Volunteer and Intern Programs

The Southeast Louisiana Refuges depends on volunteers to support many of our activities. Biological surveys, school tours, maintenance, administration and most other aspects of our work involve help from volunteers. We value the time they contribute and their initiative and enjoy their company, too.

Interns:
Environmental education Internship opportunities occasionally exist at Southeast Louisiana Refuges. Interns in these positions perform front-line interpretation. Public tours including canoe trips, hikes and bird watching trips are offered to the general public on the weekends. School groups and other groups such as scouts fill up most of the weekday duties. Established programs teach the students about wetland and forest ecology and wildlife and fire management.
Location: Refuge Complex headquarters in Lacombe, Louisiana, approximately 40 minutes north of New Orleans. Refuges administered: Atchafalaya NWR, Bayou Sauvage NWR, Big Branch MarshNWR, Bogue Chitto NWR, Breton NWR, Delta NWR Bayou Teche NWR and Mandalay NWR.

Positions Available: Internships are occasionally available throughout the year.

Duration: Internships are offered usually for a 12-week period that coincides with academic schedules for spring, fall and winter, but this is flexible. Daily hours are 8:00a.m - 4:00 p.m., 40 hours per week. Hours may vary depending on scheduled events and specific assignments.

Benefits: Interns will receive $15 per day ($75/week) and housing is provided, if needed. Valuable field experience will be gained. A working knowledge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be useful in future career decisions.

To request an application or for more Information, please contact:
Volunteer Coordinator, Environmental Education Interns
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
61389 Hwy 434
Lacombe, Louisiana 70445
southeastlouisianarefuges@fws.gov
or call 985-882-2000

RV Volunteers:
Living at the refuge and working there three days a week is a wonderful way to experience what the refuge is all about. It is only open to those volunteer candidates who own their own self-contained recreational vehicle. Volunteers commit to work at the refuge 24 hours per person per week for couples or 32 hours per week for individuals, for a minimum of thirty days.

In exchange for their services, the refuge provides a full hook-up RV pad plus access to garbage and laundry facilities. Volunteers perform work in the same area of operations as do our general staff, i.e. operation and maintenance, visitor services, environmental education and resource management.

Often though, these volunteers take on a complex task and take it from an idea to completion. We accept applications for resident volunteers year-round, but the winter months are much more popular.

To request an application or for more information, please contact:
Volunteer Coordinator, RV Volunteers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
61389 Hwy 434
Lacombe, Louisiana 70445
southeastlouisianarefuges@fws.gov
or call 985-882-2000

Local Volunteers:
This group of volunteers is the backbone of our operation. They help us maintain the grounds, give educational tours, perform maintenance, run the visitor center, do biological projects and many more things.
Local volunteers may come everyday, once a week or only for a special event once a year. Many of the things the refuge does would not happen if it were not for this corps of volunteers.

Volunteer tasks include; carpentry for nest box and interpretive display construction and installation,grounds and garden maintenance, litter control, habitat restoration, environmental education, visitor center operation, administrative, assistance, boardwalk repair, boardwalk construction, wildlife monitoring, wildlife surveys, leading weekend tours and planning and staffing special events.

To request an application or for more information, please contact:
Volunteer Coordinator, Local Volunteers
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
61389 Hwy 434
Lacombe, Louisiana 70445
southeastlouisianarefuges@fws.gov
or call 985-882-2000