Christina Ibos | National Visitor Survey

Fish and Wildlife Service ACE EPIC Division

I first heard about the American Conservation Experience in my freshman year of college. I was in one of my Environmental Studies classes and I remember writing down the details my professor listed about what ACE could offer me if I pursued a career in conservation. Now, four years later, I know how lucky I was to have had that introduction and to be currently working with ACE as a National Visitor Satisfaction Survey Field Team Member.

 

 

 

 

 

My name is Christina, and I know my job title may sound like a keyboard smash, but the position is real, and it’s more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. This ACE EPIC position is in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and involves traveling between different National Wildlife Refuges to help collect data for the National Visitor Satisfaction Survey. Despite what may come to mind when imagining these refuges, they are not National Parks. They are public lands that the USFWS maintains with the purpose of wildlife conservation, and there are over 500 of them across the U.S. My main responsibility with this role is approaching refuge visitors and acquiring their contact info so that they can take the National Visitor Satisfaction Survey. This survey provides the USFWS with significant data about their impact on the communities that visit refuges, and how they can better serve the people that explore their refuge system. 

 

 

 

 

 

While working, people have shared many stories with me about the invaluable experiences they’ve had when visiting these refuges and how grateful they are to have access to such beautiful, natural spaces. Outside of speaking with visitors, I can also help refuge staff with other any projects they have going on, like refuge events, bird surveys/ banding, rabbit tagging, turtle surveys, plant surveys, and invasive species removal. This means that I’ve been traveling, meeting new people who love nature, and learning about conservation all for work- how cool is that?  

Right now, I’m almost three months into my five month term. Here is the summary: 

–I have lived in 5 different states, all in New England and mainly on the coast. —
–I have seen eaglets, herons, warblers, salamanders, and one bobcat.
–I have met many different USFWS employees, and all have been wonderful people.
–I have learned about all the opportunities there are to continue a career in conservation and why it’s important and rewarding work! 

This position has allowed me to see places and wildlife I might never have had the chance to otherwise. It has also taught me about the myriads of ways you can work to support conservation. As someone who loves the environment and knows how important it is to reconnect people with nature, this job has shown me what a career in conservation could be like and how I can satisfy my desire to both engage with people and protect natural spaces. I know that this position will help me with any roles I pursue in the conservation field, and I am extremely grateful for all the unique experiences this job has given me.