The Hubbard Fellowship is designed for recent college graduates, and bridges the gap between school and career by providing comprehensive experience working for a conservation organization. The Hubbard Fellow will participate in a wide range of conservation activities, including prairie restoration, invasive species control, prescribed fire, fence building and repair, data collection and entry, conservation planning, grant writing, leading tours, giving presentations to various groups, budget creation, and more. The Fellow will also travel to multiple Conservancy sites, attend conservation-related meetings and conferences, and shadow Conservancy and partner staff in various capacities. In addition, the Fellow will plan and conduct an independent project catered to the Fellow’s individual interests and career objectives. The Fellow will need to work closely with Conservancy staff, cooperating scientists, volunteers, and graduate students. This twelve month (full-time) position will require irregular hours and will include extensive outdoor physical labor under adverse conditions. The Hubbard Fellow is supervised by the Director of Science, and may oversee the activities of short-term staff and volunteers. This position is located at the Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies, in a rural part of central Nebraska at Wood River, NE, and will run from February 4, 2019 through January 31, 2020. Housing is provided on a Conservancy Preserve.
The Hubbard Fellow participates in preserve operations, maintenance and management at the Platte River Prairies and other Conservancy sites. This may include one or more of the following functions:
- Invasive species control, including herbicide application
- Livestock management
- Prescribed burning
- Construction, repair, and maintenance of fences and other preserve infrastructure
- Operates and maintains tools and equipment
In addition, the Fellow also:
- Harvests, cleans, and plants local-ecotype prairie seed for restoration projects.
- Conducts tours of Conservancy properties, including sandhill crane viewing tours.
- Gives presentations to various groups about The Nature Conservancy’s work.
- Proposes and completes an independent project on a topic mutually acceptable to the Conservancy and the Fellow.
- Assists with outreach on TNC’s work by helping to design and implement social media and web-based strategies.
- Assists with research and monitoring data collection, entry, and analysis.
- Assists with land management and restoration planning.
- Tracks and records management and restoration activities using GPS and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Assists with other duties related to finance, philanthropy, and marketing.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- May lead or monitor work groups consisting of staff, interns, and volunteers covering a wide geographic area.
- Financial responsibility may include working within a budget to complete projects, negotiating and contracting with vendors, assisting with budget development and fundraising targets.
- Networks with diverse groups, including land owners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, board members and the general public to recruit support for the Conservancy and publicize Conservancy programs/preserves.
- May work under minimal and/or distant supervision; may make some independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Experience with natural systems.
- Experience in ecological land management principles.
- Experience operating and or repairing various types of equipment and machinery.
- Must have a valid driver's license.
- Qualified as or able to meet qualifications for Prescribed Fire Crew Member (http://www.tncfiremanual.org/RXCM.htm).
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross cultural experience appreciated.
- 1 – 2 years related experience in custodial and ecological land management or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Some experience managing volunteers or entry level staff.
- Ability to recognize plant and animal species to complete preserve management activities.
- Knowledge/understanding of current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural resource preservation/conservation or similar field.
- Ability to complete tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
- Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g.; Word, Excel, Web browsers).
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.