Volunteers Home Page, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

VOLUNTEERS

IMAGINE banding birds at a national wildlife refuge, raising fish at a national fish hatchery, conducting wildlife surveys, leading a tour, or restoring fragile habitat.

With close to 42,000 volunteers contributing in excess of 1.5 million hours, our volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks. Some work full-time, some just a few hours a week or month, or during a particular season or special event.

WHO ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS?
Our volunteers are individuals who want to give back to their communities, parents who want to be good stewards of the land and set examples for their children, retired people willing to share their wealth of knowledge, concerned citizens of all ages who want to learn more about conservation, and passionate people who enjoy the outdoors and want to spread the word about America's greatest natural treasures.

10,000 Plus Hours and Counting

Chuck and Betty Mulcahy survey trumpeter swans and cygnets weekly from atop a butte at National Elk Refuge in Wyoming.
Photo by Lori Iverson/USFWS

photograph of a volunteer at Upper Mississippi River Refuge

Photography volunteer at Upper Mississippi River Refuge

Why I Volunteer

2016 Volunteer of the Year Ann Humphrey, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Why I Volunteer

Fish and Aquatic Conservation Biologist and snapping turtle being measured

Fish and Aquatic Conservation Biologist and Volunteer measuring snapping turtle at Tishoming National Fish Hatchery

Why I Volunteer

Volunteers Help with Blue Bird boxes at Ennis
National Fish Hatchery

Why I Volunteer

Teen Spreads the Word on Marine Debris

Why I Volunteer

RV volunteers at Moapa Valley Refuge, NV

RV volunteers, Moapa Valley Refuge, NV

Why I Volunteer

Manatee watch, Chassahowitzka Refuge, FL

Why I Volunteer

Fence removal, Desert Refuge, NV

Why I Volunteer

Assisting with banding

Why I Volunteer

Trash removal, Edwin B Forsythe Refuge, NJ

Why I Volunteer

Claire Goad named the 2018 National Wildlife
Refuge System Volunteer of the Year

Coming Soon to a site near you. National Public Lands Day

On September 22, 2018, join hundreds of thousands of people at sites throughout the country and take part in NEEF’s 25th annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD), sponsored by national corporate sponsor Toyota. National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)uses the day to connect people to public lands and their communities, inspire environmental stewardship, and encourage use of public lands for education, recreation, and general health. To learn more about NPLD and to register to volunteer at a FWS site, please visit https://www.neefusa.org/npld.

Last updated: August 9, 2018