RV Maintenance Volunteer

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DESCRIPTION:

Interested in spending time outdoors, working for wildlife, and helping further conservation? This is a great opportunity for you to do all of this and more!

Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge is seeking a volunteer or volunteer couple to primarily perform maintenance work, with visitor service, and biological survey opportunities available periodically. We are seeking someone for a maximum volunteer duration of May to October; however, dates and length are negotiable with a minimum of a one month stay. We ask that each volunteer work a minimum of 24 hours/week up to 40 hours/week. Please do not let limitations in availability prevent you from considering this position; we can work with volunteers to fit their availability into our season.

We offer a full hook-up campsite (water, sewer, electric), provide all necessary uniform components, personal protective equipment (vest, hard hat, etc.), free laundry facilities, and a shed for storage. Volunteers provide their own RV or trailer.

The Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 primarily for the preservation and restoration of bottomland hardwood forest. The Refuge is named after the Marais des Cygnes River which runs through the middle of the Refuge and is the dominant natural feature of the region. This 7500-acre Refuge encompasses a variety of habitats from oak-hickory bottomland hardwood forests to scattered prairies and shrublands. Approximately 2500-acres of the Refuge is closed to visitation which provides a haven for many migratory birds who use the forests. The selected volunteer will have the unique opportunity, as a volunteer, to work in these areas and see the forest come alive with the sounds of these birds. You will hear songs from prothonotary warblers, drumming of red-headed woodpeckers, the loud calls of blue jays, and much more! The Refuge is approximately 8 miles from Pleasanton, Kansas which has a grocery store and various shops for immediate needs, with a Walmart located just 20 miles away in Butler, Missouri. When it comes to recreation and attractions, we are situated 65 miles south of Kansas City where you can find the National WWI Museum, the American Jazz Museum, and the Ernie Miller Nature Center to name a few.

DUTIES:

The volunteer must be comfortable with independent work after initial training and direction by our lead maintenance worker. Tools and equipment utilized frequently include Service vehicles, ladders, power drills, zero-turn mowers, string trimmers, and other basic maintenance equipment. Physical activities may involve lifting and carrying boxes (30 lbs.), walking, and standing for long periods of time.

Duties consist of but are not limited to:

· Basic vehicle maintenance

· Carpentry

· Mowing

· String trimming

· Fence removal

· Boundary sign replacement

· Other general maintenance

QUALIFICATIONS:

· Valid driver’s license

· Communication skills

· Positive attitude

· Willingness to learn, work independently, and in a team.

· Work effectively with a diverse staff.

· Personal cell phone and email for emergencies and communication with supervisors

· Basic computer knowledge to check emails and complete online trainings.

· Flexibility in daily tasks.

SKILLS:

· Independence

· Communication

· Carpentry

· Driver’s license

· Hand power tools

· Other trade skills

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The selected volunteer will work with Refuge staff in the shop, office, and outside in various terrain (fields, forests, access lanes, and trails). During this time volunteers can expect exposure to warm, wet weather and insects (mosquitoes, ticks, and spiders).

JOB HAZARDS:

· Slips, trips, and falls

· Electrical

· Equipment operation

· Equipment maintenance

· Insect bites

· Adverse weather

REFERENCE CHECK REQUIRED

Start Date - 2025-05-01

End Date - 2025-10-31