About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Position Summary:

In partnership with the Town of Stratford, the WildLife Guard Crew Leader will be responsible for the direct supervision, training, and execution of an Audubon Connecticut youth employment program.

This position focuses on management efforts taking place at the Great Meadows Marsh and on Long Beach, both in Stratford, CT. Great Meadows is a unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and approximately 700-acres in size, making this Globally Important Bird Area one of the largest mostly un-ditched salt marsh in CT. Since fall 2021, there has been a massive restoration effort underway, which aims to control invasive plant species, improve tidal flow, and create habitat that is beneficial to a host of plants and animals.

Long Beach is a priority mainland nesting area in the state for federally threatened Piping Plover, state threatened Least Tern, and state threatened American Oystercatcher. This local park is also popular with both anglers and residents. Crew Leaders (2) will supervise a team of eight local high school students, participating in the Wildlife Guards Program. The program trains, mentors, and employs local youth to monitor nesting shorebirds, restore habitat, and engage visitors, families, and friends about the project areas and their wildlife.

This is a seasonal, part-time position working Tuesday through Saturday (20-30 hrs/week) starting May 12th and ending August 22nd. Note: Audubon staff will provide two weeks of paid training to Crew Leaders at the beginning of the WildLife Guards Program. The position is based in Stratford, CT.

Compensation:

$19.00 / hour

Essential Functions

The WildLife Guard Crew Leader, through training and supervision of high school students participating in Audubon’s youth employment program, will assist conservation scientists with the monitoring and stewardship of critical shoreline habitat. This position is ideal for an early career professional. Crew Leader duties include:

• Weekend work will be required (Saturdays). Holiday work is not required.

• Mentoring, motivating, and inspiring the students to work as part of the employment program in a professional manner.

• Facilitating team building and helping students work through challenging situations.

• Developing and implementing public outreach programs (e.g., nature walks, seine netting, touch tank, scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, tabling).

• Every week (or as is required) creating a schedule of activities (e.g., outreach programs, bird monitoring, and habitat restoration work) to be performed daily by students as well as educational enrichment. This shall also include testing for student program participants at the beginning and end of the field season.

• Tracking program metrics (e.g., number of people engaged, materials distributed, pledges to protect birds signed and hours spent monitoring site.)

• Provide content for applicable Audubon CT social media.

• Collecting and entering data into online databases (e.g., Microsoft Excel & Google Sheets).

• Writing weekly reports detailing management activities at each site.

• Coordinating monitoring efforts with other Audubon CT staff and partners.

• Organizing and leading volunteer events as needed. Should be comfortable speaking and facilitating group discussion.

• Additional duties may be assigned to support other aspects of the youth employment program.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Experience guiding and mentoring students while fostering positive learning environments.

• Experience supervising high school aged students required (comparable/equivalent experience may be considered).

• Coursework in the active pursuit of a degree in biology, wildlife management, or related field preferred.

• Experience leading environmental education and public outreach programs highly desirable

• Experience and ability to communicate clearly via written, spoken and graphical means along with responding to communications in a prompt and timely manner. Crew Leaders should be comfortable interacting with students, their families, the public, and project partners in a professional manner.

• Good planning skills desired. In the event of poor weather, Crew Leaders will need to coordinate with the Program Manager and have their teams work at a pre-determined “classroom setting” location when fieldwork is not possible.

• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point) and Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms) software required.

• Knowledge of waterbirds & native/invasive plant species found in CT is desirable.

• Knowledge of coastal ecosystems is highly desirable.

• Fluency in Spanish a plus.

• Willingness to traverse in a variety of coastal terrain and able to maneuver with at least 30 lbs with or without accommodation.

• Upon hire, Crew Leaders are required to successfully complete an Audubon provided Basic First Aid/CPR certification course.

• Interest in conservation and commitment to the mission of the National Audubon Society.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates.

Accessibility Statement

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