Ways to Get Involved

FWS volunteer helping to move fish

Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National fish hatcheries provide many opportunities for you to help your community, and fish and wildlife, by doing what you love.



National fish hatcheries partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of both urban and rural communities to make a lasting difference. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved!



Volunteers: Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance fish and aquatic conservation.



Friends: Join neighbors in helping hatcheries work effectively in our communities.

Local Groups: Find out how communities can work with hatcheries to conserve our shared natural resources.

Youth: Explore paid and unpaid opportunities to learn and develop leadership skills.

Volunteering

Green Lake NFH welcomes volunteers interested in working to help recover and restore Atlantic salmon populations. Our goal is to provide a positive conservation experience for Service volunteers.  It is the responsibility of the volunteer to provide a strong work ethic,  a positive attitude, and a willingness to accept new challenges.  Most of the work activities will be conducted in an outdoor environment and can be strenuous.  Typical daily activities can include:

  • Daily feeding and care of over one million juvenile Atlantic salmon fry and parr
  • Ability to keep detailed records to monitor changes in this hatchery population
  • Ability to accurately record data and monitor hatchery populations using various types of technical equipment i.e. dissolved oxygen meter, temperature probes, etc.
  • Ability to use Microsoft  Office products such as Excel and Access to maintain existing hatchery databases
  •  Conduct tours of the hatchery and provide a positive educational experience for visitors.
  • Assist with the construction and maintenance of a new nature trail located at this facility.
  • Assist with daily maintenance of hatchery grounds and equipment

Discover for yourself what tens of thousands of volunteers have learned: Volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fun and rewarding in many ways. Master new skills. Meet new friends. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow. Check out our station's latest volunteer opportunities on volunteer.gov.

Volunteer Opportunities

Green Lake National Fish Hatchery (NFH) in Ellsworth, Maine is a conservation hatchery focused on the production of Atlantic salmon for restoration programs in Gulf of Maine rivers. Green Lake NFH seeks volunteers to assist with general duties of fish rearing and facility maintenance. In turn, we...

Education Programs

Open the door to a potentially life-changing experience. If you land a student internship, a fellowship or a volunteer opportunity at a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Learn more about national wildlife refuge
, fish hatchery or other Fish and Wildlife Service site, you’re bound to come away with new insights and excitement about conservation.

Green Lake NFH collaborates with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to offer a 35-week paid internship with a term starting in mid-April and ending in mid-December. The opportunity to learn about Atlantic salmon conservation and cold-water fish culture is unparalleled. Interns work alongside fish biologists as they carry out the day to day operations of a large-scale Atlantic salmon hatchery; from first feeding fry to hand spawning adult captive brood stock.

Due to the length of the internship, most interns are recent graduates and most have degrees in biology, fisheries, aquaculture, or environmental science. Check out the SCA website for our station's latest opportunities and for information on how to apply.