Opportunities From: City of Detroit

Do you love nature so much you want to share it with others? Navigators lead guided hikes and nature education programs and assist with school groups. Training includes an overview of the refuge and all necessary material to present programs.

Once trained, volunteers commit to leading programs and hikes out of the visitor center and in the community. No prior experience necessary! 

If you love to fish, tell your fish stories and get others interested in fishing, this is the position for you! The Refuge fishing pier that extends 740 feet into the river and connects to a 150-foot-long fishing pier. Refuge visitation is expected to skyrocket with this new amenity.

Volunteer monitors will help guide people, answer questions and pick up litter. There is no expectation these volunteers will provide law enforcement coverage, just a welcoming face. Come join us! Minors 15 years old and younger must be accompanied by a guardian.

The Refuge’s interactive visitor center will be standing in the dark without your assistance! As a Visitor Center Greeter and Nature Store volunteer, you will help visitors connect to Refuge lands through a variety of recreational opportunities. The John D. Dingell Jr. Visitor Center is located in Trenton, MI at the Refuge Gateway property off West Jefferson Avenue.

If you like interacting with people from all walks of life, this is the volunteer position for you! Volunteer duties include: meet and cheerfully greet visitors; provide area and Refuge recreation opportunity information; give orientations about the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System; assist visitors with rules and regulations; answer telephones; answer visitor questions; respond to visitor correspondence; distribute brochures and restock brochures. 

Volunteers will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and appreciation of the environment and the National Wildlife Refuge System with diverse audiences.     

Age Requirement: Age 18 years old and up.

At the Refuge we strive to keep the trails up to high standards so everyone feels welcome and comfortable hiking on them. This volunteer position performs all aspects of trail maintenance and construction.

Examples of work include: mowing grass; clearing brush and fallen logs from trail corridor; trimming overhanging brush; picking up litter; constructing boardwalk and new segments of trail; and performing restoration on abandoned or heavily impacted sections of trail.

This type of work requires heavy physical labor in natural areas and in challenging environments. Participants must be in good physical condition.

The stewardship crews are the go-to team for any challenge facing the Refuge. Volunteers are invited to assist with a variety of habitat management activities including invasive species control (mowing, herbicide application, tree and brush cutting with hand saws and loppers), seed collecting/handling/broadcasting, and occasional assistance with water level management.

Stewardship crews also perform a variety of visitor services-focused tasks including trail creation and maintenance, kiosk construction, and interpretive signage repairs. This type of work requires heavy physical labor in natural areas and in challenging environments. Participants must be in good physical condition.

All necessary tools are provided.

Age Requirement: Age 16 years old and up (all minors must be accompanied by a guardian). For safety purposes, minors will never be allowed to work alone or with just one other volunteer, unless it is their guardian. Minors are not permitted to drive refuge vehicles.    

The Refuge hosts a variety of events throughout the year varying in themes and activities. As an event volunteer you will educate the public about the refuge, nature, wildlife conservation, and recreational opportunities. Main duties include staffing a variety of educational booths, children’s craft activities, and informational tables at acquaint event attendees with the refuge. They also may include set up and take down of event space.

Age Requirement: Age 12 years old and up (15 and younger must be accompanied by a guardian). For safety purposes, minors will never be allowed to work alone or with just one other volunteer, unless it is their guardian.

Help share information about U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System, refuge history, local wildlife, nature topics, and opportunities of recreation to the public.

You will shadow refuge park ranger at speaking locations until ready to present programs independently. There is a preexisting PowerPoint that you will use once you present independently.         

Using your own equipment, take photographs of native flora and fauna, special events, and of Refuge staff and partners working in the field. Close ups/Macro photos are preferred. Photographs will become property of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and may be used in a variety of outreach materials and online.

To make this volunteer position easier to manage, we ask volunteers to use their own camera equipment and to travel to open areas on the Refuge in their own vehicle/boat/feet on their own time. Please be sure to stay on Refuge trails and only access areas that are open to the general public. At this point in time, only three of our Refuge units are open to self-guided exploration. The Gibraltar Bay Unit is located on Grosse Ile at 28820 East River Road. The Fix and Strong Units are located in Monroe County. Check out the Refuge website for directions. In addition, we do offer a variety of Open Houses throughout the year at Humbug Marsh in Trenton. The public is allowed to visit the trails during these dates and you are welcome to attend and take photographs.    

In order to keep the integrity and quality of your photos, we ask that you deliver them to us through a free web site called dropbox.com. You will need to set up a free account for yourself. Once you have your account, upload your labeled “Best of the Best” photos and invite us to view your folder.