Biological Support Member – Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge

Summary

American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non‑profit conservation corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking One or Two Biological Support Member to contribute to the biology program under the mentorship of Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge staff.

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

Start Date: May 2026

End Date: December 2026

* 34‑week commitment is required – start date may have 1 to 2 week flexibility.

Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex;
Sudbury, MA

Situated along the Atlantic Flyway in Massachusetts, the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex comprises eight ecologically diverse refuges...

For more information about the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, and the Refuges within the Complex, please visit the FWS website.

During this term, the ACE member will contribute to wetland and upland habitat and rare species monitoring and management projects. The ACE member will support inventory, monitoring, and management of amphibians and reptiles, migratory birds, and invasive species. The member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff to:

• Spend 60% of the time focused on inventory, monitoring, and management of amphibians and reptiles and wetland habitats, including:
  • ongoing research and management for Blanding’s turtles and northern red‑bellied cooters which likely involves hoop trapping, radio telemetry, nest searching and monitoring, and hatchling collection.
  • ongoing vernal pool monitoring, which includes egg mass counts and dip net surveys.
  • wetland habitat restoration, management, and mapping.
• Spend 30% of the time helping with other biological work which may include:
  • coastal nesting waterbird and migrating waterfowl surveys.
  • vegetation surveys, including mapping of invasive species.
  • controlling invasive plant species (especially water chestnut and American lotus).
• Spend 10% of the time interacting with the public, entering data, maintaining facilities, and conducting routine office work.

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 often be carried out between 8 am–4:30 pm, typically 5 days/week (5–8s). Bi‑weekly totals will usually not exceed 80 hours, but may during the busiest months of May and June. In these instances, extra hours worked can be taken off later in the season. A flexible work schedule is required, and involves work performed outside of normal hours, including late nights, early mornings, weekends, and holidays.

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 $450/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 specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website at usaconservation dot org.

Housing: ACE members will be accommodated in provided housing at no cost for the duration of the term.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

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