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.
Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.
Volunteers: Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance wildlife conservation.
Friends: Join neighbors in helping Refuges restore habitat and expand access to green space.
Landowners: Learn how you can partner with the Fish and Wildlife Service to voluntarily restore land.
Local Groups: Find out how communities can work with Refuges better for wildlife and people.
Youth: Explore paid and unpaid opportunities to learn and develop leadership skills.
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.
More than 42,000 people volunteer 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. Consider becoming a volunteer to contribute on behalf of America’s natural resources. Contact the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex at oregoncoast@fws.gov to learn about volunteer opportunities.
Our Partners
Nature does not recognize human-made boundaries. 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 OCNWRC works with numerous partners at our six refuges. Partners include state and federal organizations, watersheds councils, hunting and angling groups, conservation and research organizations, and more. Each of these partners support the Complex through various projects to accomplish shared goals.
Oregon State Parks
Coastal refuges can be viewed from a number of State Parks, State Scenic Viewpoints, and various stretches of Oregon beach, all of which are managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). OPRD serves as an important partner to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, supporting our mission to protect wildlife and preserve habitat for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
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 Fish and Wildlife Service site, you’re bound to come away with new insights and excitement about conservation.
The Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex employs a small number of seasonal interns most years. The Refuge generally has between 1–3 full-time interns on staff who fill roles like Biological Sciences Intern, Rocky Shores Interpretive Specialist, Volunteer Coordinator, Refuge Operations Specialist and more. If you are interested in learning about internship opportunities, contact OregonCoast@FWS.gov.