Ways to Get Involved
Volunteers at Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge are an integral part of the staff. They assist with numerous projects ranging from wildlife inventories to presenting interpretive programs, and their help has been instrumental in the accomplishment of a number of refuge projects and activities.
The Refuge Volunteer Program is actually made up of three smaller programs, each adding its own uniqueness to the overall operations of the Refuge. The programs are made up of the following: General Volunteers, Resident Volunteers, and Internships. Each program offers hands-on, working experience in the day-to-day activities of the Refuge.
Volunteering
Volunteers perform duties in three areas: Visitor Services, Environmental Education, Maintenance, and Resource Management.
Visitor Services volunteers help run and clean the Refuge visitor center, answer questions, act as receptionist and may sell permits both during the week and on weekends.
Education volunteers form the back-bone of the refuge's volunteer outreach activities, and as such they must undergo more specialized training and background clearance than those who only work in visitor services.
Maintenance volunteers help maintain and reconstruct trails, pick up litter, maintain landscaping, repair boardwalks, repair roads, frame and mount signs and assist with other construction projects.
Resource Management is a broad term that encompasses many different jobs. Volunteers performing resource management duties do a lot of different things. They assist our forestry staff in cruising timber, they assist our wildlife biology staff with wildlife monitoring activities, and preparing areas for prescribed burning.
HOW TO APPLY:
Local residents and students interested in volunteering at the refuge can find more information about our current volunteer vacancies by calling the visitor center at 662/323-5548 ext. 0.
Resident Volunteers
This program offers a unique opportunity for recreational vehicle and/or trailer volunteers to live and work at the refuge. It is only open to those volunteer candidates who own their own trailer and/or RV. Volunteers commit to work at the refuge 32 hours a week, for a minimum of thirty days.
In exchange for their services, the refuge provides a full hook-up trailer pad plus access to garbage and laundry facilities. Volunteers perform work in the same area of operations as do our general volunteer staff, i.e. visitor services, environmental education, maintenance, and resource management.
HOW TO APPLY:
To view current volunteer vacancies and to apply, visit www.volunteer.gov and search keyword "Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge".