Yukon Flats Refuge: Building Tribal Relations

Project Name	Building Tribal Relations
Project Number	419
Location	A village TBD on the Yukon Flats Refuge
Dates	July dates TBD
Duration	2 days
Number of Volunteers Needed	1
Description	The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is the nation’s third largest wildlife refuge and Alaska\'s largest boreal wetland basin. With the Brooks Range to the north and the jagged limestone peaks of the White Mountains to the south, this refuge encompasses the so-called \"Yukon Flats\" - a vast fire-dependent area of wetlands, forest, bog, and low-lying ground centered on the confluence of the Yukon, Porcupine, and T\'eedriinjik (Chandalar) rivers. The Flats are a critical waterfowl breeding ground. For thousands of years, this area has been—and continues as—a homeland for Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascan people. Seven villages are located within and around the refuge. The refuge headquarters is in Fairbanks. Every year refuge staff partner with a Tribe to host an open house in a village. It is yet to be determined which village that will be. Staff and the Friends volunteer will host games and activities for village youth, while other staff present information to Tribal members and others cook and serve food. The volunteer\'s primary job will be to help plan and lead the kids\' activities. Relationships with the villages around the refuges are extremely important for the success of refuge management. Friends is funding this project for $1000. This will cover the food for the community dinner, the volunteer\'s airfare from Fairbanks to the village and the volunteers housing and food while in the village. If you are not in Fairbanks, you will need to get yourself to Fairbanks. You must be a Friends member and must submit a Volunteer Application. Please address in your application your experience and skills in working with village youth and in bush Alaska.
Skills Needed	Experience and skills in working with rural youth. Flexibility as weather, unforeseen village events and other factors can cause last minute changes in plans.
Contact	Jimmy Fox, Refuge Manager, jimmy_fox@fws.gov