Volunteer Opportunities in Response to the
Oil Disaster
I
wanted to first thank everyone for your support of not only our
organization but your support to all of the other valuable groups that
care so deeply for our Gulf
Coast. Without the
support of volunteers, none of us would be able to be successful in our
missions to battle this terrible environmental and economic disaster.
Thank you once again to everyone for your support and efforts.
Now,
in regards to current volunteer opportunities, we have several events
coming up that we may have a need for potential volunteers in support of
our local National Wildlife Refuge’s through our cooperative agreement to
support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Gulf Coast Complex which
includes the Refuges along Coastal Alabama and Coastal Mississippi (bon
Secour NWR, Gulf Shores, AL; Grand Bay NWR, Moss Point, MS; and the
Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, Gautier, MS). Below I have listed the
upcoming potential needs to support these Refuges during this difficult time.
Support of these local Refuges
as Supplemental Staff
With
the oil spill significantly affecting these local Refuges, their current
staff is being called away from their regular duties to battle this
disaster. There may be a need in the near future for the Southeastern
Wildlife Conservation Group to support these Refuges with supplemental
staff in order to maintain their normal mission. Below are listed several
positions they may have a need for volunteer support. If you feel you
have the qualifications to perform any of these positions, please do
respond with your contact information, resume
(qualifications) and availability (days, hours, and locations able to
work – Gulf Shores, AL;
Moss Point, MS
or Gautier, MS).
Potential
Positions Needed
1)
Wildlife Rescue Paraprofessionals
2)
Licensed Boat Operators
3)
Nature Bookstore Operator (Mississippi
Sandhill Crane NWR in Gautier,
MS)
4)
Wildlife / Nature Educators / Guides for visitors of the Refuges
5)
General Administrative Support
Local Artists and Volunteer
Support for the Mississippi
Sandhill Crane NWR’s Annual Crane Fest Needed
Every
year the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge holds an
annual Crane Fest (October 23rd) at the Refuge Headquarters in
Gautier, MS (see attached flyer). With the oil spill
tying up personnel resources we may need additional volunteer support to
successfully run this event. These positions include:
1)
Book store operators
2)
Nature guides / Event Support
3)
Art tent sales
4)
General event coordination
Additionally,
we are also looking for local artists to put their nature /
wildlife based artwork (any format – painting, photography, sculpture,
etc.) on consignment for sale. We will be adding a small donation fee to
each item to help raise money to support all three Wildlife Refuges in
their fight against the oil spill. Obviously space will be somewhat
limited and we will try and get all artists involved that wish to be but
we may have to work based on a first come first serve basis. Please email
your interest as well as an example (picture) of your art.
Once
again, we truly do appreciate everyone’s and every Group’s support and
pray this terrible disaster is over sooner than later. Should you have
any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Take
care and we hope to see you at the Crane Fest at the Mississippi Sandhill
Crane National Wildlife Refuge this upcoming October 23rd.
Sincerely,
Mark
Langner
Adopt-A-
Crane PROGRAM
The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group and the US Fish and
Wildlife Service are pleased to announce the start up of the ADOPT-A-CRANE
Program to benefit the critically endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane.
Currently, there are only about 110 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes living in
the wild today, all of whom reside on the 20,000 acres of the Mississippi
Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge located in Jackson County,
MS. Proceeds from this program will go towards:
1) Education;
2) Research;
3) Conservation of the Sandhill Cranes needed habitat, the also rare and
disappearing wet-pine savannah and;
4) Protection of the existing wild population of Sandhill Cranes;
5) and reintroduction of the Sandhill Crane into the wild.
Currently we have 3 Cranes available for adoption.
  
Crane #146 "Swamp
Girl"
Crane
#712
Crane Family Pair w-28 / 196
Click
here for information on this program and to Adopt-A-Crane.
REFUGE
FRIENDS VISIT CAPITAL HILL
Approximately
150 Refuge Friends representing more than 100 national wildlife refuges
and wetland management districts in 36 states visited Capitol Hill on
April 7. They talked with Congressional staff and, in some cases, members
of the House of Representatives, providing information about the national
wildlife refuges that are important in their local communities.
Representing the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge was
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group President Mr. Mark Langner and
US Fish and Wildlife Service Park Ranger Ms. Emily Neidigh.
In addition, over the weekend prior to their visit to Capital Hill, the
Refuge Friends had attended the "Friends for the Future"
national conference, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The conference – the largest
ever held – was a prime time for Refuge Friends to learn about current issues
and exchange ideas for a host of programs.
This
conference and the trip to Capital Hill was very
important for the continued growth of the relationship between the
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group and the US Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Mississippi Sandhill Crane, Grand Bay
and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuges. The USFWS’s
work is of utmost importance and continues to be one of the least funded
agencies.
To
find out more and how you can help support these three
Gulf Coast Refuge’s, please visit our website "Projects"
link.
Spanish Fort Elementary Assists in Sand Dune Restoration
at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
The SWCG
coordinated with Project Jubilee teacher, Ms. Nadia Hamade, to get the
Spanish Fort Elementary (Spanish Fort, AL) Project Jubilee Classes involved
in hands on conservation activities associated with our Cooperative
Agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The students, grades 3rd – 5th,
traveled to the Bon Secour NWR on March 12, 2008 to learn vital
conservation education and to actively assist in sand dune restoration.
USFWS
representatives (Refuge Manager, Mr. Jereme Phillips and Public Outreach
Coordinator, Mr. Doug Hunt) and Refuge Volunteer Ms. Claudia Frosch educated the students on the sand dune
ecosystem, endangered sea turtles and the endangered Alabama Beach Mouse.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service provided a hands-on experience where
students got to learn about sea turtle nest identification and nest
recording procedures. Students were then given the chance to locate eggs
and protect a “mock” sea turtle nest. In addition to this exercise, the
students physically participated in sand dune restoration by planting
over 750 sea oats and other native dune plants which were provided by the
Friends of Bon Secour.
The
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is very pleased to have been
able to help coordinate this much needed conservation education activity
with Spanish Fort
Elementary. Not
only were we able to educate the students on conservation issues, but
were also able to get the students to physically participate in being a
part of the solution. Due to the success of this event, the school is
very much interested in making this experience a repeat activity.
The SWCG
needs your help to continue to provide these types of educational
activities. Please become a member today and help join our cause.
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