The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is recruiting applicants for the Natural Resource Volunteer Program (NRVP) to serve in San Diego County.

The NRVP provides conservation and enforcement education through public service while providing biological, enforcement and administrative staff support to DFG. DFG's next NRVP training academy will be held in San Diego from Tuesday, Jan. 3 through Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 (training sessions will be held on weekdays only). Graduates of this academy become volunteers for DFG. These positions are unpaid.

Interested individuals go through a selection process which includes initial screening, application, interview and background check. Selected participants attend an 80-hour conservation course to prepare them for a monthly service commitment of at least 24 hours. After completing the academy, volunteers work with a trained volunteer mentor implementing their newly acquired skills during a six-month probationary period.

Applicants should be teachable, accountable, have basic computer and writing skills and a willingness to talk about conservation principles to the public both in the field and in a classroom setting. Applicants must show a desire to work well with others in a team environment to do tasks that free up time for paid DFG staff.

DFG Natural Resource Volunteers have no law enforcement authority and are trained to be educational ambassadors for the department, donating their time in a variety of areas including responding to human/wildlife incident calls, instructing at NRVP academies, representing DFG at community outreach events, disseminating useful information to the public and patrolling DFG lands, ecological reserves and inland and coastal fishing areas.

Applications should be submitted as soon as possible. Please contact Lt. Kent Smirl at (714) 448-4215 prior to submitting an application.