Biological Support Member – Rydell and Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuges

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one (1) Biological Support Member to contribute to work alongside Rydell and Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge Staff. During this term, the ACE members will work on meaningful conservation projects such as invasive species inventory and removal.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: May 2026

Estimated End Date: September 2026

* a 19-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 800 hours*

Location Details/

Description:

Glacial Ridge and Rydell National Wildlife Refuges near Erskine, MN

Glacial Ridge NWR was established in 2004 to restore and preserve the character of the historic tallgrass prairie landscape. It is located in Polk County in northwestern Minnesota, within the Lake Agassiz Beach Ridges Landscape and provides vital habitat for breeding grassland birds and a wide variety of other wildlife. The Refuge started with an initial transfer of 1,993 acres of land from The Nature Conservancy to the USFWS.

To date, more than 23,000 acres have been acquired by the USFWS. Glacial Ridge is the largest contiguous prairie and wetland restoration project in U.S. history. Glacial Ridge NWR is administered out of the same office as Rydell NWR (2,039 acres), which was established in 1992 to protect wildlife habitat and diversity for migratory birds, and to promote environmental education.

With more than six miles of paved public trails, Rydell is one of the most accessible refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Erskine, MN is a small town of roughly 500 people, which boasts the world's largest northern pike! The rural setting provides tremendous opportunity for quality hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation. The nearest "cities", Crookston (7,800) and Thief River Falls (8,500), are both located roughly 30 minutes away. Grand Forks, ND (55,000) is located about an hour away and provides the closest "big city" feel.

For more information about Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge please visit their 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 the mission at Rydell and Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuges. The selected individual will work alongside FWS staff on several projects centered around invasive species management and habitat monitoring, including GIS and data entry.

Members will be required to utilize mobile mapping solutions and off-road vehicles to access remote refuge tracts during the field season months. Other biological responsibilities will include migratory bird surveys and potentially other periodic wildlife monitoring activities. In addition to the aforementioned biological work, the intern will be given exposure to habitat management, public use/visitor services, and refuge maintenance activities.

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 $550/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

This position may be eligible for an 675-hour Ameri Corps Education Award while serving under the EAP 2025/26 grant year program, valued up to $2,817.14 upon successful completion of a complete service term and 675 hrs. Please note, Ameri Corps position eligibility is not guaranteed and may not be available for all positions.

Ameri Corps members may also be eligible for federal loan forbearance. Additional enrollment steps are required.

Ameri Corps members may also be eligible for qualifying child care coverage. Additional enrollment steps are required.

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…