RV Volunteer: General/Maintenance Helper

Volunteer with us at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge!

Background

Located in northeastern New Mexico at an elevation of 6050’, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) encompasses 3,699 acres of short-grass prairie, playa lakes, woodlots, wetlands, and crop fields. The refuge sits in an open basin surrounded by high mesas to the northeast and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. Since 1965 this landscape has been managed for the benefit of wildlife and has provided feeding and resting habitat for migratory birds. 

Maxwell NWR is part of the Northern New Mexico NWR Complex, which also includes Las Vegas and Rio Mora NWRs.

Volunteer Position

The Northern New Mexico NWR Complex strives to maintain a Queer/LGBTQA+ and BIPOC-friendly space and work environment. Working and living at this station requires the ability to work with, take direction from, and live near people of all ages, backgrounds, and personality types. Positive outlooks and flexibility are key to success at this refuge complex. We welcome RV volunteers of all backgrounds to apply!

We are seeking individuals or a couple to serve as general volunteers for the FY 2025. We are flexible on exact volunteer dates. We will consider couples if we can find an appropriate position for your partner. RV pads are the only available housing.

The General/Maintenance Volunteer Position requires that each individual work 24 hours per week (typically three 8-hour days) for a minimum of 3 months. Duties will vary throughout the year, but common duties may include; maintaining facilities (visitor center, tour loop, parking areas, trails and the year round campground), landscaping, staffing the visitor center, outreach and education, assisting with wildlife surveys (waterfowl, elk, prairie dog, etc.), assisting with farming and water delivery, and assisting the other refuges within in the complex (Las Vegas and Rio Mora NWRs).

Important Information to Know:

At Maxwell NWR there is currently only one RV pad available for volunteers with a self-contained RV. There is no community building with any additional facilities (no laundry facility, no shower, etc). Due to the nature of our site, we require that all individuals using shared amenities be full-time RV volunteers (24 hours/week).

The nearest city is Raton (30 minutes drive). The station is considered connected but cell service and internet are weak and can fluctuate. Power outages can be frequent (especially during the monsoon season) and this can result in periods of limited cell coverage and no Wi-Fi. As you may be the only residents on-site, it can feel very remote living on the beautiful Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge.