Visitor Services and/or Maintenance Volunteer

Join us at the Moose Viewing Capitol of Colorado! - The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge.  

**Please directly contact Mark Ackerman at mark_ackerman@fws.gov with any interest or questions**

Volunteers needed for a minimum 4 week commitment between first of May and end of September, but longer stays are welcome.

We’re looking for volunteers to assist with staffing and maintaining the Refuge properties. Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of 24hrs a week each for a couple or 32hrs a week for a single volunteer.

Full-hookup (20/30/50 amp power, water, sewer) paved RV pads are provided along with free high speed internet, dedicated volunteer washer/dryers, freezer space, propane, and a large screened Volunteer Gazebo. There is good cell phone service here for ATT and Verizon.

Volunteers are provided a vehicle for use for official duties. Volunteers need a valid drivers license and must take an online drivers safety course to operate a Refuge vehicle.

Maintenance duties may include:

Mowing and trimming – we have 2 riding mowers and several new electric or gas weed trimmers.

Painting – maintaining fresh paint on signs and structures.

Signs – replacing worn Refuge signs as needed.

Equipment Upkeep – assist with maintaining our mowers, heavy equipment, ATV/UTV’s and trucks.

Boardwalk Repair – replacing worn deck boards on our Nature Trail.

Visitors Services duties may include:

Staffing and cleaning the Visitors Center on weekends.

Filling brochure boxes at outlying Refuge overlooks and view points.

Assisting with outreach educational programs throughout the summer.

Our location:

The Arapaho Refuge is located in Walden Colorado, a small town with just about everything you might need – fully staffed medical clinic, 2 gas stations, auto parts/tire store, restaurants, hardware store, full grocery store, gym and more! Nearby larger towns are Steamboat Springs and Granby about an hour’s scenic drive away.

Walden is nestled between 2 mountain ranges in a high prairie environment so it’s a cool place to spend a summer with the high temperatures rarely above 85 degrees and night time lows in the 40’s.

Arapaho is known for its variety of wildlife – Moose and Pronghorn Antelope are the predominant big animals we see on the Refuge. The Refuge has great birding sites as well with numerous wetland areas and ponds that support ducks and other waterfowl.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in several wildlife surveys each year in cooperation with our sister agencies.