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 and coastal communities to make a lasting difference. Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.
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. Learn new skills, meet new friends and enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow.
Please stop by the refuge office located at 510 ½ West Morton Street, Oakland City, IN 47660 or contact us at 812-749-3199 or by email at patokariver@fws.gov to learn more about getting involved.
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.
The Friends of Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, Inc.
The Friends of Patoka River was established in 2009 as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization to assist the refuge with land acquisition, management and conservation projects and to increase public awareness, appreciation and support of the refuge. The Friends have a 15 person Board of Directors that includes a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Friends conduct monthly meetings at the refuge office, Oakland City Library or Wood Memorial High School. The Friends have a small office space within the refuge headquarters to file paperwork and conduct Friends business. You can contact the Friends via their Facebook page.
Education Programs
Open the door to a potentially life-changing experience. If you land an internship 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.