Environmental Educator

Position Title: Environmental Educator

Status: Part Time/Salaried/Exempt 0.6 FTE

Reports To: Education Director

Introduction:

The Pepperwood Foundation seeks a bilingual (English-Spanish) Environmental Educator to support and help grow its educational programming.  The mission of Pepperwood is to steward the life and landscapes of the Preserve and to advance science-based conservation of ecosystems throughout our region and beyond.  Pepperwood owns and operates a 3200-acre preserve in Sonoma County dedicated to ecological research and education.

The Dwight Center for Conservation Science is a 9400 square foot LEED-certified green building equipped with new administrative, educational, and research facilities to support the expansion of programs at Pepperwood Preserve. The center provides an administrative base for eight staff (including administrators, naturalists, and educators) and serves as a venue for regional conservation gatherings and workshops.

This position is based at the newly-opened Dwight Center and also involves teaching and programs on the Preserve and in area classrooms.  The bilingual Environmental Educator is a part-time position delivering K-8 science program, summer camp, and weekend family experiences.

Job Summary:

The Educator works with Pepperwood’s science-based school education program. The program currently reaches 1,300 area children, 60% of whom are from Title 1 schools.  The program focuses on natural science content and strives to promote conservation through science. The educator helps design and lead field trips, develops and implements related classroom lessons, and supports summer camp. The educator also supports the community education program providing staffing support for public hikes. The educator reports to the Education Director and works closely with the School Groups Program Manager. Teaching may require work occasionally on weekends.

Essential Functions:

1. Leads hands-on experiential hikes for groups of students at the Pepperwood Preserve and natural history lessons in Dwight Center classrooms
2. Develops, implements, and helps evaluate Pepperwood’s pilot in-school classroom component
3. Designs related student materials for classroom and field instruction
4. Supports the design, marketing, implementation, and evaluation of summer camp
5. Translates student materials and handouts into Spanish for classroom and field experiences
6. Supports protocols and procedures for tracking teaching supplies and equipment. Orders and organizes equipments, keeping within budget parameters
7. Helps implement the education evaluation plan; enters data for education metrics
8. Helps staff monthly public hikes and other community education offerings
9. Attends staff meetings, regular meetings with supervisor, and education program meetings

Ancillary Functions:

1. Supports educational reporting for grants and provides input on education grants and proposals
2. Professionally represents the program and Pepperwood to donors and the public

Essential Requirements:

1. Bachelors degree in biology, environmental science, natural science, botany, zoology, or a related field
2. Minimum 3 years experience teaching diverse elementary and middle school children in a formal or non-formal environment
3. Abilities in written and spoken Spanish adequate to complete translations and provide one-on-one student support for Spanish speaking students
4. Experience developing standards-based science curriculum
5. Ability to identify Sonoma county flora, fauna, ecosystems, and other natural phenomenon; understanding of field science investigation processes
6. Experience working within a budget
7. Must be able to follow protocols and procedures, completing all necessary forms
8. Must have current CPR and First Aid certification
9. Excellent written and verbal communications skills
10. Proficiency in MS Office and use of the internet
11. Good driving record

Non-essential Preferences:

1. Experience working in a nature preserve.
2. Experience is conducting field science research
3. Knowledge of Sonoma area anthropology/archeology
4. Wilderness First Aid certified preferred

Work Environment:

Work occurs in the field at the Preserve, in the Dwight Center, and in area classrooms with some travel required. Field teaching is often in often extreme weather. Hiking over uneven terrain.  Poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes are common.  Some teaching and office work in the Dwight Center.  Office setting: cubicle workstations, artificial lighting, public spaces and classrooms. Sometimes solitary.  Area classrooms: artificial lighting, portables, and conventional classrooms, and outdoors.

Travel: Local travel required, generally within 10 Bay Area counties to area classrooms.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to hike up to 5 miles per day over uneven terrain.  Ability to work under adverse weather conditions. Lifting 25 lbs.  Office work station requires extended sitting and fine finger movements.  Visual capacity to review and develop print and web media. Mobility required to navigate two-story Dwight Center.

Compensation:

A compensation package commensurate with experience will be developed for the selected candidate.

To Apply:

If interested, please send a cover letter and resume (including a minimum of three professional references) to the attention of Linda Sattler, Administrative Manager, Dwight Center for Conservation Science, 2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404; email: [email protected].