Audubon Greenwich has been connecting people with nature since 1942. Creating life-changing experiences that enable community members and their families to appreciate, understand and protect the natural world is at the very core of our mission. The Greenwich Audubon Center is a nature center and wildlife sanctuary owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. The nature center is located in the southwest corner of Connecticut, in the town of Greenwich. The Greenwich Audubon Center has over 15 miles of scenic hiking trails, and includes 650 acres of mixed forest, meadows, wetlands, ponds, and streams. The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of the Earth's biological diversity and humanity. The Greenwich Audubon Center strives to meet this mission through education, conservation and environmental research to encourage the responsible usage and stewardship of natural lands. The Greenwich Audubon Center offers educational programs for all ages, a seasonal newsletter, nature programs, annual Hawk Watch, live animal exhibits, a children's learning center, a nature store, and a bird viewing area.
Under the supervision of the Center Director, the Educator will play an integral part in the Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch program located on the grounds of the Greenwich Audubon Center in Greenwich, CT. Quaker Ridge is one of the premier hawk watch sites in the Northeast, with an average of over 14,000 hawks recorded each season. Optional, on-site and furnished apartment may be available for rent. Residence contains private bedrooms and a shared kitchen, bath, and living room.
Additionally, prior to the onset of field responsibilities during the raptor migration season, the Educator will co-lead the Audubon Ecology Adventures camp group. Ecology Adventures campers visit off-site locations throughout the region at least four days per week for hiking and ecology exploration. The Naturalist Educator will be responsible for ensuring a safe, educational and fun experience for all campers. The Naturalist Educator will be responsible for driving the camp group in an 11-passenger van when necessary.
This position begins on June 18, 2018, and includes a week of staff training from June 18 to June 22. Summer Nature Day Camp begins on June 25 and ends on August 17. The daily work hours are 9:30am-3:30pm, Monday to Friday. During the week of August 13, work hours are 3:30pm-9:30pm. Camp will not be held on July 4, 2018.
There will be one overnight camp-out at the Center on Thursday, August 16. Staff are expected to report back to work on Monday, August 20 for classroom clean-up, debriefing, and a closing staff celebration.
The Educator will work with Audubon Greenwich education staff and under the supervision of the Camp Director to:
- Attend a week-long camp training led by Audubon Greenwich’s Education staff
- Develop and implement seven weeks of ecology/nature-based curriculum
- Teach a group of up to 15 children for day-long sessions
- Provide a fun, educational experience for children during camp
- Maintain the safety and well-being of all camp participants
- Maintain a respectful and collegial team environment with fellow staff
- Drive the Ecology Adventures camp group to off-site locations throughout western CT and southern NY.
The Educator will also work with experienced hawk watchers and naturalists involved in raptor conservation to:
- Record and manage field data on migrating raptors, including the use of online data collection tools.
- Conduct outreach to visitors and volunteer hawk watchers to involve the community in raptor conservation efforts.
- Coordinate volunteer schedule and work with volunteers to conduct daily counts.
- Lead programs on raptor identification at annual Hawk Watch Weekend festival, September 15 & 16, 2018.
- Prepare and deliver a public program on the results of the season.
- Accurately identify and count migrating raptors as they travel along the Atlantic flyway at the Quaker Ridge site.
- Record hourly weather conditions, species, and numbers of migrating raptors.
- At the end of each count day, enter count data to the HMANA website.
- Assist visitors and volunteers with bird identification and general birding questions during the hawk migration period.
- At the conclusion of the count season, submit a season end report and present a public program of the season’s hawk numbers.
- Assist Center Director to coordinate hawk watch volunteer schedule.
- Other duties associated with the Hawk Watch and hawk watching, as needed.
- Interest and experience in bird monitoring and outdoor research work
- Previous Northeastern raptor identification experience is required, particularly the ability to count and identify large numbers of raptors at a distance
- Familiarity with computer data spreadsheet analysis
- Self-motivated individual who can work well independently in the field
- Ability to work primarily outside in various weather situations
- Ability to work some early mornings, late evenings, and some weekend days
- Good organizational skills
- Ability to communicate to a variety of audiences: visitors, volunteers, staff, the general public, and others.
- Knowledge of local ecology and natural history
- Ability to teach natural history concepts, as well as the desire to work outdoors and lead hikes
- Experience working with children preferred
- Strong oral communication skills, especially when speaking with camp parents and/or guardians
- Ability to work well as part of the team
- Must be able to commit to the entire period of work
- Must have current immunizations/medical forms; CPR and First Aid certification a plus
- Must be over 25 years of age to drive the Audubon Greenwich van