Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Full Time/Part Time
Regular/Temporary
Job ID: 44024
Description:
The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 35 countries, all 50 United States, and your backyard. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Building on the Conservancy’s science-based, collaborative, results-oriented approach and its record of contributing creative and effective solutions to conservation challenges, we are currently implementing a suite of projects that will help cities conserve and benefit from nature and enhance the quality of life for all urban residents. Visit www.nature.org to learn more.
The Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities (HTHC) Initiative is a program of The Nature Conservancy that helps to maintain the health of urban forests, to address the major threat that non-native pests pose to our trees and forests in urban and rural settings, and to engage people in the care and stewardship of community trees and forests. The goals of the program are to improve the health and long-term viability of urban trees, prevent new pests and pathogens from degrading natural forests, and to connect urban residents to nature where they live, work, and play.
The Nature Conservancy seeks a temporary Urban Conservation Crew Leader in Philadelphia. In partnership with the US Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy aims to measure the ecological health of forest fragments in and around the city. These fragments provide vital habitat for remaining wildlife but are subject to tremendous pressure from air pollution, water contamination, and invasion from nonnative species of plants and insects. Crews will participate in the Forest Service’s FRAME (Forest Fragments in Managed Ecosystems) research and may collect data on trees, soil and vegetation. This Urban Conservation field program is a seven (7) week leadership and professional development experience which allows youth over the age of 18 to work with and learn valuable conservation skills from natural resource managers and scientists from The Nature Conservancy, the US Forest Service, and other partner organizations.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The Crew Leader’s primary responsibilities are: to serve as the liaison between Conservancy staff , collaborators and crew members participating in the program; to ensure all data is properly collected, documented and uploaded as required; to maintain survey equipment; to assist with planning and delivering career development workshops and skill-building exercises for crew members; to assist with the planning of, and accompany crew members on, educational and recreational trips as time allows; to assist crew members with development of their end of season presentation; to serve as a positive role model for young conservation professionals; and, to foster a positive work environment and encourage collaboration among crew members.
S/he must be present for all days during which crew members will be working (Monday through Friday), from approximately 9AM to 4:30PM. The Crew Leader must be willing to work occasionally during the evening or on weekends if necessary, but is not expected to work overtime. This position requires daily outdoor physical labor for extended periods of time in adverse conditions.
S/he will directly report to the Pennsylvania Outreach Program Manager. This position will begin on June 27th and end on August 12th, 2016.
Graduate students and applicants with a youth development background are strongly encouraged to apply.
Duties:
- Attend field work orientation and training sessions conducted by Conservancy staff and collaborators prior to and/or during the field research
- Help plan and direct the crew on all monitoring, stewardship, and data collection activities.
- Act as the mentor and chaperone for a team of four crew members.
- Facilitate weekly crew meetings and establish weekly priorities.
- Guide crew members in the development and presentation of a project pertaining to the crew members’ interests.
- Maintain field equipment and tools in proper working order and ensure availability on site.
- Ensure crew members fully understand the nature and importance of urban natural resource management and community engagement.
- Strive to facilitate communication, create a cohesive functioning team among crew members, and motivate them to fully engage with field work.
- Ensure compliance with Nature Conservancy rules and regulations and work with Nature Conservancy Staff to resolve any issues that arise.
- Complete necessary paperwork, including tracking expenses when necessary, to ensure proper administration and evaluation of the program.
- Make day-to-day decisions as delegated by supervisor.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.
Qualifications and Education Requirements:
- May lead or monitor work groups consisting of staff, crew members, and volunteers covering a wide geographic area.
- Works under minimal and distant supervision; must make independent decisions based on experience and judgments.
- Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- Requires long hours in isolated settings.
- Coordinates multiple projects with several variables, setting realistic deadlines and managing timeframes.
- Resolves routine issues independently, consulting with supervisor to develop plans for resolution of complex and unusual problems.
- Cultivates and develops creative ideas to improve conservation strategies.
- Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university. Current enrollment in a graduate program in urban forestry, forest ecology, conservation or related field is preferred.
- Experience in field research and surveys, scientific data collection and management preferred.
- Experience in supervising staff, students, or volunteers (i.e., leadership role and not simply peer group membership)
- Experience working outdoors in various weather conditions.
- Must have housing for duration of program. Housing is not provided.
Preferred Skills:
- Ability and willingness to travel to field sites, potentially over long distances on public transportation or in a Conservancy-provided vehicle.
- Good team player with flexibility, strong communication and organizational skills.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural resource preservation.
- Ability to clearly communicate via written, spoken and graphical means in English.
- Demonstrated leadership capability through college or extracurricular activities.
- Experience working with or knowledge of natural systems, preferably in an urban environment.
- Ability to manage time and diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results.
- Enthusiasm for living and working in an urban environment.
To Apply:
Apply on www.nature.org/careers. Job ID #44024. Application deadline is March 20, 2016.