Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a private not-for-profit Audubon Sanctuary encompassing 13,000 acres in Southwest Florida’s western Everglades. The Sanctuary is open seven days per week year-round and attracts visitors from all around the world. Being a part of the Corkscrew team means making a difference for conservation.
The Campus Host/Sanctuary Assistant position is a part-time seasonal position assisting with essential end of day and after hour’s functions related to guest safety and facility support and security along with some limited administrative support for our Friends of Corkscrew membership program. Corkscrew closes to the public at 5:30pm each night, except during special events. Hosts support the Blair Visitor Center by ensuring that all visitors have made it off the boardwalk at the close of business hours, and securing the gates and parking lot. Additionally, they support the Facilities Supervisor by serving as on-call resources on weekends and after hours for alarms or unexpected needs that arise from interns or guests such as visiting scientists. Hosts share on-call and closing responsibilities in shifts with others and can expect to work an average of two hours per scheduled day on a four-day rotation. Since there are four positions to conduct this work, staff will rotate through boardwalk closing and on call duties so that, on average, only two hours per day are worked per person on a four-day rotation. When not working, opportunities are also available for individuals interested in volunteering in public education, resource management, maintenance and in our Blair Visitor Center. Volunteerism is key to the success of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and is emphasized as a core operational need and service element within our culture and community.
Host positions are filled by RV campers and are required to live on-site in their personal RV on one of Audubon’s two RV pads. RV sites are equipped with water, sewer and electricity hook-ups as well as a private outdoor patio and grill. Corkscrew is a remote Sanctuary and is known as a dark sky site. The RV pads are nestled in the pine flatwoods near the housing area.
- Conduct boardwalk and parking lot closing functions to ensure that visitors are off the boardwalk prior to closing the Blair Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.
- Be on call during times when the Blair Visitor Center is closed which is between 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m.
- Communicate with Facilities Supervisor as needed regarding any maintenance needs that arise after hours.
- Respond to calls from Audubon’s security company to check on motion or fire alarms should they go off.
- Greet and orient the occasional guest or intern that arrives after hours or on weekends, ensuring that they find the right building and get settled.
- Serve as a resource for guests staying in the Sprunt Cabin should they need a spare lightbulb, flashlight, circuit breaker reset, etc.
- Administrative duties are also required to support the Friends of Corkscrew membership program, as necessary.
- Ability to walk at least three miles at one time in order to conduct the boardwalk sweep.
- Must have a vehicle, driver’s license, and a personal cell phone with service provider. (Please check if your provider has coverage. Verizon service works best at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.)
- Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions related to safety and security.
- Experience working with the public and/or in customer service roles is strongly preferred.