Wildlife Control and Biology Members - Southeast Louisiana Refuge Complex

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking NINE Members to contribute to nutria control in the Gulf Coast region and other invasive species and biological projects alongside FWS Staff. Members will be placed at one of the following stations: Lacassine NWR, Lake Arthur, LA (2 members); Grand Cote NWR, Marksville, LA (2 members); D'Arbonne NWR, Farmerville, LA (2 members); Panther Swamp NWR, Louise, MS (2 members); Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, Gautier, MS (1 member).

 

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

 

Start Date: January 8, 2024

Estimated End Date: January 2025

*a 52-week minimum commitment is required, approximately 2080 hours*

 

 

Location Details/Description: The locations range from National Wildlife Refuges in Louisiana and Mississippi. See additional information below.

 

Lacassine NWR, Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Lake Arthur, LA

 

Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to provide wintering habitat for waterfowl. The refuge lies at the point where higher agricultural land and the coastal marsh meet.

 

The town of Lake Arthur is an approximate 35 minute drive from Lacassine NWR, and has various grocery, hotel, and restaurant options. The city of Lake Charles is approximately 50 minutes away, and offers many more options for dining, lodging, and recreation.

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lacassine

 

 

Grand Cote NWR, Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Marksville, LA

 

Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1989 to provide valuable waterfowl habitat in the Mississippi/Red River floodplain as part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Due to its location in east-central Louisiana, the refuge is influenced by both the Mississippi and Central Flyways and the large expanses of shallow wetlands draw a diversity of waterfowl species.

 

The small city of Marksville is an approximate 15 minute drive from Grand Cote NWR, and has multiple grocery, restaurant, and hotel options, among other amenities.

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/grand-cote

 

 

D'Arbonne NWR, North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Farmerville, LA

 

D'Arbonne NWR, located north of West Monroe, Louisiana, lies on the western edge of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. It was established in 1975 to protect bottomland hardwood forest and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl. Additionally, the refuge provides habitat for alligators, bald eagles, the little known Rafinesque's big-eared bat, and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The refuge is bisected by 13 miles of Bayou D’Arbonne, a stream in the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System, and is crisscrossed by numerous creeks, sloughs and oxbow lakes. Cypress swamps, bottomland hardwood and upland forests complete the landscape that is habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals.

 

The city of Monroe is about a 20 minute drive from D’Arbonne NWR, and has a variety of shopping options, restaurants, parks, etc.

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/darbonne

 

 

Panther Swamp NWR, Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Louise, MS

 

Established in 1978, Panther Swamp NWR is noted for its large waterfowl population, resident game and its numerous sloughs and wetlands. Although limited archaeological evidence exists about the earliest inhabitants of the Lower Mississippi Delta, early Native Americans probably hunted, fished, and even farmed much of the area now included in the boundaries of Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Unlike the more nomadic tribes of the northern and western plains, the Yazoo Indians built small villages and retreated into the loess bluffs along present-day Yazoo City only when forced to by rising flood waters. Many raised “Indian Mounds” can still be found throughout the Delta.

 

Yazoo City is about 15 minutes from Panther Swamp NWR, and has a variety of shopping options, restaurants, hotels, etc.

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/theodore-roosevelt-complex-headquarters-panther-swamp

 

 

Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, Gulf Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Gautier, MS

 

The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1975 under authority of the Endangered Species Act to protect the critically endangered Mississippi sandhill cranes and their unique, and itself endangered, wet pine savanna habitat. The crane population, at that time only 30-35 birds, is currently at approximately 130 birds. Through captive rearing and reintroduction to the area as well as wild birds nesting in the savannas, the crane population continues to grow. The refuge also protects and restores the last large expanses of wet pine savanna, primarily through the use of prescribed fire. The wet pine savanna is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the U.S. with more than 30 plants found in a square meter of land.

 

There are several larger cities within a 20-30 minute drive or less with a variety of amenities, including Saint Martin, Ocean Springs, Gautier, Moss Point, etc.

 

For more information, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/mississippi-sandhill-crane

 

 

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

 

The National Wildlife Refuge System and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program are hiring nine Wildlife Control and Biology Members in efforts to control populations of the invasive nutria (Myocastor coypus), a large semiaquatic rodent, on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Nutria inflict considerable damage to Gulf Coast ecosystems and infrastructure due to their herbivory, burrowing behavior, and rapid reproduction. Member efforts will focus on nutria control and eradication on National Wildlife Refuges and adjacent private lands. The primary duties will include trapping, dispatching animals, vegetation surveys, and levee damage assessments. In addition, members will have opportunities to participate in other invasive species and biological conservation projects, as well as contribute to the restoration of nutria-affected areas. Members will work closely with refuge staff, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, and private landowners.

 

Training will be provided to all members, including firearm safety training, CPR/First Aid, with the potential of ORUV (ATV/UTV) and Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC). Members must be comfortable working outside in remote areas, around firearms and boats, and will be exposed to high temperatures and potentially dangerous wildlife in the summer. All required equipment and PPE will be provided.

 

The member will provide support and assistance under the guidance and direction of FWS staff in the accomplishment of:

- Nutria trapping and dispatch

- Cultivating positive relationships with private landowners while representing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

- Vegetation surveys

- Levee damage assessments

- Assisting with the restoration of nutria-damaged wetlands

- Other invasive species removal (ex. Feral hog trapping, herbicide application for exotic plant control, etc.)

- Station-specific biological conservation projects (ex. Wildlife surveys, bird banding, etc.)

 

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

 

Schedule: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday - Friday (7:30am-4pm). Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours, including over 8-hour work days and working on weekends and/or holidays. Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.