Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d0000013xHq
ADDRESS:
5003 Hallett Circle
Cape Charles, Virginia, 23310
DATES: 4/15/2024 – 9/27/2024
DEPT: Fish & Wildlife Service
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Come spend the warm months at Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, located at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, barrier islands, and the Chesapeake Bay, this location serves as a vital stopover point for birds during their migration. The lands and waters are teeming with life and offer plenty of recreational opportunities. Enjoy the wonderful culture of living the coastal life; hike, fish, kayak, and relax on the beach to your heart’s content.
We are seeking enthusiastic volunteers with excellent people skills willing to aid us in tending to the needs of Wise Point Boat Ramp, a public ramp that is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. This ramp is a common access point for many watermen of the Eastern Shore, who earn their livelihood by fishing, crabbing, and shell fishing around the barrier islands.
Duties include:
- Speak with visitors and offer information about the refuge’s boat ramp rules and regulations.
- Concisely explain the refuge boat ramp access fee options.
- Restock fee envelopes and monitoring the fee booth and collection station.
- Check vehicles for boat ramp pass compliance.
- Enforce no fishing or crabbing rules.
- Help the public understand the area and recreational opportunities by providing brochures/handouts on the area.
- Provide information to the work of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
- Basic maintenance responsibilities which include pick up trash, restock and clean the Romtecs (bathrooms), check the docks for any maintenance issues, occasional mowing during down time.
- And more!
Boat ramp attendants are desired to be available from early April to late September. There is flexibility for volunteers who are only available for a portion of this time. Attendants would be responsible for working the boat ramp station on Friday/Saturday/Sunday and most holidays to help ensure availability during the busiest times of the season. Volunteers must work a minimum of 20 hours/week to qualify for the use of living accommodations.
RV pads are located at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. The pad is crushed gravel or asphalt and has full hook ups (water, electric and sewer). Amenities for RV volunteers include a picnic table and access to a shower and washer/dryer. If you do not have an RV, there is a shared bunkhouse on site; feel free to inquire about this option if interested. On the job training will be provided.
QUALIFICATIONS
Volunteers should have good communication skills, an interest in and ability to learn about area history and natural resources, a desire to share knowledge with visiting public and work with a diversity of staff and visitors. Experience with public speaking is beneficial, but not necessary. A flexibility to handle variations in routine due to shifting priorities and visitor needs is appreciated.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
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.
Before becoming a haven for millions of migratory birds, fluttering monarch butterflies and resting raptors, Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge was Fort John Custis, named after a prominent eighteenth-century resident of Northampton County. The strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay encouraged military uses of the area in the years before the refuge was established. After World War II, the federal government acquired the land that is now the refuge. During the war, large bunkers housed 16-inch guns designed to protect naval bases and shipyards in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. In 1950, the U.S. Air Force acquired Fort John Custis, renaming it the Cape Charles Air Force Station. Radar towers and additional buildings were built by the Air Force, which occupied the area until 1981.
The refuge is a 15-minute drive from Kiptopeke State Park and the town of Cape Charles, both of which are popular tourist destinations due to their natural resources, history, and culture. The nearest cities are Norfolk and Virginia Beach, located across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The closest grocery store is Food Lion, about 10 minutes away.