Visitor Services Member - Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

Visitor Services Member - Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking 1 part-time Visitor Services Member to contribute to visitor services projects under the mentorship of Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

October/November 2026

35 weeks after start date

* a 35-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 560 hours (16 hrs/week), with potential for extension*

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refug e - Forest City, Missouri The refuge was established on August 23, 1935 by President Franklin

D. Roosevelt as a refuge feeding and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge contains 7,440 acres along the eastern edge of the Missouri River floodplain, including wetlands, grasslands and forests. Overlooking the refuge from the east is the loess bluffs habitat, a geological formation of fine silt deposited after the past glacial period. These unique hills stretch from about 30 miles south of St.

Joseph, Missouri, to extreme northern Iowa. Some of the last parcels of native plants, remnants of a once vast native prairie, can be found here. Loess, pronounced "luss," soils support Missouri's native prairie plants such as Indian grass, big bluestem, blazing star, yucca, beard-tongue and skeleton plant. On an average year, the refuge supports up to 200,000 ducks during fall and winter seasons and upwards of a million snow geese.

The refuge was officially named one of America's top 500 Globally Important Bird Areas by the National Audubon Society in 2001.

For more information about Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, 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 at Loess Bluffs NWR.

• Open, close, and staff the visitor center.
• Coordinates with volunteers to staff front desk of visitor center and participate in outreach events, including recruiting and scheduling volunteers.
• Coordinates with partners to develop and plan environmental education/outreach events.
• Prepares and conducts on- and off-site environmental education programs for a diverse variety of audiences.
• Assists with development or revision of environmental education materials
• Works closely with Friends of Loess Bluffs NWR (non-profit that supports the refuge) to schedule and plan events and quarterly meetings, and assists with managing the nature store in the visitor center.

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 8 hours a day, 2 days per week, between 7 am to 4 pm (start time is flexible) or two 5 hour days and one 6 hour day for a total of 3 days per week between 10 am to 3 pm and 9 am to 3 pm. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 32 hours.

A flexible work schedule will be required, which involves work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends to adjust for weather impacts. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~16 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $352/week to…