DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX
Volunteers at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex play an active and important role in the operation of all four Southern Nevada refuges. Projects vary according to the needs of the refuge and the interests and abilities of the volunteer. Volunteers are sought who have an interest in wildlife, conservation, and the outdoors, and enthusiasm for volunteering their time.
While some volunteer jobs are outdoors others are indoors. Some jobs take many hours to complete, others just a few. Some jobs involve constantly working with the public or within their view, while others are behind the scenes. Yet, all have one thing in common . . . they are a vital part of our refuge.
The Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of four units:
- Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located about 90 miles west of Las Vegas and was created to protect more than 25 species of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world.
- Desert National Wildlife Range, located just to the north of Las Vegas, is the largest unit in the National Wildlife Refuge System outside of Alaska. At over 1.6 million acres, it is more than twice as big as the state of Rhode Island.
- Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is located 93 miles northeast of Las Vegas and is a true desert oasis.
- Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge includes a series of warm springs being developed to protect an endangered ecosystem east of Las Vegas.
If you think you might be interested in volunteering at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, please submit an application and schedule an interview with the volunteer coordinator. Please make sure to include on your application the name(s) of the job(s) in which you are interested. Please indicate if none of the descriptions match your needs. We are flexible and may be able to create a position.
Applicant names are kept on file until openings become available and assignments can be made. Before volunteers begin working, they are required to attend an orientation session and receive any training necessary for their job.
PUBLIC USE - Guest Services/ Outreach
Job Title: Visitor Services Assistant
Job Description: Provide assistance and orient visitors to the Refuge, making their visit educational and enjoyable.
Results: Visitors will return to the refuge and provide good public relations by word of mouth.
Location(s):
- Desert National Wildlife Range (just north of Las Vegas)
- Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (near Alamo, NV)
- Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Amargosa Valley, NV)
Qualifications:
- Good verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work with a variety of people and with a minimum amount of supervision.
Elgibility: Must be at least 16 years of age.
Time Commitment: Flexible, but prefer at least 4 hour shift
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Refuge Manager
Job Title: Public Relations Assistant
Job Description: Help provide outreach to the public and political officials. Organize and implement an outreach program to inform citizens and political officials of the refuge. Write press releases. Contact the media.
Results:
Increase awareness of the refuge’s existence as well as its mission, goals, and unique biological/educational/recreational opportunities.
Location(s): Work can be done either on refuge or off-site.
- Desert National Wildlife Range (just outside of Las Vegas)
- Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (near Alamo, NV)
- Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Amargosa Valley, NV)
Qualifications:
- Knowledge/interest in public relations, journalism or media experience preferred but not necessary.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work with a variety of people independently.
- Prefer at least 18 years of age with some previous public relations, media experience.
Time Commitment: 4 hours/month
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Refuge Manager or Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job TItle: Special Events Assistant
Job Description: Aid in the planning and execution of pre- and post-activities to ensure that visitors have a rewarding experience at the refuge during special events. Assist with special events co-sponsored by the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This may include but is not limited to: staffing information booths at benefit concerts, fairs, and festivals, International Migratory Bird Day, National Public Lands Day, National Wildlife Refuge System birthday, etc. Duties may include but are not limited to: setup/take-down, cleaning crew, assisting with activities, information attendant.
Results: Increase awareness of the refuge’s existence as well as its mission, goals, and unique biological/educational/recreational opportunities.
Location: On the refuge, either indoors or out.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work with a variety of people in varying situations.
- Enthusiasm and a desire to see projects successfully completed.
Time Commitment: Special events are usually annual and one day in length, with preparations and clean up in the days prior to and following the event. 2-10 hours/week. Flexible.
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner or Refuge Manager
• Education
Job Title: Naturalist/Interpreter
Job Description:
Provide environmental education (EE) and interpretive programming throughout the refuge for schools, youth, and adult groups. Develop interpretive programs for visitors. Lead scheduled, organized groups or school groups on interpretive hikes or tours of the refuge. May also give off-site slide presentations for schools or special interest groups. Help visitors learn about the refuge resource by informing them of wildlife viewing opportunities and providing general wildlife and refuge information.
Results:
Increase the number of visitors receiving EE and interpretive programming, resulting in a higher population of the public that is educated on our local habitat types and how this affects them on a larger level.
Location: On and off-site.
Qualifications:
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Demonstrated interest in public speaking and interpretation, with a willingness to review skills.
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Ability to work with a variety of people.
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A background or interest in conservation, natural history, ecology, or biology.
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Special interests in birding, tracking, teaching, storytelling, natural crafts preferable.
Training: Volunteer Orientation, Interpretive Skills Training
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job Title: Media Resources Manager
Job Description: Aid in the organization, operation, and maintenance of media resources for the educational and resource benefit of visitors, volunteers, and staff. Catalog and track the check-out and return of videos to school groups. Enter and modify slide files in a computer database. Oversee the acquisition, registration, and management of refuge media center items, including books, video and audio tapes, and various publications.
Qualifications:
- Preferably a background or interest in media resources.
- A general interest in nature subjects.
- Good organizational skills.
- Ability to work with a minimum amount of supervision.
Time Commitment: Scheduled as needed. Flexible
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Refuge Manager or Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job Title: Storyteller
Job Description: Educate visitors through the art of storytelling. Develop, write, read, or recite historical or cultural stories relating to the refuge for the visiting public, school groups, or special events.
Results: Visitors leave with an understanding or appreciation of the refuge through stories.
Qualifications:
- Story-telling experience preferred.
Time Commitment: Flexible
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job TItle: Artist/Photographer
Job Description: Assist in documentation of wildlife, reconstruction/restoration efforts and cultural, social, and educational events on the refuge for future use by staff and visitors. Photograph designated sites on a seasonal basis to document restoration efforts. Document special-event days. Travel to remote learning sites to photograph environmental education staff and groups at work. May provide original artwork, photographs, or slides of wildlife, plants, landscapes, visitor activities, or special events for use in refuge brochures, flyers, publications, interpretive signs, or special programs. May
also give programs on personal area of art expertise, such as a desert plants photography hike.
Qualifications:
- Background/interest in art/photography.
- Access to necessary equipment.
- Physical ability to approach and enter remote sites.
- Responsibility to carry a project to completion once initiated.
- Ability to work independently.
Time Commitment: Projects will be coordinated with refuge staff on an as-needed basis.
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
• Publications
Job Title: Newsletter Publisher/Writer
Job Description: Keep refuge staff, volunteers, friends, and visitors up to date on refuge information. Assist staff in the output of a seasonal newsletter by contributing articles, stories, poems, artwork, etc., or helping to edit or lay out newsletter.
Results: Increase visitor numbers at events, programs, and activities. Increase number of schools booking trips and increase awareness of refuge happenings.
Qualifications:
- Enthusiasm to research, investigate and write articles.
- Good organizational and computer skills.
Time Commitment: 40 hours/year
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job Title: Historian
Job Description: Assist in the collection of various oral and/or written histories of the refuge area. Document events that either feature or in some way involve the refuge for the benefit of future staff, volunteers, and visitors. Speak with and interview local residents to gain cultural, ecological, and social information. Visit libraries to answer particular queries of refuge staff involving county land use. Collect and manage articles on the refuge found in periodicals and newspapers.
Qualifications:
- Good interpersonal skills for interviews and queries.
- Ability to initiate and follow through on detailed searches.
- Accurate note-taking and organizational skills.
- Background use of various media types and a preference for writing.
- Must wear a nametag and volunteer shirt or vest when representing the refuge.
Time Commitment: At discretion of volunteer, though most projects are long-term and require hours coinciding with local libraries.
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Refuge Manager
ADMINISTRATIVE
Job Title: Administrative Assistant
Job Description: Aid the refuge staff and help complete projects in a timely and orderly fashion. Assist as a receptionist at the refuge office by greeting visitors and answering the phone. Perform light clerical duties such as mailings, filing, photocopying, responding to leaflet requests, light typing, light office cleaning, and other clerical duties as needed.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work with a minimum amount of supervision.
- Computer skills preferred.
- Must wear a name tag and volunteer shirt or vest when representing the refuge.
Time Commitment:
Flexible, but coordinated with specific needs at the refuge such as high visitation periods or special projects.
Training: Volunteer Orientation and Office Orientation
• Information Technology
Job Title: Data Entry Assistant
Job Description: Help the refuge staff achieve better efficiency in reporting public use numbers via computer reports and for grants. Assist in cataloging research information, public use numbers, and volunteer hours. Tabulate and organize statistical information. Update volunteer address and school group database.
Results: May result in more support for refuges.
Qualifications:
- Good organizational skills and understanding of Microsoft Excel and similar computer programs.
- Ability to enter moderate amounts of numerical data.
Time Commitment:Up to 20 hours/week. Flexible.
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
Job Title: Web Site Administrator
Job Description: Maintain the Friends or government Web site to provide a virtual visit and information on the refuge. Update the Web site (http://desertcomplex.fws.gov) monthly and repair, if necessary, both Intranet and external links. Archive/backup Web site.
Results: Increase hits on the Web site, indicating that the public has more information about the refuge. Viewers may want to further their virtual visit with a real trip/programming at the refuge.
Location: On the refuge or off-site.
Qualifications:
- Fundamental HTML coding and Web site construction experience.
Time Commitment: Approximately 6 hours/month.
Training: Volunteer Orientation
Supervisor: Outdoor Recreation Planner
OPERATIONS
• Botany
Job Title: Refuge Steward
Job Description: Assist with reconstruction and restoration efforts. May include planting and cutting trees, collecting seed, surveying and monitoring species, gathering/cleaning/preparing samples.
Results: Help the native habitat reestablish and remove the invasive species, allowing the native plants and animals to return.
Qualifications:
- No special skills needed.
- Willingness to work on a variety of projects and learn about the native flora and fauna of the refuge.
Time Commitment: Varies with season and stewardship activity, 3-4 hours once a month for as long as needed.
Training: General Field Identification and Volunteer Orientation
Job Title: Heavy Equipment Operator
Job Description: Help maintenance crew with planting, maintaining roads, springs, etc.
Qualifications:
- Experience operating tractors, mower, seed drill, combine, and other large machinery related to planting and harvesting desired.
Time Commitment: At least 8 hours/week
Training: Maintenance mechanic will certify that volunteer can operate equipment. Must have safety training.
Job Title: Refuge Researcher
Job Description: Aid in the reconstruction/restoration efforts of select habitat areas for the future benefit and enjoyment of wildlife and people. Enumerate wildlife populations and vegetative habitats. Perform routine baseline monitoring of air and water quality. May include inventory and monitoring procedures, development of species lists, qualitative and quantitative surveys, special cooperative surveys, habitat classification and monitoring, development and use of GIS, survey
planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Qualifications:
- Prior research experience.
- Knowledge of how to monitor species or conduct surveys.
- Responsibility to carry a project to completion once initiated.
- Ability to work independently.
Time Commitment: variable
• Maintenance
Job Title: Maintenance Assistant
Job Description: Light maintenance tasks primarily at the refuge shop, which may include repairing signs, washing/waxing vehicles, sweeping floors, removing trash, painting, and carpentry, depending on the skills of the volunteer. May also be involved in field projects such as installing signs, staining kiosks, or small construction or rehabilitation projects.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work with a minimum amount of supervision.
- Responsibility to carry a project to completion once initiated.
Time Commitment: Volunteer will be called on an as-needed basis.
Training: Volunteer Orientation, Safety Training
Job Title: Adopt-A-Trail/Road
Job Description: Walk or drive the assigned trail/road once a month to pick up litter, check signs, and do minor maintenance of designated public use areas. Volunteers also check the parking areas for litter and vandalism. After each visit, the volunteer reports to refuge staff the status of the area and any unusual situations. Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to the sites unless a refuge vehicle is available for use. The refuge will provide trash bags and make arrangements for trash disposal.
Results: The public will enjoy the refuge and have a better visitor experience. A clean refuge will instill a sense of pride in visitors and they will litter less and protect the area as a result.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work independently with a minimum amount of supervision.
- Dress appropriately for outdoor work and be appropriately prepared for weather conditions.
Time Commitment: At least once a month but may be subject to change.
Job Title: Campground Host
Job Description : Staff the visitor contact station and host campers. Answer questions, assist in registration, present information, clean restrooms, remove litter, empty trash, and perform minor maintenance.
Results: Visitors to the campground area have a better refuge experience.
Qualifications:
- Good verbal and communication skills.
- Ability to work well independently and with a variety of people from different backgrounds.
- Self-starter, enthusiastic, detail-oriented.
Time Commitment: Hosts may be called upon at all hours of the day/night and will work weekends.
Supervisor: Refuge Manager |
