| Project Name | Brant Age Ratio Project |
| Project Number | 508 |
| Location | field site Izembek NWR |
| Dates | October 5-16, 2026 |
| Duration | October 5-16, 2026 |
| Number of Volunteers Needed | 2 |
| Description | The heart of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is Izembek Lagoon, a coastal ecosystem that's home to one of the world's largest eelgrass beds. Hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, including virtually the entire population of Pacific Black Brant, visit the lagoon to feed on eelgrass and rest as a stopover during the fall migration, before flying as far south as Baja Mexico for the winter. This staging period provides the ideal opportunity to study the Pacific black brant population. For this project, volunteers would be assisting Izembek NWR with field work to conduct brant productivity surveys throughout Izembek Lagoon. The survey involves observing flocks of brant to determine the proportion of juveniles and adults present, which is an indicator of the current year’s reproductive success. This metric is useful to understand population trends and is shared with waterfowl managers across multiple agencies. The survey is conducted by traveling to various areas around the Refuge by foot, boat, or UTV, and observing flocks of brant through spotting scopes for several hours. Volunteers should be willing to be outdoors in inclement conditions and willing to hike short distances to survey. Past Friends Volunteers' reports can be found below: - https://alaskarefugefriends.org/izembek-brant-project-report/ - https://alaskarefugefriends.org/izembek-2024-volunteer-report/ - https://alaskarefugefriends.org/izembek-omalley-volunter-rep-25/ |
| Skills Needed | Fieldwork in cold weather, moderate hiking ability, ability to ride in small inflatable boats, interest in waterfowl. Required training: None (Defensive Driving optional, but required for driving FWS vehicles). |
| Materials Needed | Refuge will provide the required training, housing, air travel, and equipment. Volunteers should plan on bringing most of their food with them as grocery options are limited in Cold Bay, AK. |
| Contact | Alison Williams Phone, 907-538-4267, alison_williams@fws.gov |
| Application Due | 2026-06-30 |