STRAW Conservation Educator

Conservation Educator at Point Blue Conservation Science

Location: Petaluma, CA. Most STRAW staff continue to do office work remotely, from home. This position would involve a mix of office work from home, time in the field, and at schools.

Duration: December 2024- August 2025, with possibility of extension.

Deadline to Apply: November 3, 2024

Position Type: Extended Seasonal, Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Compensation and Benefits: $27.62 per hour, depending on experience. Point Blue provides a comprehensive benefit package including employer paid medical and dental for staff and 75% for dependents. Other benefits include life insurance, long-term care, long and short term disability, flexible spending accounts, and retirement plans as well as time off benefits.

About Point Blue:
Point Blue Conservation Science is a growing and internationally renowned non-profit with over 160 staff and scientists based in Petaluma, California. Founded in 1965 as Point Reyes Bird Observatory, our mission and programs have evolved over time to include a broad range of conservation activity, from restoration to environmental education to innovative work in the field of regenerative agriculture.  We have a proven track record of scientific excellence.

We recognize that increasing racial, gender, cultural, and other diversity, equity, and inclusion factors at Point Blue and in our partnerships is essential for the success of our mission, vision, and strategy. We are actively engaging in a process to create lasting organizational change. We seek applicants from all backgrounds to join our teams. We strongly encourage applications from people with backgrounds that are under-represented in the conservation community.

Job Summary
The STRAW Conservation Educator position works as part of a collaborative team responsible for meeting program objectives, including providing meaningful opportunities for students and teachers to learn about and make a positive change in their local community through wetland and riparian restoration in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The STRAW Conservation Educator will teach a significant portion of our total school-based lessons and support many student restoration days.

Essential Functions

STRAW Program Implementation: 90-95%

• Teaching independently and with other educators throughout the Bay Area
  • Primarily outdoors
    • On school campuses
      • Prepare students for upcoming restoration day
      • Teach Multi- Visit Program (MVP) lessons
      • Teach supplemental lessons regarding a variety of environmental education topics (i.e. birds, observation skills, nature journaling, growing native plants, etc.)
      • Model teaching science outdoors for K-12 teachers
      • Provide enrichment to students through teaching outdoors (benefits include social emotional learning, kinesthetic learning, 3D model making/ engineering skill development, increased Covid safety, and more)
    • At restoration days with students and adult chaperones
      • Lead large and small groups of students (i.e. opening and closing circles, learning stations, chaperone circles, planting demonstrations, facilitating student planting groups, etc).
• Lead, coordinate and schedule school visits to deliver lessons throughout the Bay Area
• Attend and support restoration days with students, chaperones, and teachers throughout the Bay Area
• Design and edit restoration science, native plant nursery, and place-based curriculum
• Build relationships with STRAW teachers, support them with resources, ideas, and check ins
• Support STRAW Faculty, a group of retired teachers, with logistics, scheduling, teaching technology
• Attend environmental education collaborative meetings and build relationships with local environmental educators and support environmental education efforts regionally.
• Share teaching tips and ideas across the STRAW team
• Provide support and guidance to STRAW apprentices in developing their skills as educators.
• Assist with Watershed Week (STRAW’s annual teacher training) development and logistics, lead portions of the event.
• Support the Conservation Community College Internship (CCCI) program through all stages: recruitment, hiring, teaching, coordinating.
• Outreach to local high schools, junior colleges, and universities to raise awareness about careers in conservation science.
• Support with education related grant writing and reporting.

• Participate in cross programmatic initiatives and working groups (i.e. DEI Working Group, Indigenous Partnership Dialogue group, etc.)

• At least 9+ months teaching experience with K-12 students either in formal or informal settings
  • Demonstrated classroom management skills, especially outdoors
  • Understanding of questioning strategies
  • Foundational knowledge regarding several teaching philosophies, including land-based learning, place-based learning, inquiry-based learning, service learning, and culturally relevant teaching
  • Familiarity with various teaching techniques
  • Familiarity with lesson planning, Next Generation Science Standards, and assessment tools 
  • Demonstrated risk management when teaching outside
• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Education or related field   
• A strong interest in education, specifically environmental education
• An interest in the field of community-based ecological restoration science/ watershed conservation
• Clear, thoughtful communicator
• Attentive to details, thorough
• Adaptable/ flexible
• Organized, skilled at managing schedule and time.
• Enjoy working on a team.
• An eagerness to learn, especially about teaching techniques and equity in education
• Understanding of the myriad of relationships students may have with the outdoors based on class, race, and gender

• Valid California driver’s license and favorable driving history, and proof of auto insurance.
  • Willingness to drive personal vehicle (if available) and work vehicles to teach at schools throughout the Bay Area 
  • Willingness to travel for several days at a time, about 1-3 times per year (primarily in the South Bay and/or Plumas County with overnight stays, funded through work)
• Must meet school district requirements to work with school children (background checks and fingerprinting)
• Ability to meet Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Aid certification requirements (Wilderness First Aid training is generally offered by Point Blue Conservation Science every 1-2 years)

• This position operates in professional offices, from home, restoration field sites, and K-12 school environments.
• This position operates in remote field locations with uneven terrain, limited vehicle access, limited cell phone receptions, and sometimes in a solitary capacity. Must be able to work a full week outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, printers, scanners, and filing cabinets.
• About 30-50% of the work environment is indoors at a computer.
• Ability to stand, bend, stoop, sit, walk, twist and turn.
• Ability to move up to 30 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to use a computer keyboard and calculator.

• This is a full time, extended seasonal position, working 40 hours per week.
• This position will span from December 2024- August 2025 with the possibility of extension
• Days and hours of work are generally Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, with some flexibility and variation depending on season (some restoration days with students may start as early as 6:30 or 7am)
• Very occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand with advanced notice.
• Travel is expected for this position to schools and field site locations, mostly within Sonoma and Marin County. Travel to STRAW field sites in South Bay and Plumas County may be required, with overnight stays, funded through work.