1. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Steve Hillebrand/USFWS Role of Volunteers in the Wildlife Science Program at Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Bill Pyle Kodiak NWR Lisa Hupp/USFWS

2. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Purpose & scope Describe the role of volunteers in & discuss potential volunteer opportunities Scope – primarily the science program

3. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Outline My background Role & importance of volunteers Science program volunteers Volunteer opportunities

4. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System My background Started career as volunteer Rose through the FWS ranks Senior biologist at 5 NWRs over past 20 years 12 years at Kodiak NWR Extensive experience with volunteers supporting wildlife science & management

5. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System

6. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer Program 2012 4 program areas : –wildlife & habitat –wildlife dependent recreation & environmental education –maintenance 94 individuals 17, 241 hours contributed

7. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteers in Wildlife Science Wildlife science –43% of volunteers; 68% of hours Assist research & habitat management Research – up to 3 months Habitat management – intermittent, 1 -7 days

8. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Research Brown bear-salmon interactions Mountain goat diet & feeding site preferences Kittlitz’s murrelet nesting ecology Marine bird surveys Plant inventory

9. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Photos: USFWS

10. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Research (cont.) Researcher & team of volunteers Live in field camps up to 2 months Long duration & hours & physically demanding Recruitment starts in November & usually ends in February Field season: mid-May to mid- August or longer

11. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Habitat Management Primarily invasive plants Late May – late September field season Survey & site preparation are dominant tasks(95%) Other tasks include herbicide application & monitoring of vegetation response Bill Pyle/USFWS

12. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Blythe Brown/USFWS Leslie Kerr/USFWS

13. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Monitoring Outreach Contr ol Evaluation Inventory Control Photos: USFWS

14. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Survey & mapPrepare sites for treatment Herbicide treatmentSurvey, map, remove flowers Photos: USFWS

15. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System Training 1 st Aid & CPR Bear hazard defense Basic aviation & dunker Photos: USFWS

16. M. Weisenberger / USFWS