The Stewardship Field Assistant is the member of the Maryland/DC Chapter’s Land Management Team primarily responsible for land, facilities and equipment management on properties throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. S/he participates in maintenance, management and monitoring at Nature Conservancy preserves and partner sites in Maryland’s coastal plain, including 14 preserves, 8 easements, and restoration and study sites on partner land. S/he assists with land management activities including trail repair & building, tree planting, tree removal, seed collection, mowing, prescribed burning, building and boundary maintenance, and invasive species control (including pesticide application). As part of the Maryland/D.C. Chapter’s Science Team, The Field Assistant also assists with field data collection and data management for research, forest inventory, hydrological monitoring and biological monitoring projects. Public relations work, including participation in the Nassawango Preserve Volunteer Stewardship Committee, leading preserve tours, and interacting with neighbors, hunters and easement landowners is also expected. This permanent, full-time position occasionally requires irregular hours and includes extensive outdoor physical labor under adverse conditions. The Stewardship Field Assistant is supervised by the Conservation Steward and does not supervise other permanent staff, but may supervise volunteers, seasonal field crews and interns. This position has office space available in the Conservancy’s Snow Hill office or the employee may work from a home office. The position requires occasional travel to the chapter’s main Bethesda office or other locations in Maryland or the region for all-staff events, and help will occasionally be requested at other preserves in Maryland.
- Construction and maintenance of fences, gates, signs, kiosks, boardwalks and other preserve infrastructure.
- Prescribed burning on Conservancy and partner sites including preparing fire equipment, installing fire breaks, ignition, control, mop-up, suppression and monitoring.
- Operation and maintenance of tools and equipment (e.g. tractors, ATVs, UTVs, power tools).
- Invasive species control, including herbicide application and cutting trees with chainsaws and brush saws.
- Assisting with research and monitoring data collection and entry.
- Assisting with land management and restoration planning.
- Conducting tours of Conservancy properties for partners, contractors and the public.
- Annual easement compliance monitoring.
- Assisting with baseline documentation for new conservation easements.
- Tracking and recording management and restoration activities using GPS, GIS and SharePoint.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Interacts with visitors, hunters and local landowners.
- Supervises volunteers, seasonal field crews and interns to accomplish maintenance and monitoring tasks.
- Works under remote and infrequent supervision.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations for long periods of time in isolated settings, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Requires work on nights and weekends several times per month (commitment is seasonally variable).
- Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with natural systems.
- Experience in ecological land management principles.
- Experience operating equipment in a safe and efficient manner (e.g. lawn mower, chainsaw, tractor, two-way radio).
- Must have valid driver’s license and good driving record.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- Experience, coursework, or other training in conservation practices, land management, forestry and/or natural resource conservation and/or science.
- Experience in herbicide application.
- Experience, coursework, or other training in GPS and GIS.
- Qualification as a FFT 1 or SRB (see http://www.tncfiremanual.org/Firefighter.htm), must be able to pass an Arduous Pack Test, and experience participating in prescribed fires or wildfires.
- Ability to identify eastern US native and invasive plants.
- Ability to work in a team environment.
- Ability to represent the Conservancy in a positive manner to partners and the public.
- Ability to manage time and diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results.
- Ability to provide for own transportation when necessary, with mileage reimbursed
- Ability to work independently in remote locations.