Ways to Get Involved
Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community by doing what you love. National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and coastal communities to make a lasting difference. Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.
Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge is committed to building partnerships which encourage conservation and preservation of our natural and cultural resources. Partnerships bring innovative approaches to solving land management and water disputes in the most environmentally protective manner. Scientifically-informed and technologically-based stewardship of our public lands, waters, wildlife and special places must be collaborative efforts between the refuge, other government agencies and private organizations if conservation efforts are to succeed.
Volunteering
Discover for yourself what tens of thousands of volunteers have learned: Volunteering for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is fun and rewarding in many ways. Learn new skills, meet new friends and enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow.
Refuge volunteers are vital to the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge mission. Volunteers contribute hundreds of hours each year to help meet this mission through monitoring bird populations, leading school groups, maintaining trails, taking photos, helping in the office and repairing equipment and facilities. No special skills are needed to be a refuge volunteer. If you have a desire to help, we need you. We hope you'll join us! The best way to find out about current volunteer opportunities is to contact the refuge.
To become a volunteer email TwoRivers@fws.gov or call 618-883-2524.
Ongoing Volunteer Roles
Refuge Maintenance
There are lots of maintenance activities required to keep the refuge operating successfully, skills that can include; carpentry, painting, general construction, use of power tools, and operation of tractors and heavy equipment. If you have one or more of these skills and would like to volunteer your time, we can always use an extra hand. Some safety training may be required and would be provided by the refuge.
Nature Interpreter
If you already have a love for the outdoors chances are you have something to share with visitors. Help provide weekend programs for families by taking the training to become a Nature Interpreter. Some programs include Spring Frog Walk, Story Hour, Eagle Watching Tours, Earth Day Activity leader, Animal Tracking, “Duck, Duck, Who?” and more.
Native Garden Caretaker
Two beautiful native flower beds were planted by the Great Rivers Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society. Help keep the weeds out of these gardens and learn your native flowers.
Photographer
People love seeing beautiful photographs of the wildlife at the refuge. Help capture and share some wildlife moments with other visitors and Facebook followers.
Bird Count Assistant
Learn to identify and count the thousands of birds that use the refuge as a stop over during migration. Our expert biologists will help you fine tune your bird identification skills and teach you how to estimate the number of birds at the refuge.
Flood Clean Up Crew
After a flood, unsightly debris is left behind including plastic barrels, tires, foam and milk jugs. Help remove these things from the river bottoms to keep the refuge habitat clean.
Our Partners
In order to conserve our natural and cultural resources effectively, we work with others to bridge boundaries in nature. Partnerships foster creative solutions to challenging situations and often the results are greater than the sum of the parts. Learn more about our local partners.
