Changes and opportunities at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge

Road trips once or twice a year usually include a stop at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge. (Dale Bowman)

As Rick Seibert remembers it, “I got hired in Vic’s Tap drinking a glass of bourbon with Al.”

Seibert, 67, is retiring as the only manager of the site now known as Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, “a 3,000-acre mosaic of lakes, marsh, meadows, prairie, savanna, and woodlands” on a former floodplain by the Illinois River, south of Hennepin.

The late Al Pyott, a duck hunter who became one of Illinois’ foremost conservationists, co-founded The Wetlands Initiative in 1994.

Being hired was a turnaround for Seibert, who said, “Originally, I thought they were carpetbaggers from Chicago, like everybody else around here.”

He grew to love the restoration done by TWI the last 22 years and noted, “I’m blown away every day I’m down there.”

File photo of Rick Seibert, site manager, holding the day’s best northern pike from Hennepin-Hopper lakes. (Dale Bowman)

Beside Seibert’s replacement, Paul Botts, TWI’s president and executive director, noted the refuge needs a restoration specialist, “a great first step for someone who’s interested in field conservation work (we’ve had several alums step on to exciting new roles in this work).”

Both jobs are posted at conservationjobboard.com. Click here for the refuge manager position. Click here for the restoration specialist position.