Biological Science Member - Cape NWR

Summary

American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non‑profit conservation corps in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking TWO Biological Science Support Members to contribute to the biology program under the mentorship of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit usaconservation dot org.

April and May 2026

September and October 2026

21 week commitment is required – start date may have 1 to 2 week flexibility; one member will begin in April and one member will begin in May.

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge;
Cape May Court House, New Jersey. Established in 1989, the Refuge provides critical habitat to a wide variety of migratory birds and other wildlife. Its value for the protection of migratory birds and their habitat will continue to grow as wildlife habitat along the Jersey Shore is developed into roads, shopping centers and housing developments.

For more information about Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, please visit the FWS website.

During this term, the ACE member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff in the accomplishment of wildlife surveys, invasive plant management, and GPS/GIS projects.

• Assist with various wildlife surveys, such as for shorebirds and horseshoe crabs
• Control invasive plant species including searching for new infestations (Early Detection/ Rapid Response)
• Physical removal of invasive plants including hand pulling or with tools (not including chainsaws)
• Application of general use pesticides
• Learn the fundamentals of a biology program on a national wildlife refuge
• Assist with GPS and GIS mapping projects

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is "Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people." The ACE Members will work closely with the Refuge biology and management staff to perform on‑ground conservation work to improve wildlife habitat, and monitor the populations of species of management concern important to the local ecosystem.

Day‑to‑day operations will often be conducted in a field environment where the ACE Member will need to walk over uneven ground while carrying field equipment. In this field environment, ACE Members may be exposed to hot and humid weather, biting insects, and poisonous plants (i.e., poison ivy). These hazards can be mitigated, but will not be completely avoidable. However, Members will gain first‑hand experience implementing habitat management actions and learn how the work they perform will be instrumental in allowing the Refuge to meet its goals and fulfill the mission of the Service.

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 Mon‑Fri, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. 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, and early mornings and/or late evenings. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute approximately 40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $500/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi‑weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: 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…