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 and fish and wildlife by doing what you love. Refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and coastal communities to make a lasting difference.
Volunteering
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.
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge welcomes volunteers to assist with a variety of activities, from biological projects to maintenance duties. Some activities may have age and skill level requirements. Contact the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex headquarters office for more information.
- Refuge Maintenance
- Biological Projects
- School Programs
Our Partners
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is not alone in it's efforts to conserve wildlife and provide meaningful recreational opportunities. Partnerships foster creative solutions to challenging situations and often the results are greater than the sum of the parts.
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Mason Neck Management Area, which also includes Mason Neck State Park, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Regional Park, and the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area. Together, these areas protect wildlife and natural habitats on more than 6,000 acres of the Mason Neck peninsula, while providing the public with an array of recreational activities.
Learn more about our partners below.
Outreach
Festivals
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck Neck National Wildlife Refuge partners with Mason Neck State Park to host an annual Eagle Festival. This fun, family-oriented event celebrates the eagle and all other native wildlife that can be found in Virginia.
Environmental Education
The refuge features an environmental education loop trail off Sycamore Road. This area is not open to the general public and requires a Special Use Permit for access. Environmental education activities are primarily self-guided field trips, exploring topics prepared by the teacher. Educators may arrange appointments with staff to tour the refuge and prepare for a field trip. Field study equipment is available for loan, including a small audio visual library. Interested educational groups or institutions are required to obtain a Special Use Permit to gain refuge access for their program. Fees may be waived for education programs.
Education Programs
The Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex offers several youth internship and volunteer opportunities. We partner with the Student Conservation Association, American Conservation Experience, and Youth Conservation Corps to provide unparalleled service experiences that can help shape your future, as well as the planet's future.
We are looking for a YCC Crew Lead and Maintenance Support Member to join the team from April-October 2023! This member will work on a variety of facilities maintenance, habitat restoration, and trail projects to improve access, maintain building function, and ensure a positive and safe experience for visitors. Additionally, this position will assist with the mentorship and leadership of the youth summer program engaging local high school teens in stewardship projects on site, helping with interpretation signs, plant inventories, maintenance work, invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species management and experiential learning. For more information and to apply, please see the advertisement on the American Conservation Experience website.
We are also seeking two Invasive Species Members to join the team from June to August 2023! These members will contribute to mapping and management of invasive species at the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex along with other biological projects. You will also have opportunities to work alongside other refuge staff. If you would like to join us for the summer and find out more information, please see the advertisement on the American Conservation Experience website.