Wildlife Support Member - Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking ONE Wildlife Support Member to support a variety of Refuge projects under the mentorship of Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge Staff. During this term, the ACE member will provide support of refuge wildlife biology programs, particularly recovery of the endangered dusky gopher frog (DGF) and the Mississippi sandhill crane.

Additionally, the member will support our visitor services program, which can include environmental education & outreach, as well as trail/landscape maintenance. For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Estimated

Start Date:

Late March/Early April 2026

Estimated End Date: Early January 2027

A 40-week term commitment is required

Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Gautier, MS & The Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex

This Refuge is located in Jackson County in extreme southeast Mississippi, less than 10 miles from the Gulf Coast. It is part of the Gulf Coast Refuge Complex which includes Grand Bay and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuges located on the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama.

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1975 to protect and preserve the Mississippi sandhill crane and its critical wet pine savanna habitat. The refuge consists of approximately 19,300 acres in three main units that include savanna, coastal prairie, cypress swamp strands, pine flatwoods, and brackish marsh. The refuge is the only home of this endangered non‑migratory subspecies of sandhill crane (crane) and provides valuable habitat for the endangered dusky gopher frog (DGF) and several declining grassland birds like the Henslow's sparrow, yellow rail, sedge wren, and numerous species of unique and rare plants.

While the Refuge Support Member will be stationed at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, the position will support the Gulf Coast Complex that also includes Bon Secour and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuges.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is located in Gulf Shores, AL and contains 7,000+ acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge is located in coastal Mississippi and Alabama. The refuge was established in 1992 to help protect one of the largest remaining expanses of Gulf Coast wet pine savanna habitat. With only 3% of wet pine savanna remaining across its original range, it is considered an endangered habitat. For more information about the Gulf Coast Refuge Complex, please visit the USFWS 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 at Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge via the Member's contributions in this role:

• Participate in habitat management and monitoring including invasive plant control and mapping, mechanical treatment of woody vegetation and vegetation surveys
• Support the biological program by surveying, monitoring and handling various wildlife species including endangered MS sandhill cranes and dusky gopher frogs (DGF)
• Conduct visual monitoring, blind surveys, camera traps and nest surveys of cranes, and prepare crane acclimation pens and blinds
• Monitor DGF using drift fence & remote cameras. Conduct egg mass observations, use automated audio recorders and monitor hydroperiod, temperature & pH of DGF release ponds
• Maintain accurate and detailed field records and enter data promptly and accurately
• Assist with Visitor Center operations and environmental education and outreach.
• Assist with managing the Refuge social…