Volunteer with albatrosses (and for other conservation work) on the USA’s Midway Atoll

The US Fish and Wildlife Service seeks volunteers for a six-month tour of duty starting in late March 2016 at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

Volunteer work will include habitat restoration, native plant propagation and out-planting, removal of invasive plants both by hand and through chemical application of herbicide, plant, seabird and duck monitoring, marine debris removal, data entry, and equipment maintenance, along with other tasks depending on current projects and refuge needs.  Volunteers are expected to work 40 hours/week with additional weekend work when necessary.

Volunteers must be physically fit and able to confidently ride a bike, hike up to three miles [5 km] in the sand or on uneven terrain, lift 50 pounds [23 kg] and be willing to spray herbicide with proper protective gear.  Successful applicants must also be willing to handle albatrosses and other seabirds for banding and monitoring studies, and be willing to perform all duties in sub-tropical wind, sun, rain and humidity extremes. Preferred skills include ability to swim/snorkel.  Volunteers should have a strong work ethic along with the ability to live and work closely with a small group of people for six months.  Preference will be given to those with an educational or professional background in science/biology, plant propagation and weed control experience, remote field experience, and/or bird-handling experience.

Summer season: 25 March 2016 to 27 September 2016; applications due by 15 December 2015.  Read more here.

 

Black-footed Albatrosses dance on Midway Atoll (with Laysan Albatrosses behind)

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 November 2015

The Agreement on the
Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

ACAP is a multilateral agreement which seeks to conserve listed albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters by coordinating international activity to mitigate known threats to their populations.

About ACAP

ACAP Secretariat

119 Macquarie St
Hobart TAS 7000
Australia

Tel: +61 3 6165 6674