National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Survey Field Team Members - Traveling Nationally

EPIC • Denver, CO

2d • $500 • Remote

About The Position

American Conservation Experience (ACE), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is seeking four (4) National Visitor Survey team members to implement a multi-year nationwide survey of visitors to national wildlife refuges. This role involves traveling to different national wildlife refuge units approximately every two weeks to recruit visitors for a post-trip survey. Team members will also perform visitor estimation inventory tasks to understand refuge visitation trends, equipment, and density. ACE members will travel and work as a pair. The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats. Understanding and characterizing visitors and their experiences is critical for managing these lands. The National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Survey effort provides the Service with information regarding visitors' recreational, educational, and informational experiences, as well as satisfaction levels with current services and facilities. This information will help the Service track and understand how societal changes may affect the future of the Refuge System and direct resources for the betterment of the visiting public and protection of wildlife resources. These positions will help the FWS realize its mission by participating in training, traveling to refuges, approaching visitors to collect contact information, reporting progress to the National Visitor Survey Coordinator, providing field documentation, and remotely assisting with project-related tasks. Additional duties may include conducting visitor counts, visitor estimation inventory, trails maintenance, wildlife surveys, water quality monitoring, fuels management, invasive species removal, and habitat restoration. This individual placement is designed to facilitate personal growth and professional development, offering exposure to land management agencies and networking opportunities with agency professionals, including potential shadowing of FWS staff.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE's insurance and liability requirements.
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement or as defined by AmeriCorps.

Nice To Haves

• Hold or be pursuing a minimum of an associate's degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as natural resources, social sciences, biology, ecology or a related subject.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate both verbally and in writing in a way that is clear, concise, and grammatically correct.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate work within schedule constraints and handle emergent requirements in a timely manner.
• Experience and/or knowledge in the mission of the USFWS.
• Experience identifying and addressing challenges on a project before they become issues.
• Experience interacting with the public or in a customer service setting.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Strong desire to enter public service as a natural/cultural/social resource professional.

Responsibilities

• Participating in pre-sampling visitor recruitment training in Fort Collins, CO.
• Continuous travel to national wildlife refuges across the country, spending approximately 2 weeks at each refuge.
• Approaching visitors following survey protocols to collect a target number of visitor contact names and addresses per refuge.
• Participating in check-in calls with the National Visitor Survey Coordinator to report progress and discuss obstacles.
• Providing appropriate field documentation (e.g., photos, reports, blogs).
• Remotely assisting the National Visitor Survey Coordinator with project-related tasks.
• Assisting with other projects specific to the assigned refuges as time permits, such as conducting visitor counts, visitor estimation inventory, trails maintenance, wildlife surveys, water quality monitoring, fuels management, invasive species removal, and habitat restoration.

Benefits

• $500/week living allowance to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• May be eligible for a 450-hour AmeriCorps Education Award valued up to $1,956.35 upon successful completion of a complete service term and 450 hours.
• May be eligible for federal loan forbearance (additional enrollment steps required).
• May be eligible for qualifying child care coverage (additional enrollment steps required).
• May be eligible for Public Land Corps Hiring Authority upon completion of term of service and 640 hours of service.
• Housing, and occasionally camping, will be provided for teams at no cost at refuges and during travel between sites.
• Up to $200 for eligible gear purchases.
• Position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree