Wildlife Control and Biology Members - Louisiana and Mississippi National Wildlife Refuges

Wildlife Control and Biology Members 

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking 6 members to contribute to invasive nutria control and other biological and invasive species management projects along the Gulf Coast under the mentorship of FWS Staff. 

Members will be placed at one of the following stations: 

• Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge (Franklin, LA)/Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge (Pearl River, LA) - 1 member
• Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Lacombe, LA) - 2 members
• Panther Swamp NWR (Yazoo City, MS) - 1 member
• Sabine NWR (Hackberry, LA) - 2 members

For more information about ACE, please visit our website at usaconservation dot org.

Start Date: September 15, 2025
Estimated End Date: September 11, 2026
*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.

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge; Franklin, LA

Located in the heart of the “Cajun Coast,” Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge, established in 2001, sits along Bayou Teche, an ancient channel of the Mississippi River. The refuge consists of mostly swamp located behind the natural levees of the bayou between Franklin, Centerville, and Garden City, LA.  Our primary objective at the refuge is to support the Louisiana black bear by restoring and managing bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, bayous, and marshes to ensure high quality, diverse habitat. 

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge; Pearl River, LA

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1980, straddles the borders of Louisiana and Mississippi, bisected by the Pearl River. The refuge conserves bottomland hardwood forest habitat, which has significantly diminished in the Mississippi River Delta over the last century. The refuge provides habitat for species of concern such as the Gulf sturgeon, gopher tortoise, ringed sawback turtle, and swallow-tailed kite. The refuge has 860 upland acres of loblolly and slash pine forest, which provides habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise. The refuge is on the ancestral lands of the Acolapissa whose descendants are present in Louisiana and Mississippi today. 

**Please note that one position will be based at Bayou Teche NWR until March 2026, and then will move and be based at Bogue Chitto NWR until the end of the term.**

Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Lacombe, LA 

The Southeast Louisiana Refuges are part of a rich ecological system which includes marshes, pine and bottomland hardwood forests, lakes, barrier islands, swamps and bayous. Ranging from the marshy delta at the mouth of the Mississippi, to the wetlands that help protect New Orleans from hurricanes and provide a nursery to the fisheries that support the region’s food economy, to the wild bayous of the Atchafalaya Basin; your Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges preserve wildlife, habitat, and recreation opportunities representative of this unique part of the country.

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.

Sabine NWR, Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Hackberry, LA  

Sabine National Wildlife Refuge occupies the marshes between Calcasieu and Sabine lakes in southwest Louisiana. This area contains a diversity of habitat including freshwater impoundments, wooded ridges and levees, canals, ponds, lakes, and bayous. Some of the largest wetland management efforts in Louisiana occur at Sabine.

The town of Hackberry is an approximate 20 minute drive from Sabine NWR, and has various grocery, hotel, and restaurant options. The city of Lake Charles is approximately 45 minutes away, and offers many more options for dining, lodging, and recreation.

For more information, please visit the FWS website. 

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 six Wildlife Control and Biology Members to help control populations of  invasive nutria (Myocastor coypus), a large semi-aquatic rodent, along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Nutria pose a serious threat to Gulf Coast ecosystems and infrastructure due to their destructive feeding, burrowing behavior, and rapid reproduction.

Members will focus on nutria control and eradication efforts on National Wildlife Refuges and adjacent private lands. Primary duties will include:

• Trapping and lethally removing nutria
• Conducting vegetation and nutria population surveys
• Assisting with wetland restoration efforts
• Supporting scientific research on nutria control in wetland ecosystems
• Controlling other invasive species (e.g., feral swine, exotic plants)
• Participating in refuge-specific biological projects (e.g., wildlife surveys, bird banding)
• Representing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while fostering positive relationships with private landowners

Training and Work Environment: All members will receive training, including:

• Firearm and trapping safety
• CPR/First Aid certification
• Off-Road Utility Vehicle (ORUV) training
• Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC)
• Data management skills

Members must be comfortable working in remote outdoor settings, around firearms and boats, and in hot summer conditions with potentially dangerous wildlife. All required equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided.

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 (7am-4:30pm).  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 FWS and ACE for approval.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $630/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: At Panther Swamp NWR, Bayou Teche NWR, and Bogue Chitto NWR, ACE members will be accommodated in provided FWS housing at no cost for the duration of the term. At Sabine NWR, housing is the responsibility of the member, and a $300/week housing reimbursement will be provided with proof of housing costs. At Southeast Louisiana NWR Complex, housing is the responsibility of the member, and a $325/week housing reimbursement will be provided with proof of housing costs.

Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes boots, work pants, socks, outerwear, sunglasses, etc., and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase. 

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.  Specific training will include Firearms safety, First Aid/CPR, and will include ORUV (ATV/UTV), Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC), and others.

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment visas. 
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner. 
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request). Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE’s insurance and liability requirements.
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks 
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation. 
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website. 

Preferred:

• Education and experience: competitive applicants for this position can hold or be actively pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology, Natural Resource Management, Forestry, Environmental Studies, or related field, or have equivalent field-based experience in wildlife or habitat management.
• Knowledge of and experience with firearm safety and responsible use.
• Ability and willingness to lethally remove invasive species, specifically nutria.
• Experience with furbearer trapping, especially nutria, beaver, or muskrat.
• Deep interest in the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or invasive species and habitat management.
   

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions: [Customize from the options below, or contact Brenda Yenkole in Human Resources if you have questions]

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Ability to hike over rough terrain, and camp overnight under field conditions.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. 
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 40 lbs., ability to move up to 40 pounds.
• Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such as gas-powered chainsaws and other hand and power tools.
• Travel: This position does not require unique travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.  The members will be required to discharge firearms while assisting with nutria control efforts. The members will be thoroughly trained in the use of firearms by FWS staff.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE’s online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC FWS Member Manager, Cait Dunne.

If you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO:  Employment or Service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee, member, or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.