Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000ZTzIAAW/rocky-shore-interpretive-ranger
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ADDRESS: Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge; 11th St, off U.S. Highway 101; Bandon, Oregon 97411
DEPT: Fish & Wildlife Service
DATES: 6/1/2022 – 8/15/2022
DESCRIPTION:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking volunteers to serve as Rocky Shore Interpreters for Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Oregon State Parks during the summer of 2022.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking volunteers to serve as Rocky Shore Interpreters for Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Oregon State Parks during the summer of 2022.
The volunteer position involves working on the beach at Seal Rock State Recreation Area which overlooks national wildlife refuge lands managed and protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (specifically Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages six National Wildlife Refuges that span 320 miles of Oregon’s scenic coastline. Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge includes 1,853 rocks, reefs and islands along the Oregon coast that provide habitat for 1.2 million nesting seabirds. Many of these islands are also used by seals and sea lions as resting areas and in some cases as a place to give birth to their pups from April through May. Although the individual rocks and islands are closed to public use to protect wildlife, there are many locations along the Oregon coast where visitors can view wildlife nesting on Oregon Islands Refuge from a mainland location or a public beach. Seal Rock State Recreation Area is one of these sites with more than 200,000 annual visitors. Oregon State Parks is charged with overseeing the management of Oregon’s Ocean Shore Recreation Area, which includes all beaches and rocky shores along the coast like. Visit www.oregontidepools.org for more information. Rocky shores are a defining feature of the dramatic coastline of Oregon.
The rocky intertidal habitat along Seal Rock beach is open to public use and is an area of high visitation in the summer months. Please note that collection of some invertebrates by the public is allowed at Seal Rock beach and all collection must follow rules set forth by the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
DUTIES
The volunteer(s) will be responsible for providing interpretation to visitors on the seabirds, seals, and rocky intertidal animals of Seal Rock. Specifically, the volunteer will be working on the beach (and thus exposed to nature’s elements) at Seal Rock State Recreation Site. This site provides visitors with views of a series of rocks and islands with active nesting seabird colonies. The volunteer will use binoculars, field guides and possibly a spotting scope provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to facilitate interpretation for visitors. The volunteer will be expected to work cooperatively with Oregon State Park staff and volunteers. Volunteers must also consent to a criminal background investigation before beginning volunteer work. This is a requirement of Oregon State Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The interpretive volunteer position requires each volunteer to work a total of 20 hours per week. Volunteers (couples) can work at the same time to fulfill their individual 20 hour requirement. For work schedules, the volunteer is expected to work four days/week with Saturday and Sunday (heaviest tourist visitation) being mandatory work days to ensure we interact with visitors during the busiest days of the week. Volunteers will also be provided with three consecutive days off each week.
Duties will include:
1. Providing interpretation on the seabirds and marine mammals of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge using binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes to visitors
2. Speaking with visitors about the purpose of the park, the wildlife refuge, answer their wildlife and park related questions, and identify wildlife including rocky shore invertebrates and marine plants.
3. Help protect park and refuge resources and ensure visitor safety by informing visitors of potential safety hazards, reporting safety hazards and instances of lawbreaking to the Refuge Law Enforcement Officer, and attempting to correct minor infractions through interpretation. Volunteers shall not engage in law enforcement.
4. Visually inspecting the restroom for vandalism or maintenance issues and reporting them immediately to Oregon State Park Ranger. Replacing the toilet paper in restroom if needed.
5. If the trash can is full, volunteer will be tasked with removing liner, placing it in chasse closet and adding a new liner.
QUALIFICATIONS
We are most interested in volunteers who are enthusiastic about interacting with the general public in a friendly and professional manner; able to work outside on the beach for five hour shifts in weather that ranges from sunny and windy to cold and foggy; and willing to work weekends and holidays with almost no supervision. The position requires the volunteer to spend his/her volunteer hours outdoors; therefore, a tolerance for inclement weather is necessary though work will be canceled if it is stormy and raining. The temperature on the coast in the summer ranges from a low of 50 to highs in the mid-70s. The central coast tends to be cool and foggy in the morning but becomes clear and windy in the middle of the day.
Volunteers will be responsible for speaking to 25 to 200+ visitors every day making it necessary for the volunteer to be comfortable with public speaking and willing to maintain recommend social distances while on duty to reduce the spread of COVID-19. No prior knowledge of seabirds or marine mammals is required; volunteers will receive training and a handbook filled with information on the refuge, park and its wildlife. Please keep in mind that volunteer hours will coincide with the daily low tides. This means the volunteer could be working as early as 7:00 AM one day and as late as 8:00 PM the next day. Flexibility and a love of the outdoors is critical for this position.
In return for volunteering, Oregon State Parks will provide a free full RV hookup at South Beach State Park near the town of Newport Oregon. The hookup will include water, sewer, and a minimum of 30 AMP. There is quality cell reception and satellite dish reception within the park. Laundry facilities are available with an orientation provided by Oregon State Parks.
The volunteer must commit to the full interpretive season which begins on or about June 1st and extends through mid-August.
SKILLS
Fish/Wildlife
Visitor Information
Working with People
JOB HAZARDS
Slip, trip, and fall hazards
BACKGROUND/REFERENCE CHECK REQUIRED
Yes