Prime Hook Refuge seeks summer employees in Youth Conservation Corps
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton is looking for energetic individuals interested in participating in the national Youth Conservation Corps work program. The purpose of the YCC program is to further the development and maintenance of the natural resources of the United States by America’s youth, and, in so doing, to prepare them for the ultimate responsibility of maintaining and managing these resources for the future.
This year's YCC group will be involved in trail maintenance, landscaping, controlling invasive species, sign posting, filing, copying, answering phones and a variety of other worthwhile projects that contribute to the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The work is planned, directed and executed in such a way as to give the enrollees an understanding of their tasks and how to do them, their part in the overall management plan and how their work contributes to the enhancement of the refuge. The YCC program is an eight-week, nonresidential summer program lasting from mid-June through mid-August.
Environmental education is also an important part of the YCC program. Each week, a certain amount of time is set aside for educational activities to enhance participants' understanding of this area’s natural resources and how they are managed.
Prime Hook NWR will be accepting applications for two enrollee positions. Enrollees include young men and women who are at least 15 years of age before or on the first day of work and will not reach 19 years of age during the duration of the program. Enrollees will be required to work a 40-hour week for a total of eight weeks. Enrollees will receive $7.25 per hour, including paid federal holidays. If under the age of 18, enrollees must have a parent or guardian signature of approval. Requirements for the position include an interest in outdoor work and the ability to use common hand tools and perform arduous physical labor.
All applicants must be citizens of the United States, its territories, possessions, or trust territories. Applicants must possess a Social Security card and have a work permit (if required) before the first working day of the YCC program and must possess transportation to the work site. All applicants are eligible for employment without regard to social, economic, racial or ethnic backgrounds. Applications must be received or postmarked by Friday, May 10.
To learn more, call the refuge office at 302-684-8419 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. To obtain an application, go to primehook.fws.gov and click on YCC or pick one up at the office. For more information about the National Wildlife Refuge System or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit www.fws.gov.
