Sea Turtle Program Volunteer- Night Patrol

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IMPORTANT: Before submitting an application, please recognize this volunteer position is on the island of St. Croix. Lodging and transportation are NOT provided by the National Parks of St. Croix.

Night Patrols occur from July-September. These patrols are focused on recording sea turtle activities and tagging adult nesting sea turtles. Volunteers are partnered with a technician to conduct nightly beach patrols and record the activities of nesting sea turtles.

General Duties:

• Accompany the Resource Management team to Buck Island Reef National Monument, and follow the patrol schedule, shifts, assigned duties, and best practices established by the Team Leader.
• Conduct walking patrols over difficult terrain in the dark using only red lights (i.e. climbing over wet rocks, walking in soft sand, wading in ankle deep water).
• Assist NPS staff and interns with recording sea turtle nesting activity.
• Assist NPS staff and interns with nesting sea turtle work up procedures (i.e. tagging, measurements, and various research projects).
• Assist NPS staff and interns with nest excavations and nest success evaluations.
• Interact with sea turtles, hatchlings, and eggs in a respectful manner with NPS supervision.
• The Volunteer must wear the proper PPE before touching sea turtles, eggs, or hatchlings. Failure to follow the rules laid out during training or by the Team Lead is subject to immediate termination from the program.

Commitment:

There is a minimum one night a week commitment.

Physical Requirements

• Resource Management Volunteers must be able to stand, sit, and work for extended periods, frequently outdoors in hot, humid conditions in the summer and cool to cold, breezy conditions in the winter.
• Must be comfortable walking over tough terrain (i.e. wet rocks, soft sand, walking through water during high tides).
• Must be able to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Must be comfortable handling wild animals.
• Must be comfortable taking supervision and feedback.

There is a training requirement associated with this volunteer position.

Start Date - 2025-07-01

End Date - 2025-09-30