Ways to Get Involved
The refuge works with partners to offer opportunities to get involved in conservation both on-site and in the surrounding communities. Volunteer opportunities are project-based and get added throughout the year, so check back here often to see if something new offered aligns with your interests.
Volunteering
Our volunteers are invaluable to us in all we do. Volunteer opportunities change throughout the seasons and are often different from year to year. To give the best service to community members dedicating their valuable time, staff take care to engage with volunteers in an intentional and quality way. This sometimes means we are not able to take on additional volunteers between orientations while we focus on training recent additions. We appreciate your patience and encourage you to work with other local community organizations while we are between sessions.
We are not currently accepting new volunteers, due to staff capacity.
Check here soon for weekly habitat restoration opportunities in the spring and summer. These will be open to anyone in the community who is interested.
For other questions about the program you can email: RidgefieldVolunteer@fws.gov
Volunteer Opportunities:
Refuge Ambassadors
Welcome visitors and support communities in learning about nature exploration at the Refuge and in their backyards.
- Engage visitors on trails and at our facilities
- Lead guided walks
- Lead on-site programs
- Staff events in the community
- Assist with school field trips
Refuge Enhancers
Improve habitat to enhance wildlife health and the visitor experience.
- Remove invasive plants
- Maintain plantings
- Maintain trails and facilities
- Tend plants in greenhouse
Refuge Communicators
Help share the stories and conservation work of the refuge and our partners
- Write educational articles and curriculum
- Create content for social media
- Take photos of refuge programs and visitor uses
- Post flyers for refuge events in the community
Refuge Office Supporters
Help provide a welcoming face and voice to those visiting the refuge or calling the office.
- Provide customer service at the front desk
- Answer phone and return messages
- Help with misc. office tasks
- Sell entrance passes
Our Partners
National wildlife refuges are often small pieces of broad landscapes, but the Refuge System commitment and vision are not small. To be effective in confronting the challenges posed by climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change , 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 , habitat fragmentation and development, the Refuge System must look beyond refuge boundaries to work and plan with multiple partners.
Education Programs
Visit the Refuge
We welcome education groups of all ages to visit the Refuge to expand in-class lessons and provide an immersive learning experience. If you are interested in bringing a group out, please contact the Refuge so we can work together to provide the best trip for your group and secure the bus parking space for you, if needed.
For more on visiting the Refuge this spring and summer, visit our Education Programs Page.