Maintenance Member - St Marks National Wildlife Refuge

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one member to contribute to maintenance projects under the mentorship of St Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

11/02/2026 (Flexible start date available)

1/23/2027 (or 12 weeks later after the anticipated start date)

* a 12 week minimum commitment is required, approximately 480 hours.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge;
St. Marks, FL

The Refuge was established in 1931 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds. It is one of the oldest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It encompasses over 83,000+ acres spread out between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor counties, and includes about 43 miles along the Gulf Coast of northwest Florida. The Refuge includes coastal marshes, islands, tidal creeks and estuaries of seven north Florida rivers, and is home to a diverse community of plant and animal life.

The Refuge also has strong ties to a rich cultural past, and is home to the St. Marks Lighthouse, which was built in 1842 (current tower) and is still in use today.

For more information about North Florida Refuges Complex, please visit the FWS website.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission ks NWR.

During their term, the member will assist with maintenance activities which may include mowing and weed eating around offices, road sides, gates, etc. The member will use power tools, such as table saws, drills, etc., to complete a variety of carpentry and other maintenance tasks. The member will also do facilities maintenance including, but not limited to, general upkeep, cleaning, small repairs and administrative documentation.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Duties will primarily be carried out Monday-Friday. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $670/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement.

PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

ACE members may be accommodated in provided FWS housing at no cost for the duration of the term, depending on availability. If not available, housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by…