Biological Support Member – Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge

Overview

Biological Support Member – Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
Summary: American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking 1 member to contribute to biological projects under the mentorship of refuge staff. For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date:

April 2026 Estimated End Date:
August 2026 a 20-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 800 hours. Location Details/

Description:

Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Charles, VA. Lying at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges are part of a national system of lands managed to ensure the future of wildlife and its habitats. These refuges serve as one of the country’s most valuable stopovers for migratory birds.

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, the refuges include a variety of habitats such as maritime forest, shrub thickets, grasslands, beaches, and tidal wetlands. These habitats provide a vital link for millions of songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and butterflies to rest and refuel before continuing the rigorous journey to their wintering grounds. For more information, please visit the FWS website.

Position Overview:

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission at Eastern Shore of VA National Wildlife Refuge.

• Censusing coastal nesting and migrating birds (piping plover, American oyster catcher, Wilson’s plover, least tern, and red knot). Monitoring productivity from egg laying to fledging, installing predator exclosures, posting and maintaining symbolic fencing, re-sighting and recording banded birds, data entry, and report writing.
• Conducting sea turtle nest, vegetation, and hydrology monitoring according to established protocols. Assist with invasive species monitoring and management as needed.
• Using ArcGIS Pro and desktop software to manage refuge inventory and monitoring data. Develop and manage Field Maps and Survey
  123 projects to enhance data collection. Maintain data management protocols and ensure data quality and accuracy.
• Assisting with monitoring and management of Diamondback terrapin fencing.
• Assisting with marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response, and other Refuge work (e.g. public outreach) as opportunities and interest allows.
• Conducting on-site interaction with a variety of audiences to convey key information about the needs of wildlife and compatible recreational uses.
• Assisting with the management of wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities such as wildlife observation, wildlife photography, recreational fishing.
• Daily truck and ATV cleaning and maintenance.

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.

Schedule:

Duties will primarily be carried out 7am – 3:30pm, five days a week. (5-8s). Bi-weekly totals typically will not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

• Living Allowance:
  The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $800/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority:
  Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the…