Facility
Location
Iron River, WI 54847
United States
Volunteer Position Overview
About This Position
Join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service team at the Iron River National Fish Hatchery. We are currently seeking one to two motivated people to help staff during the busy summer months (June – August). Volunteers will provide extra capacity for the hatchery team by maintaining hatchery grounds, facilities, and equipment, and assisting with visitor services, education, and outreach.
In exchange for 20 hours per week per RV, volunteers receive full RV hook up, level concrete RV lot with 50-30-amp service, water and sewer hook-ups, picnic table, onsite laundry, and limited Wi-Fi.
Site Description: The Iron River National Fish Hatchery is a broodstock and production facility located in northern Wisconsin situated about 10 miles from Lake Superior. The hatchery produces approximately 1.5 million lake trout annually to be stocked in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. In addition, about 65,000 brook trout are stocked in Lake Superior waters where stocks are depleted. Lake trout and coaster brook trout brood fish are held in the broodstock facility to provide eggs for conservation of these species.
Key Responsibilities: Duties can be broken into two categories: maintenance and visitor services. Maintenance duties include grounds keeping such as lawn mowing, weed whacking, and flower bed/native pollinator garden upkeep; trail maintenance; facilities maintenance such as window washing, sweeping/mopping, vehicle detailing and minor carpentry projects that would involve working with hand tools. Visitor services duties include meeting/greeting the public, answering questions, checking in/out of tracked wheelchair, and most importantly leading interactive guided tours of hatchery operations. We will play off your skillsets.
Desired Time Commitment: Approximately June through August. Time frame can be extended or shortened to fit schedules.
Desired Qualifications: Outgoing individuals who enjoy interacting with a variety of people and have excellent communication and customer service skills. Knowledge of, or eagerness to learn, about the hatchery and life cycle of lake trout and coaster brook trout. Ability to work both indoors and outdoors and move independently around hatchery grounds. Basic knowledge of lawn equipment and hand tools. Driver’s license. Ability to work independently and on a team and be flexible, adaptable, creative, and patient.
Work Environment: The Iron River National Fish Hatchery sits on 1,200 acres of mixed forest, meadow and pastureland that encompass the hatchery’s water supply, Schacte Creek. The facility is open to the public 365 days a year and visitors can access most buildings from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm and utilize outdoor amenities from dawn to dusk. Aside from raising 1.2 million yearling fish and 10,000 captive brood fish, the hatchery boasts a ¾ mile 3D walking archery range, 3.5-mile trail for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing, pavilion, playground, and BBQ grilling stations. It’s all in walking distance!
Support: Training will take place at the hatchery throughout the first week. It will include a hatchery tour, introductions to staff members, overview of Volunteer Handbook, a summary of hatchery operations, on-line defensive driving training, and all necessary materials to present programs. We will play off your skillsets. All necessary tools and safety training will be provided at the job site.
Dress Code: Volunteer shirt and professional pants or shorts. Long pants, long sleeve shirts, and closed-toed leather hiking boots when working around power equipment. All safety protective equipment including hard hat, safety glasses, ear plugs, and leather work gloves will be provided. Some volunteers have found it helpful to bring rubber boots and gators (for ticks).
Physical Activity Level: Minimal to moderate
RV Volunteer Site: RV volunteers will be housed on a small RV pad located near the hatchery’s storage facility. It can accommodate a 40-foot vehicle. The site has an open view of the sky and is located on a small hill. There are no privacy barriers or screens. The site is next to a grassy area with a picnic table. Hookups are on the driver side when backed in. Volunteers will also have access to the storage building for oversized items such as bicycles and/or kayaks. In addition, previous volunteers have found it helpful to bring a small wagon for transporting tools, supplies, and/or trash around the property. There are on-site laundry facilities within the hatchery facility.
Additional information on the Iron River National Fish Hatchery:
www.fws.gov/fish-hatchery/iron-river
www.facebook.com/IronRiverNFH
Nearby amenities:
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: www.nps.gov/apis
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/midwest/whittleseycreek
North Country National Scenic Trail: www.northcountrytrail.org/wisconsin
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf
Frog Bay Tribal National Park: www.redcliff-nsn.gov
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway: www.nps.gov/sacn
Brule River State Forest: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/StateForests/bruleriver
Wisconsin Lake Superior National Scenic Byway: www.lakesuperiorbyway.org
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Are you looking for something different than a volunteer opportunity? The Fish and Wildlife Service employs around 9,000 people nationwide and offers great internship opportunities every year.
