Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex seeking volunteers to help with spring education programming

In 2024, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex is seeking new volunteers to help with its Spring Education Programming! Due to the proximity of Ridgefield and Steigerwald Lake to the Portland/Vancouver Metro, they are considered urban wildlife refuges which separates them from other outdoor spaces.

Our urban refuges face a high demand from the surrounding communities for field trips and educational programming. We want to be able to serve as many of these schools and groups as we can to provide meaningful outdoor experiences to these students, but we need a robust team to make this happen!

For 2024, we are particularly focused on serving communities that have been historically overlooked, to give many of them an introduction to outdoor spaces and recreation. Our programs focus on individual outdoor experience for every student that strives to create connections for them with the nature of their local ecosystem. This will be accomplished through nature walks, birdwatching, habitat restoration projects, and other nature-oriented activities when they come to visit one of our refuges. We need a wider volunteer base to be able to handle the capacity of these school groups and engage students more intentionally.

Come make a difference in your community! Join our team, even if you have no naturalist or education experience.