This is the first of what will be a monthly, year-long series of Refuge Staff profiles. These are the people on the ground protecting, promoting, and preserving Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for the wildlife that depend on it today and generations to come. This work is done with a relatively small team whose expertise and commitment are unquestionable. First up is Jess Wenick, who has a long history with Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and is currently serving at the Refuge’s Project Leader. How did you come to this job?
Jess: Malheur has been a thread running through my whole career, starting with my first seasonal job on the Refuge as a teenager. Over time I worked in other roles that broadened my perspective, including work with the Burns Paiute Tribe and years on Malheur in resource management and the Refuge wildlife program. When the opportunity came to return in a leadership role, it felt like a chance to give back to the place and community that shaped me, and to support the staff and partners doing the work on the ground. I’ve been the Refuge Manager since October 2024, and I’m grateful to be here for this chapter. For more, read Jess’s welcome back article!
What do you love about your work?
At this point in my career, what I enjoy most is the people side of refuge management. I like building and maintaining partnerships, trying my best to listen, and helping different groups find common ground when the work gets complicated. I also really value clearing obstacles so our staff can do what they do best. It’s been meaningful to move from years of primarily on-the-ground, biological work at Malheur to a broader perspective where I can help connect the dots across programs, partners, and the Region, and learn alongside other Refuge Managers as we work through shared challenges.
What is something you have done in the last 6 months that you are proud of?
I rarely feel like I accomplish much on my own, and I mean that sincerely. The things I’m proud of are shared efforts that have grown through trust and teamwork. One example of this is strengthening our relationship with the Burns Paiute Tribe. The new Memorandum of Agreement, spending time together on the Refuge including visiting places that are important but not often seen, and working closely with Tribal staff and leadership on shared interests has been deeply rewarding. It has felt increasingly like a relationship with mutual benefit and real substance.
I’m also proud of the collaborative work still underway to revive irrigation in the northern Blitzen Valley. It has taken a true team effort, bringing together regional infrastructure support, Ducks Unlimited, our FWS water resources staff, ODFW, and others to address fish screening needs and related water rights at the Canoe Takeout Diversion associated with the new rock weirs at “Dunn Dam.” The work has been complex, but it has also been encouraging. When many partners bring their expertise to the table and align around a shared goal, the results can be far bigger than any one piece of the project.
What is something coming up in the next 6 months that you are excited about?
I’m excited to work with staff and key partners, like Friends of Malheur, on a communications approach for upcoming invasive species case studies we’ll be launching during the growing season, particularly for species like reed canarygrass and hybrid cattail. These kinds of efforts can generate questions, so it matters how we explain the “why,” the “how,” and what we are learning.
I’m also really looking forward to the next wave of spring volunteers. Many will be new faces to me, but this will be my third spring back at Malheur and I’m getting to know the folks who return year after year. Their energy and love for the Refuge genuinely fuels my own behind-the-scenes work. They reconnect me to what makes Malheur special.
What’s a small moment on the Refuge that never gets old for you?
Early morning on the Refuge, when the sun is just coming up as I walk over to the office. The light shifts by the minute across the hills and wetlands, the skyline feels impossibly big, and bird songs are starting up. You can hear the Refuge waking into another day. Even during the busiest weeks, those few quiet minutes help me hold on to the bigger purpose behind the work.
Thank you, Jess, for your thoughtful, purposeful leadership and willingness to answer these questions! Stay tuned for next month’s People Power article to learn more about the workforce behind the scenes at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
