Refuge Members - Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking two (2) Refuge Support Members to contribute to invasive species removal and upland restoration under the mentorship of Browns Park NWR Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

April 2026

August 2026

* a 20-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 800 hours*

Browns Park NWR, Maybell, Colorado

Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 by Public Land Order to provide sanctuary for migratory birds, conserve endangered and threatened species, and offer wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities. The Refuge encompasses a wide variety of habitat types from upland sage steppe and pinyon/juniper forests to wetlands and wet meadows. It provides valuable habitat for birds to rest and feed as they migrate each spring and fall, and for elk and mule deer to browse the uplands and grasslands each winter.

Bald eagles and ospreys nest in the cottonwoods and nesting platforms along the Green River.

Browns Park NWR is a remote refuge located in NW Colorado. The Refuge Office is located 1.5 miles from the Utah border and 10 miles from the Wyoming border. There are three cities with full services in the general area. The nearest are Craig, CO (pop. 9,000) and Rock Springs, WY (pop. 23,000), both 90 miles from the Refuge and requiring a 1.5‑hour drive.

Vernal, UT (pop. 10,000) is 80 miles away and requires a 2‑hour drive, although an alternate route that is approximately 50 miles and 1.5 hours is available for a high‑clearance 4x4 vehicle. Maybell, CO and Dutch John, UT are closer to the Refuge but only have gas station convenience stores available for shopping. Employees must bring a personal vehicle to drive outside of work hours, as there is no public transportation.

This Refuge is remote and therefore does not have convenient access to stores or social events. The Post Office delivers mail Monday and Thursday, while Fed Ex Ground and UPS deliver packages Monday through Friday.

For more information about Browns Park NWR, please visit the FWS website.

Duties include working on all aspects of the Refuge invasive plant control program. This includes applying herbicide (ATV, backpack, and hand sprayers) to target areas throughout the Refuge, and mechanical methods (pulling, digging, and cutting) to control invasive herbaceous and woody plant species. This work also includes native plant restoration such as greenhouse work, seed collection and planting grass plugs. The employee will assist with mapping vegetation communities and using GPS and GIS software.

They support cottonwood restoration efforts such as transplanting cottonwood saplings from existing nurseries to riparian locations throughout the Refuge. Duties also include assisting the Refuge staff with routine work such as repairing fences, vehicle and structural upkeep, grounds maintenance, and other related tasks. Refuge work involves standing, bending, walking and a moderate to strenuous amount of physical exertion. The employee will lift and carry heavy items (e.g., packs and equipment up to 50 pounds) on a routine basis.

The employee will primarily work outdoors where they may encounter variable weather conditions, stinging and biting insects, nettles and other noxious plants. Additional opportunities include but are not limited to assisting hatchery staff at Ouray National Fish Hatchery, assisting refuge staff at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, working with Colorado State University Larval Fish lab, assisting BLM site manager at John Jarvie Historic Ranch, and assisting hatchery staff at Jones Hole National Fish Hatchery.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Duties are expected to be performed Monday‑Friday 7am‑4:30pm MDT with every other Friday off.…