7 Tues, 6-8 pm with Friends of the Mississippi River, Vermillion Falls Park buckthorn lopping & social
July 18 Sat & 19 Sun, HEP tabling all day at Rivertown Days, Jaycee Park
July 21 Tues, 6-8 pm Hastings River Flats prairie tending (possible joint event with Friends of the Mississippi River)
August
Aug 1 Sat with Trout Unlimited, Trout Brook 2 – Miesville wild parsnip flower clipping
Aug 8 Sat, 10 am HEP tour of SW Ponding Basin restoration, Cari Park Pond floating islands and LeDuc Mansion rain gardens
Aug 13 Thurs, 6-8 HEP return to SW Ponding Basin to complete removal of invasives at 1 or 2 remaining new Friends of the Mississippi River pollinator patches
Aug 15 Sat, 9am – 1 pm HEP tabling at Hastings Farmers’ Market
September
Sept 29 Tues, 5-7 pm with Friends of the Mississippi River, Dakota Co. Conservation Area (General Sieben Dr & Rt 46) - Prairie planting
October
Oct 7 Wed, 4-6 pm with Friends of the Mississippi River, Hastings Sand Coulee SNA - Prairie seed collection
Connection is a core part of the process. You’ll learn just as much from the group as from the content itself.
HEP is always seeking volunteers - from field activities to event staffing and writing for the blog on our website here. Some of our current volunteers help by managing the website, social media and email newsletters. Others help by attending or organizing field events, staffing our booth at Rivertown Days, or by donating.
Have a skill or idea you’d like to lend to HEP’s efforts? Get in touch - we’d love your generous support!

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