Ways to Get Involved
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 wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community by doing what you love. National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban communities to make a lasting difference. Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.
Careers
Join the team! A job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is perfect for anyone with determination, persistence, imagination – and a passion for conserving America's natural heritage.
Learn more on our careers page.
Volunteering
From its start in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has owed its very existence to concerned citizens eager to protect America's natural resources. 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. Thousands of volunteers donate their time and ideas each year to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Whether they work on the land, in a visitor center or with youth, they contribute to the conservation mission that reaches back more than a century. 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.
Volunteer opportunities
Nature Store Volunteer with the San Francisco Bay
Wildlife Society.
Our Partners
Nature does not recognize human-made boundaries. In order to conserve our natural and cultural resources effectively, we must work with others to bridge these boundaries. Partnerships foster creative solutions to challenging situations and often the results are greater than the sum of the parts. In the San Francisco Bay area, nature surrounds us, we invite you to join us there.
Outreach
At Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, we strive to offer opportunities for visitors to engage with refuge staff and participate in public programming.
Please visit our partners at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society to see how you can get involved.
You can also find the refuge on Facebook, where many events, videos, and the latest information is shared.
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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service site, you’re bound to come away with new insights and excitement about conservation.
Participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Program.
The California Junior Duck Stamp Contest is an annual tradition that mixes art and science. The contest is open to all California residents under the age of 18.
Agents of Discovery
Are you ready to explore the Refuge from your phone? You can play the Agents of Discovery missions at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge! This mission begins outside of the visitor center at 2 Marshlands road Fremont CA 94555, and has challenges along the nature play area and the LaRiviere Marsh Trail.
If you want to test your luck at fishing, check out the Let's Go Fishing Mission at the Dumbarton Bridge fishing pier. To get to the fishing pier drive all the way down Marshlands Rd, the mission starts at the beginning of the Fishing Pier. This mission requires walking and a mobile device with internet access.
To play Agents of Discovery, follow these instructions:
- Download the Agents of Discovery app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Make sure your mobile device's GPS is enabled.
- Open the app. Login to your account, or create a new account if you are a new agent. You do not need an account to play, but you will need to create an account if you want to save a history of the missions you have completed.
- Tap "Missions" at the home screen.
- The app automatically finds the missions that are closest to your location. If you are at the refuge, the Don Edwards mission will automatically appear at the top.
- Open the mission you wish to accept.
- Mission "challenges" are GPS-triggered. As you move along the mission route, your mobile device will alert you when you get near the location of the next challenge.
- When a new challenge appears on your screen, tap to open it. You will learn fun facts about nature and wildlife, and then get a puzzle to solve.
- Solve all the challenges to complete the mission!
Agents of Discovery missions can be found at refuges, parks, nature centers, and museums all over the United States and Canada! Look for them when you travel, or visit the Agents of Discovery website for a list.
Distance Learning.
We encourage families to enjoy the trails of the refuge in person on their own. Our trails are open from sunrise to sunset. Please mind the time signs on gates.
If you live in the West Bay, East Bay, or South Bay you can easily access the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newark, Fremont, Alviso, Mountain View, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, and Redwood City. Our trails are open from sunrise to sunset. A list of Don Edwards San Francisco Bay trails can be found here.
If you live in the North Bay or East Bay you can easily access our trails at San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge in off of Highway 37 between Petaluma and Vallejo. A list of San Pablo Bay trails can be found here.
If you have questions, have any feedback, or need additional information please reach out! We are here to support you!
Sincerely,
Education and Visitor Services Team Leads
Tia Glagolev, tia_glagolev@fws.gov
Miguel Marquez, miguel_marquez@fws.gov