Job Opening: Teacher Naturalist Positions at Native Plant Trust

[Giffen Maupin]

Dear colleagues,

Native Plant Trust is excited to announce that we are currently hiring multiple Teacher Naturalists to facilitate our school programs. I've included the position description below. Thank you in advance for sharing this role with anyone in your circles who might be interested in working with us. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need additional information.

Warmly,

Giffen

Job Opening: Teacher Naturalists 

See below, or read the position description on our website here.

Native Plant Trust is seeking capable, organized, patient, and enthusiastic educators to lead school programs focused on plant life, habitats, and weather and climate at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA.

About Our School Programs
Native Plant Trust offers school programs that promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the botanical and natural world through experiential and inquiry-based learning. Our programs meet the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering curriculum standards. We currently offer several programs for schools, including Plant Survival and Adaptation for grade 3 and The Life of a Plant for grades 3-4. Each school visit to the Garden is one hour long and has pre- and post- classroom activities. Programs take place on weekdays between May and October.

Responsibilities

• Lead school programs on weekdays from May through October 2024
• Participate in a training session in mid-late April 2024
• Learn and deliver the school program curriculum creatively, energetically, and skillfully to groups of approximately 10-14 students
• Monitor your group in all types of outdoor environments, and listen for key safety concerns and alerts
• Appropriately and skillfully communicate with other Teacher Naturalists and the Public Programs team at Native Plant Trust
• Assume additional related duties as requested

Qualifications
The successful candidate will:

• Be available to work 1.5-hour tour shifts, as needed, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., 1-3 days a week (preferably 3) on weekdays from May through October 2024
• Have BA or BS or working toward one, preferably in education, environmental studies, environmental science, botany, conservation, natural resources, biology, or earth science
• Have previous experience as an educator, preferably with ages 4-10, plus familiarity with inquiry-based learning
• Be able to deliver curricula aligned with state standards
• Be creative and able to adapt the curriculum to engage students as necessary
• Have excellent communication skills, demonstrated interpersonal skills, and ability to work cooperatively and independently
• Be flexible, dependable, responsible, and organized
• Have demonstrated ability to promote, embrace, and respect ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity and to accommodate physical and intellectual disabilities
• Pass a criminal background check (e.g., CORI)
• Be able to lift 30 pounds and lead walks on trails
• Have a valid driver’s license and the ability to learn to drive a golf cart

Compensation

Rate of Pay: $100/tour (tours are 1-1.5 hours)

Training Stipend: $75

Job Type: consultant

Important Dates

Applications will be accepted until April 1, 2024
Training takes place in mid- to late April. Teacher-naturalists are required to attend the training session.
School programs begin in May.

Application Instructions
To apply, please email a resume and cover letter to Bess Paupeck, Director of Public Programs, at bpau...@NativePlantTrust.org

About Public Programs

Native Plant Trust is a national leader in native plant education and offers many opportunities around New England to explore the world of native plants via in person and online courses, workshops, lectures, and field trips. Through the large and varied offerings, you can learn the basics, explore hotspots of plant diversity, be inspired by gardens, and design your own landscapes. At Garden in the Woods, we provide adult group tours and school programs for grades 3 and 4.

We also offer basic and advanced certificates in Field Botany and Native Plant Horticulture & Design, both appropriate for all lifelong learners. Graduates of the certificate program apply their knowledge and skills to fields ranging from conservation to landscape design, management, and planning.

Our online classes serve as a resource for plant lovers throughout the region and the country. The interactive website Go Botany enables everyone from beginners to professionals to discover and identify thousands of plant species in the New England flora and to learn botanical skills applicable to the flora of any region.