Job Description

Visitor Services Support Member – Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex

ACE EPIC placements provide young adults with focused, hands-on opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors as they apply their knowledge of resource management on their path to becoming the next generation of resource and land managers. 

Funding for ACE positions is provided by a federal program designed specifically for the employment of youth and young adults. 

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Summary:  American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit conservation corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one Visitor Services Support Member  to contribute to a variety of visitor services projects alongside Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex Staff. During this term, the ACE member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff in developing meaningful partnerships with schools and other organizations that serve diverse and non-traditional audiences.  Emphasis will be placed on working with communities to provide relevant environmental education and other opportunities that connect the public to National Wildlife Refuges and conservation and also on providing visitors with information about the Refuges and their resources. The incumbent will assist with identifying and building partnerships in surrounding communities, assist with implementing environmental education and interpretive programs, help provide visitors with information about the Refuges and their resources, and complete various other duties to support the visitor services program as needed.  This position will provide a good overview of the work the US Fish and Wildlife Service does for wildlife and people in Northern California. 

Start Date: September 2022

End Date: 38 weeks later

**38-week commitment required, approximately 1,520 hours**

Location: Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Willows, CA

The Sacramento NWRC includes five refuges: Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, Sutter, and Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuges. These refuges combined provide highly sought-after hunting opportunities that welcome nearly 30,000 hunters annually. The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is home to the Complex headquarters and visitor center.

These refuges are located in the Sacramento Valley which is the most important wintering area for waterfowl and other waterbirds in the Pacific Flyway. In addition to migratory birds, the refuge also provides important wetland habitat for the Threatened Giant Garter Snake and vernal pool habitat that supports a variety of rare plants and invertebrates. These resources also attract many human visitors, with the Refuge Complex receiving over 200,000 recreational visits per year.

For more information about Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, please visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Sacramento/

Work Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday – Friday, but may include some weekend work for special youth and veteran hunts, festivals, or fairs.  Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours.  A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays.  Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute approximately 40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $750/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: Currently not available due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.  May become available as conditions and policy change. For now, housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or the refuge.  

Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-competitive Hiring Authority: Members serving on this project may be eligible to receive a Department of the Interior (DOI) PLC non-competitive hiring authority certificate upon completion of their term of service. Eligible members must meet standard requirements of completing at least 640 hours (16 weeks at 40 hours/week) and utilize their certificate when applying for qualifying federal positions within 2 years of receipt. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility.

Position Description:

This individual placement is meant to facilitate personal growth and professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with agency professionals. This could include gaining experience in a variety of conservation fields and/or shadowing different work groups.

The member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff in the accomplishment of:

1. a) Assisting refuge staff with identifying and building partnerships with local schools and community organizations that serve diverse, and non-traditional audiences.

1. b) Conducting environmental education on and off-site for school groups and community organizations.

1. c) Working with groups conducting on and offsite habitat restoration projects including pollinator gardens and schoolyard habitats.

1. d) Working on a variety of habitat projects such as keeping up the native plant garden (gardening, watering, weeding, planting plants, etc.), monitoring native plants and monarch butterflies, collecting native plant seeds, and monitoring wood duck boxes.

1. e) Implementing other basic visitor service program duties such as: helping provide visitors with information about the Refuge, conducting formal/informal interpretation at wildlife observation area and auto tour routes, and updating informational kiosks and brochure racks.

These duties will provide the selectee with the opportunity to reach a diverse group of people and to develop knowledge and appreciation of the local environment and the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Physical Requirements: This position requires physical exertion such as walking long distances over wet and rough surfaces while carrying up to 40 lbs.; bending, crouching, stooping, lifting or reaching. Hand and finger dexterity and physical coordination may involve fine and precise procedures, delicate adjustments or exact measurements. 

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  Duties are performed both indoors and outdoors. Temperature and weather extremes can be encountered in the performance of outdoor duties. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/interns, or resources. The member will be working outdoors and may be exposed to heat or cold, high humidity, stinging and biting insects, and inclement weather.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  

Qualifications: 

Required

• 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.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• A valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Please see further ACE EPIC eligibility requirements at the following link: https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements
• Strong writing, communication and organizational skills.
• Strong public speaking skills 
• Commitment to completing tasks thoroughly and on time. 

• Competitive applicants for this position must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered:
  • Holding or pursuing a Bachelor’s degree (education or experience in natural resources, biology, ecology or a related subject preferred)

Preferred

• Enthusiasm for interacting with people and learning how to assist visitors to enjoy refuge resources responsibly through interpretation, customer service, and facility maintenance
• Ability to multitask and shift schedule and priorities to meet changing conditions.
• Skills and abilities to resolve a full range of problems or situations when performing a variety of tasks in a field or office setting.
• A personal vehicle is highly suggested for off-duty hours due to the distance of housing to office and stores

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Temporary. Salaries: 20,000 - 40,000.

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