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Maintenance Volunteer

Fish & Wildlife Service

Job category:
Maintenance
Compensation: RV Site Only
Hookups: Full (FHU)
Wi-Fi: No
Pets OK?: Unknown

Job Description

Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi
DATES: 12/6/2021 – 9/30/2022
Maintenance volunteers assist in mowing of roadsides and levees, road and trail maintenance, posting and repairing signs, small equipment repair, basic vehicle maintenance, and other tasks which vary by season, such as trimming branches and operating farm equipment (tractor, bushhog, disk, etc.). This is a great position for someone that enjoys working independently, but can be flexible enough to work as part of a team as tasks are assigned by the refuge manager.

St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located along the Mississippi River just south of Natchez, Mississippi. It is well known for the thousands of wading birds, waterfowl, and forest birds, which utilize the dense flooded areas, swamps, bottomland forests, and uplands. Bayou Cocodrie is just across the river in Ferriday, Louisiana, and is comprised mainly of forested bottomlands and managed wetlands. The headquarters office is at St. Catherine Creek.

 

We are seeking up to two (2) maintenance volunteers in flexible six-week rotations, for a maximum of 10 months. We will consider couples if we can find an appropriate position for your partner. Start and end dates are negotiable. Local residents within 30 miles are encouraged to apply.

 

HOUSING:

Inquire with the refuge manager about on-site housing options, or if housing is not needed at all. Sorry, no pets are allowed due to wildlife considerations.

Option 1:

Private room (with bed) in 3br/1ba house with kitchen, bathroom, and washer/dryer. House has heat and air conditioning. Aenerator is provided in the event of a power outage. This option is available with a minimum six week commitment of 30 hours of volunteer work per week, per resident. Cellular phone service and internet is not provided.

Option 2: An RV pad with full electric, water, and sewer hookups are available is available at Bayou Cocodrie with a minimum six week commitment of 20 hours per week for six weeks, with a minimum of 120 hours of work per resident volunteer. Cellular service is fine at this location; no internet is provided.

Option 3: Beginning June 1, 2022, an RV pad with full electic, water, and sewer hookups is available at St. Catherine Creek with a minimum six week commitment of 20 hours per week for six weeks, with a minimum of 120 hours of work per resident volunteer. Cellular phone service and internet are not provided at this location, but less than 1/4 mile away, cell service is strong.

 

BACKGROUND/REFERENCE CHECK REQUIRED:

  • Yes

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  • All applicants must be at least 21 years of age
  • A valid driver license is required
  • Completion of a free online defensive driving course
  • Compliance with volunteer uniform policy
  • Non-disclosure agreement
  • Proof of vaccination for COVID-19 is likely to be required

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit a brief resume of relevant experience and skills, and list at least two professional or volunteer work references on your application.

DUTIES

(Depending on skills/abilities)

  • Sign and gate cleaning, replacement, painting
  • Boardwalk cleaning and repair (carpentry)
  • Spray parking areas
  • Litter pickup
  • Trail maintenance
  • Mowing (riding mower)
  • Operation of small tractors, pull-behind mowers/bushhog/disk/planter/sprayer and other farming equipment
  • Operation of a backhoe and/or larger equipment, capable to learn
  • Boundary marking
  • During hunting season, collecting visitor use cards and harvest tags daily
  • Restocking kiosks with brochures and updating bulletin boards
  • Greeting and directing visitors
  • Safely operating a government vehicle on refuge land, as assigned
  • Gardening, planting, seeding, weeding
  • Office, shop, and/or visitor center organization and basic janitorial
  • Recycling
  • Operation of hand tools
  • Operation of power tools (e.g., drill, pole saw, chainsaw, 0ther saws, weedeater)
  • Basic vehicle/auto maintenance

 

QUALIFICATIONS
  • Drivers License
  • CDL (preferred, not required)
  • Basic carpentry
  • Basic vehicle maintenance
  •  Painting
  • Gardening/planting/landscaping/tree-trimming
  •  Trail maintenance
  • Small equipment operation and repair
  • Plant identification

 

SKILLS
  • Carpentry
  • Drivers License
  • Fish/Wildlife
  • General Assistance
  • Hand Power Tools
  • Heavy Equipment
  • Landscaping/Reforestation
  • Map Reading
  • Other Trade Skills
  • Working with People

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Volunteers typically work solo, in pairs, or in small groups with staff and other volunteers on refuge priority projects, in outdoor settings or inside the visitor center/office.

 

JOB HAZARDS
  • General housekeeping
  • Slip, trip, and fall hazards
  • Electrical hazards
  • Equipment operation
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Work organization and process flow (including staffing and scheduling)
  • Ergonomic problems
BACKGROUND/REFERENCE CHECK REQUIRED

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