Bear Sanctuary Volunteer

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The American Bear Association is looking for qualified, energetic volunteers for the Summer 2024 season at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Minnesota's beautiful Northern wilderness. The Sanctuary offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the public to view and learn about wild black bears. If you are interested in wildlife, conservation, environmental education, spending time outdoors and working hard, then this opportunity is definitely for you! At the end of the day, you will be exhausted and dirty, but you will smile knowing that you have seen things most wildlife enthusiasts only dream about.

15,000-20,000 visitors come annually to the Sanctuary. Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, but especially when we are open to the visiting public. The Sanctuary is open from 5:00PM to dusk every day except Sundays and Mondays. Some of the duties include;

• Picking up and/or unloading supplies, including 50-pound bags of seed and 35-pound bags of fruit and nuts.
• Heavy lifting is often a part of the job and is therefore required.
• Daily cleanup of feeding areas and scat removal
• Planting, mulching, weed-eating and other landscape improvement projects
• Preparing and distributing bear food mixtures
• Maintain records on bear activity and behavior
• Photograph individual bears for records
• Field Trips/additional programming will be taken May-July
• Write articles for our newsletter, Bear in Mind

• Educating the public about black bears, ecology, behavior, practical environmental conservation and land stewardship
• Preparing formal 3-8 minute deck talks that interpret bear behavior and debunk any myths and misconceptions our visitors may have regarding bears
• Execute a prepared 5 minute introductory bus talk on the history of the bears and Vince Shute
• Sale of souvenirs and educational materials in the gift shop and at our visitor center
• Assisting with admission and parking cars

Benefits:

1. Food and housing included! Stipends apply for those committing to 8 weeks or more.

2.Gaining valuable, hands-on experience working with wildlife, natural resources, and environmental education;

3. Experience and learn about the true nature of the black bear;

3. Meeting and working closely with a dynamic team of international and domestic volunteers;

4. Working and/or living in the wilderness of Northern Minnesota - a mere half hour drive away from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Voyageur's National Park and the Superior National Forest. Cougars, lynx, moose and wolves are just a few of the many types of wildlife living in and around the Sanctuary.