Volunteer

National Wildlife Refuges always need good volunteers, and so does the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society.

One of our big focuses is to assist in recruiting Refuge volunteers. The Refuges need all kinds of volunteers. If you’d like to share your time and skill, the Refuges might have a place for you.

Some volunteers want to offer their time outdoors away from the front line of dealing directly with the public. Other volunteers love sharing and interacting with the public and enjoy being indoors at one of our visitor centers at the front information desk. On national wildlife refuges there are places for both.

Volunteer tasks may range from litter pick-up & recycling assistance, weeding and gardening, to helping lead bird walks, helping with canoe tours, or staffing Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center or National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center on Roanoke Island. Time commitments can range from a random few hours, to a day or week, or even full time for a specified period of time. We have volunteers who plan a set daily or weekly schedule with the volunteer coordinator, and others who call and arrange to help as their time allows.

Society Volunteers: To comply with federal policies, any work associated with fundraising must be done under the Society. So, if you’re working in the Visitor Center, for the portion of your work in the gift shop, you are a Society volunteer. If you have a flair for fundraising ideas we’d love to have your help and/or ideas. Share them with the CWRS volunteer coordinator (who happens to be the same person as the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service honors volunteers annually at a Volunteer Awards Banquet, usually in November. At the banquet volunteers receive service award certificates, service pins, and other awards depending on the amount of hours served. The Society utilizes this gathering to accomplish their legally-required “annual meeting,” where we elect new board members and share the annual financial information, including the upcoming budget.

The Society is administered via a Board of Directors, who are all volunteers! If you’re interested in serving in this capacity, please make your wishes known by calling 252-216-9464.

There are many opportunities and even more possibilities!

Contact Refuge Volunteer Coordinator, Chrissea Rothrock, 252473-1132 Ext 40152 christina_rothrock@fws.gov