The Laramie Foothills Assistant Steward is responsible for managing and advancing stewardship and outreach programs within the Laramie Foothills Conservation Area in northern Colorado. The Laramie Foothills Assistant Steward will be primarily responsible for the day-to-day regional stewardship activities, as well as some outreach and guest services responsibilities at Phantom Canyon Preserve (Preserve). This is a full time, short-term 6-month seasonal position beginning in mid-April 2019 through mid-October, 2019. The selected candidate will live in housing provided at the Preserve for the entire field season.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Oversee and implement stewardship needs throughout the Laramie Foothills Conservation Area, with a focus on Phantom Canyon Preserve. This includes weed mitigation, fence repairs, rare plant monitoring, and trail maintenance and construction.
- Communicate, organize and oversee Preserve visitor and volunteer activities, including donor visits, guided natural history hikes, educational programs and fundraising events. This includes coordinating logistics for these programs, managing the calendar of activities, and preparing supportive materials as needed.
- Monitor preserves and conservation easements in the Laramie Foothills.
- Maintain on-site facilities and grounds in proximity to facilities, which includes a Visitor Center, a bunk house for seasonal staff, and a guest cabin for visitors. The Preserve facilities operate off a photovoltaic system, a generator for back-up, propane for cook stoves and a woodstove for heat. Facilities maintenance duties will include keeping facilities clean and well-stocked, and performing minor repairs as needed. Nearby grounds maintenance duties will include managing non-native invasive plant species and a hot-wired fence, as well as an easily accessible hiking trail.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Strong work stamina outside, in variable weather conditions, performing physical labor.
- Coordinating the Preserve visitation in a highly professional and personable manner.
- Proficiently communicating and interacting with landowners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, volunteers and the general public; Administer projects such that they are completed in a financially responsible and timely manner.
- Leading stewardship projects in a safe and positive way that clearly defines work objectives, while ensuring the ground work implemented results in a high quality product.
- Safe use and maintenance of ground tools, such as weed trimmers, hand saws, Pulaski, splitting maul, and shovels. Safe use and maintenance of construction tools, such as drills, saws and hammers.
- Ability to work creatively, making smart decisions under limited supervision, while maintaining a strong line of communication with the Laramie Foothills Steward.
- Ability to work in variable weather conditions, at a remote location, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Willingness to learn local biodiversity and communicate accurate information regarding biodiversity to users.
- Position may include interactions with youth.
Educational Background:
BA/BS/AS/Technical or vocational degree in a science-related field
Skills/Experience:
- 1 year related experience in custodial and ecological land management or similar field OR equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience working outside in manual labor positions, in a crew setting and with hand tools.
- Experience with natural systems in ecological land management principles.
- Experience supervising staff and volunteers.
- Experience operating and or repairing various types of equipment and machinery.
- Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g.; Word, Excel, Web browsers).
- Experience, coursework, or other training in GPS and iPad technology.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- 2 years of related work experience in a land management position OR 5 years of relevant on-the-ground work experience that is the equivalent of job duties detailed.
- Experience representing an organization to a wide variety of audiences.
- Ability to recognize or quickly learn plant and animal species to complete preserve management activities.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural resource preservation.
- Ability to complete tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken and graphical means.
- Demonstrated ability to work across teams and with a diverse range of individuals and partners.
- Models and supports a culture of strong teamwork, communication, collaboration and accountability.
Additional Information:
This is a full time, short-term, 6-month seasonal position beginning in mid-April 2019 through mid-October, 2019. Housing is provided at the preserve for the entire field season.
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Jan 27 2019
Active Until:
Feb 28 2019
Hiring Organization:
Nature Conservancy
industry:
Nonprofit