Wildlife Interpreters – SEA wildlife interpreters are usually residents of local communities along the coast. They are well informed about the natural history and a wide range of interesting places along the southern coast of Oregon.

With as many as 22,000 visitor contacts annually, our volunteers are in demand. During SEA’s summer season, wildlife interpreters (as volunteers are available) are on duty at the Face Rock Wayside or Coquille Point in Bandon, on weekends beginning in May and continuing through to the end of July.

Interpreters are also on duty at the Simpson Reef Overlook near Charleston Saturdays and Sundays from June through Labor Day. SEA annually provides its interpreters with extensive training through a series of seminars held monthly January to May.  In May, you will be able to choose one of the two links below to volunteer at either the Simpson Reef Overlook or Face Rock Wayside.

For Simpson Reef:

For Face Rock:

In the Pacific Northwest, harbor seals are born between March and April. Females give birth to a single pup, once a year. Pups are weaned at four weeks of age. At low tides, female seals and pups use Coquille Point as a birthing and haul out area. SEA volunteers monitor Coquille Point at low tides, on weekends, when visitor use of this area is high. Please use the link below, if you are able to volunteer.

For Coquille Point:

As an all-volunteer organization, people are critical to the success of the SEA mission to increase public awareness of shoreline habitats, wildlife and environmental issues. The wildlife interpreters are our most visible volunteers.

National Volunteers – SEA also recruits people from outside of Oregon to serve as wildlife interpreter volunteers during the summer. With the support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, SEA maintains two recreational vehicle (RV) sites. One is located at Bullards Beach State Park and the other at Sunset Bay State Park. National volunteers get a free RV hook-up in exchange for supporting SEA activities. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact our office for additional information.

OPENING FOR A VOLUNTEER WITH AN RV OR CAMPING TRAILER (posted January 11, 2023)

Do you love the Oregon coast, enjoy watching wildlife, and have an RV or camping trailer? Come and spend three months in Bandon OR, as a SEA volunteer!

SEA is recruiting a volunteer wildlife interpreter to work at one of our beautiful coastal overlooks in Bandon.  This position runs from May 1 through July 31, 2023.

Offshore islands and rocks at Face Rock Wayside and Coquille Point, provide nesting habitat for thousands of seabirds. The volunteer will work a 4-hour shift (10am-2pm), three days a week at Face Rock Wayside or Coquille Point, doing interpretive work with the public. 

SEA will provide training and equipment for viewing tufted puffins, peregrine falcons, common murres, western gulls, and many other marine birds. The volunteer will share information about this unique coastal habitat and use spotting scopes to assist visitors with viewing wildlife.

The volunteer will also work a shift on two other days a week for OR State Parks, helping to monitor a snowy plover nesting area at nearby China Creek State Park. Your primary duty will be to provide interpretation regarding snowy plovers, their habitat, and conservation efforts in protecting their nesting areas. 

You will be expected to inform visitors of the rules regarding the restricted nesting grounds on adjacent beach and surf areas. While on duty, you will be required to keep records of visitor contacts as well as any rule infractions you may witness. Bullards Beach State Park (located near Bandon) will provide a free RV campsite for the duration of the 3-month period and provide a state vehicle to get back and forth to China Creek State Park. The Oregon State Park system requires a DMV license and criminal background check for its volunteers.

For more information or to apply for this volunteer opportunity, please contact Laurie Friedman (SEA Volunteer Coordinator) at tokku129@gmail.com.  

Organization Volunteers – Finally, volunteers are needed to operate the SEA organization. In addition to the officers and directors of the corporation, numerous other volunteers make things work at SEA. Please contact our office for current opportunities.

ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!

Are you interested in volunteering for The Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex? The South Coast refuge office is located at Bandon Marsh NWR and we are always looking for extra help. Here is a list of volunteer opportunities. Please contact Refuge Manager, Alexandra Cook (alexandra_cook@fws.gov, 541-347-1470) if you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions. 

– Volunteer with native plant knowledge to assist in planting and weeding a new pollinator garden
– General gardening assistance, no prior skills needed
– General maintenance of facilities and grounds (experience with minor carpentry, riding mowers and weed whips a plus)
– Trail maintenance for new trail to be established in 2020
– Organize and inventory Refuge shops and barns including removal of large waste to a dumpster
– Administrative tasks using excel, basic internet searches, and file organization (must be willing to go through background check and training)
– Invasive species mechanical removal (Gorse, Scotch Broom, English Ivy and others)
– Mosquito surveys
– Litter pick-up at Bandon Marsh and Coquille Point