RMEF is proud to spotlight the volunteers who play a vital role in ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. As National Volunteer Week kicks off, here’s a look at the important work they do throughout big game country.

Volunteers contribute their valuable time selflessly to organize, lead and support fundraising events that further RMEF’s work in land conservation and access, habitat stewardship, research, advocacy and the promotion of our hunting heritage. They are the workforce behind RMEF Big Game Banquets and other events, more than 500 of which were held nationwide in 2025.

“We simply would not have the robust banquet and local chapter network we have without our RMEF volunteers,” said Kirk Murphy, RMEF managing director of field operations. “Our strength is in our volunteers, because they are so willing to step in and do the work that it takes to make RMEF successful in moving our mission forward.”

Our volunteers are extremely active in the field, working on habitat improvement projects as well. These include clearing conifers detrimental to sagebrush and aspen habitat, controlling invasive weeds and establishing beneficial native forage, removing old fence, installing wildlife guzzlers, assisting in wildfire rehabilitation efforts… and much more.

During 2025:

  • 660 volunteers contributed nearly 4,900 hours to RMEF work projects. With volunteer time valued at nearly $35 per hour according to national volunteer organization Independent Sector, the work performed by RMEF volunteers at habitat improvement projects approaches $172,000 in labor.
  • Volunteers aided in removing and improving with wildlife-friendly designs more than 26 miles of fence to promote habitat connectivity and ease big game movement during seasonal migrations.
  • Other work projects included woody vegetation clearing/removal, weed treatments, guzzler installation, and willow planting.

These efforts contributed to RMEF’s commitment to conserve or enhance 10 million acres by 2030.

Here are a few highlights from impactful projects volunteers helped complete in 2025, in the words of volunteers themselves.

“This is the kind of work that you feel really good about and go home at the end of the day, hardly able to lift your arms, but this is what matters a lot.“–Chris Bischoff, who worked on a wildlife crossing project near Osburn, Idaho.

“It just absolutely down-poured, and we still knocked it out. There is a lot we wouldn’t be able to do without RMEF’s and help.”—Miranda VanCleave, describing the commitment of volunteers who removed old fence enclosures to improve aspen habitat in Michigan’s Pigeon Country State Forest

“It’s a chance for people to come together and catch up once a year.”—Romana Wallace, highlighting the camaraderie among volunteers in western Washington, some of whom have worked together for nearly a decade on habitat improvement projects such as removing invasive English ivy

Find out how you can become involved in an RMEF volunteer work project by visiting our volunteer section for a list of upcoming projects searchable by state.