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.
National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and coastal communities to make a lasting difference.
To learn about opportunities throughout the country, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service main page.
The following seasonal opportunities are available on the National Elk Refuge:
SUMMER IRRIGATION TECHNICIANS:
Join our irrigation team on the National Elk Refuge this summer! Enjoy spectacular landscapes of mountains, rolling sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush covered hills, and grasslands in northwestern Wyoming’s Jackson Hole valley. Irrigation Technicians [through the American Conservation Experience (ACE) EPIC program] will assist with refuge water management strategies including the daily operation of our K-Line irrigation system as well as multiple water control structures and components. The forage produced in the spring and summer months is utilized by elk and bison during the fall and winter months on this critical winter range habitat. The ACE EPIC program provides individuals with focused, hands-on opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency staff as they build upon and apply their knowledge of resource management on their path to becoming the next generation of resource and land managers. Please email melissa_gresen@fws.gov for more information and how to apply.
Volunteering
Discover for yourself what tens of thousands of volunteers have learned: Volunteering 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 site is fun and rewarding in many ways. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow.
Volunteers contribute over 20,000 hours to the National Elk Refuge each year and support a variety of divisions at the National Elk Refuge, including administration, maintenance, and visitor services.
The National Elk Refuge has one of the largest volunteer programs within the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Volunteers are essential team members at the National Elk Refuge because they support mission critical work that otherwise might not be completed due to the demands and priorities on the Refuge's limited permanent staff. Working within the Refuge team is a fun, dynamic, and inspiring atmosphere. A wide array of volunteer activities are available for residential and local individuals, as well as groups year-round.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the National Elk Refuge, please contact: Annie Sorrell, Visitor Center Manager & Volunteer Coordinator: annie_sorrell@fws.gov
Our Partners
Outreach
wyoming junior duck stamp art contest
The Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Program is part of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program. The Junior Duck Stamp Program aims to connect students to nature through art.
The Federal Duck Stamp Program was created in 1934 to raise money for wetland and waterfowl conservation. Each year since the Federal Duck Stamp Program began, adult artists from across the country have competed to have their designs featured on the stamps, which are required to be purchased by all waterfowl hunters. In the 1990s, the Junior Duck Stamp Program was created to get the next generation of conservationists involved in creating Duck Stamp art! Today, the Junior Duck Stamp Program is not just for waterfowl hunters, students interested in conservation, wildlife art, and waterfowl all participate in the Program and art contest!
Each state has a state level Junior Duck Stamp competition each spring, the Best of Show of each state competition goes on to compete at the National level. The winner of the National competition is printed on a Junior Duck Stamp, which is sold for $5 and is purchased by collectors, art enthusiasts, and conservationists. The National Elk Refuge hosts the Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Competition, and we would love to have your child participate!
Please reach out to the Assistant Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp Coordinator, Hannah Bradburn, for full contest rules: raena_parsons@fws.gov
Education Programs
Looking to schedule a program for your education groups? The National Elk Refuge offers free programs for local and visiting groups.
Environmental Education Programs (curriculum-based)
Our curriculum-based programs are focused on wildlife and life sciences. Programs are offered either onsite on the National Elk Refuge or at schools within Teton, Lincoln, & Sublette Counties in Wyoming or in Teton County in Idaho. Visit the Next Generation Science Partners website for a list of curriculum-based programming. To schedule a program, please email kari_cieszkiewicz@fws.gov
Youth Programs
The education team at the National Elk Refuge offers a variety of activity-based programs for local or visiting youth groups. These programs are designed for nature camps, after-school groups, and youth-focused community events. For more information or to schedule a program, please email kari_cieszkiewicz@fws.gov
Adult Programs
The education team at the National Elk Refuge offers programming geared towards adult-learner groups, such as Road Scholar. For more information or to schedule a program, please email kari_cieszkiewicz@fws.gov
All programs are free of charge. Please schedule your program two weeks in advance.