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National Wildlife Refuges do not stand alone in the effort to preserve our nation's wild things. Many organizations and individuals contribute thousands of hours to our wildlife refuges and local communities by planting trees, battling invasive species, and by providing visitor outreach and education programs. Friends groups serve as advocates for our refuges and natural areas at the local, regional, and national level. With these extra voices and hands at work, today's conservation projects are making a difference on our refuges and for our wildlife.

To learn more about the Refuge volunteers and the programs they support, please read the Volunteer Newsletter.

International Migratory Bird Day - 20 Simple things you can do for migratory birds.

1. Prevent Bird Collisions with Your Windows Collisions are one of the most frequent causes of bird deaths. Birds see nature reflected in the
window or mistake houseplants inside the building for outdoor plants and fly into the glass. Putting up curtains or window decals helps make the window visible to birds.
2. Protect Birds From Pets Unleashed dogs and outdoor cats can harm birds by disturbing, chasing, and even killing them. Keeping your cat indoors and your dog from straying saves millions of birds each year.
3. Clean Your Bird Feeders Dirty feeders can spread disease. Disinfect and clean out old seed from feeders frequently and put fresh water in your bird bath every day.
4. Don’t Buy Illegally-Caged Birds Selling wild-caught birds as pets is illegal. Buy only captive-bred birds. Make certain that the breeder or pet store is reputable.
5. Use Cloth Grocery Bags and Reusable Bottles Birds that mistakenly eat plastic trash can become ill or even die. Avoiding plastic bags and bottles reduces plastic pollution and conserves resources.
6. Recycle Anything you recycle reduces litter and saves resources. Get creative! You can make a bag from used juice containers and bird feeders from old dishes and plastic bottles.
7. Restore Natural Habitat in Your Community Birds need a place to live and many bird habitats are disappearing. City parks and open spaces are natural places for birds. Work with your community to recreate the habitat that once existed in your area.
8. Keep Your Distance Birds need space for feeding, nesting, and other daily activities. Approaching too closely may cause them to become nervous and deplete much-needed energy reserves. During the nesting season, it may even result in loss of eggs or young to predators.
9. Leave Fledglings Where You Find Them Fledglings may spend several days on the ground after they leave the nest before they are able to fly. You can help by keeping people and pets away, so their parents can continue to care for them. If you think a bird is truly an orphan, call a wildlife rehabilitator for instructions.
10. Slow Down When Driving Cars kill millions of birds each year. Driving slowly gives you more time to respond if there is an animal in the road and gives the animal plenty of time to get out of the way.
11. Buy Bird Friendly Products You can help preserve bird habitat in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean by buying shade-grown coffee and chocolate. Shade coffee farms, which imitate native forests, have many more bird species than sun coffee farms.
12. Plant Native Native plants provide food, nest sites, and cover for birds.
13. Teach Others About Birds Talk to your friends about birds and start a club in your community to teach people about the challenges birds face. The more people know, the more they can do to help.
14. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature You can appreciate the bird habitat near your home. Find a local park and go for a walk or just stroll around your neighborhood.
15. Take a Friend Bird Watching Invite a buddy and see if you can spot more birds together.
16. Support Conservation. Join a bird club or other conservation organization to learn more and contribute to protecting birds. Volunteer
with organizations that preserve habitat and help birds.
17. Be a Citizen Scientist Many projects need helpers to gather data on birds and their habitat. Contact your local Nature Center, library or
conservation organization to volunteer.
18. Reduce Energy Use Riding your bike or walking reduces your carbon footprint and prevents pollution of bird habitats. Switching off the
lights in your house not only shrinks your energy bill, but can also help prevent birds from colliding with your windows.
19. Avoid Chemicals Birds may accidentally eat pesticide and herbicide pellets or prey that have been poisoned. This can kill a bird or have toxic effects on their own health and that of their growing embryos, including deformation or suppressed immune systems.
20. Learn the Hunting Laws Federal and local laws protect sensitive areas and manage the harvest of birds to ensure healthy populations. Purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps. It contributes to habitat which benefits all birds.

 

 

Why become a volunteer at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge?

Besides being part of the conservation effort by restoring and protecting habitat and educating and inspiring the public, volunteers also enjoy the following benefits:

• Invitations to special walks and talks offered only to volunteers and Friends members.
• Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner with catered food and prizes for those giving 25 hours or more.
• Annual summer BBQ on a closed part of the Refuge for all volunteers and Friends members.
• Volunteer Training events with staff and guest speakers teaching about Refuge history, culture, flora and fauna, and what you can do to keep this place a great destination for animals and humans alike.
• Annual Volunteer pass to all Federal lands for those who reach 500 hours.
• Many other events and prizes throughout the year.

For more information contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Josie Finley at 360-887-4106 or by email at Josie_Finley@fws.gov. And stay tuned for announcements for the next set of trainings and special events!

Become a Friend of the Ridgefield NWR

The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting educational programs, increasing public awareness and cultural resources of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. To learn more about this important organization and to see a calendar of refuge volunteer and other events follow this link: Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Help spread the word by passing around this Flyer.

Habitat Restoration Activities

Spring and summer habitat restoration events are in full swing. Join us in our efforts to improve stream health and create wildlife habitat by removing invasive species and maintaining our plantation sites on the refuge. This is a great opportunity to explore various areas of the refuge, give back to the environment, and enjoy the season. Many volunteer work events are already scheduled from October to April. For more information about habitat restoration events visit our restoration flyer.

All work days are from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
Wear waterproof footwear and bring work gloves.

For more information or to sign up contact:
Lynn_Cornelius@fws.gov
360-887-3883 x14

Other habitat restoration projects

Interested in other habitat work? We have a variety of other projects and programs going on year-round. Other volunteer work may occur on an as-needed basis, so let us know your availability and special skills or experience. Learn more about other projects by looking at our updated 2011-2012 Volunteer Opportunity Flyer.

All volunteers must fill out a volunteer services agreement (VSA). People under 18 years of age must have their parents sign the VSA. Forms are available on the day of the event, or download them here: volunteer services agreement. See the bottom of this page for other, non-mandatory volunteer forms.

Educational Activities - Plankhouse Tours and Nature Walks

How would you like to be a part of the most exciting natural and cultural history project in the Portland/Vancouver area? Are you the type of person who enjoys speaking to and greeting visitors and teaching students? Does working in a natural setting among the sounds of birds in trees and wetlands appeal to you?

If you said YES! to any of the above, then becoming a refuge volunteer guiding students and visitors through the Plankhouse and on the Oaks to Wetlands Trail is for you! No experience necessary, just enthusiasm and love for our local natural and cultural resources. We need volunteers of all types, from those wanting to share their expertise, those interested in learning something new.

The time is now! Volunteers are needed this spring to help guide students during field trips to the Refuge. No experience necessary! Only an enthusiasm for nature and sharing your interests with youth is required.

Training Opportunity:

When: Thursday April 12, 9 am to 3 pm.

Where: Ridgefield Community Center (1/2 day); Ridgefield Refuge (1/2 day)

What: Learn tips, tricks, and methods for working with youth, and the simple activities you can help with to inspire and teach students about the natural resources around them. Refreshments and good company guaranteed!

Please view this flyer to learn more: Training Flyer.

Or contact the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator Josie Finley at 360-887-4106 or Josie_Finley@fws.gov.

Volunteer/Partnership Opportunities

If you'd like to help the Refuge, Contact Us about becoming a refuge volunteer, a member of the non-profit Friends of Ridgefield NWR group, or if you belong to an organization interested in forming a partnership with the Refuge.

Periodically, the Refuge staff will host a volunteer training session or will seek help through internships. Check the Special Events, Programs & Refuge News section of this website for more information.

Employment Opportunities

If you are looking for a career with the Fish and Wildlife Service and would like an updated list of employment opportunities, visit USAJOBS website. Listing on this website include job vacancies for all Federal agencies.

Volunteer Forms

Volunteer Service Agreement (required): Anyone volunteering for Natural Resource Agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service must have a volunteer service agreement filled out and renewed each year. This is a very easy form that protects you as a volunteer while out on the Refuge volunteering.

Volunteer Timesheet: The time and effort that you donate to the Refuge is priceless to us and the wildlife and habitat that you support. But did you know that you are also donating cash for each hour you spend here? When you volunteer our agency and our Friends group can use your time in grant applications as matching donations to get more funding for habitat projects, education, and much much more. Plus, if you don't record your hours we will never know how to properly thank you through our gifts and recognition. For example, 25 hours gets you an invitation to the annual catered recognition dinner, and 500 hours gets you a free yearly pass to all public lands! These are just a few of the benefits given to dedicated volunteers so fill your timesheet out monthly and turn it into the Refuge!

Volunteer Application: If you are interested in joining our volunteer team but are not sure what you would like to do because you have a variety of interests, please fill out this volunteer application so we can see what opportunities will be the best fit for you. This also helps us when we have new types of volunteer jobs come up and we are looking for someone with specialized experience. Note that not all jobs on this form are currently offered on the Refuge as this is a nationwide form used by all Natural Resource Agencies.

Photo Release Form: A photo says and thousand words! And photos of volunteers say a lot about how special this community and Refuge is. We use pictures taken during volunteer events to show those inside and outside the agency what a asset our volunteers are and how we could never do all the good things we do without them. If you are okay with us using your image to promote our volunteer program please fill out this photo release form. You can even specify what type of publications you are comfortable being in and what you are not, and we can inform you when your picture is being used.

Join the Citizen Science Revolution

Gather scientific data from your local community and join a growing network of citizen scientists around the world. By banding together, observers around the globe can collect information on a large enough spatial scale to be useful in address pressing issues such as; climate change.

While there are many citizen science programs available, here is one that is timely with spring and the arrival of migrant osprey; http://www.osprey-watch.org. Osprey are one of very few truly global sentinels for aquatic health. They feed almost exclusively on live fish throughout their entire life cycle. They are a top consumer within aquatic ecosystems and are very sensitive to both overfishing and environmental contaminants. Nearly all populations breed in the northern latitudes and winter in the southern latitudes, effectively linking the aquatic health of the hemispheres. Their breeding season in the north is highly seasonal making them an effective barometer of climate change. Adopt an osprey at your local river, lake, or recreation area and record their nesting activites over the summer. Then record your observations with those of other citizen scientists.