The resident volunteer program for fall and winter 2005-06 has been a success. More than 25 people are living and working on the refuge during the busiest season – staffing the visitor center, answering phones, conducting school tours, taking reservations, bumping and mowing corn, repairing facilities, landscaping, and assisting with biological work. Fall and winter volunteers are required to commit to 32 hours/week for four months in exchange for full hookups, laundry facilities, and a stipend. The result is more than 16,000 hours of labor during that period of time – equivalent to the work of eight full time employees for a year – worth $285,000.00. These volunteers were essential to successful events, such as the Southwest Region Friends Conference, Festival of the Cranes, and even supporting the construction project.