Stratford WildLife Guard Crew Leader

Location

Stratford, CT. Part time

JR957

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 ubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

In partnership with the Town of Stratford, the Wild Life 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 Wild Life Guards Program. The position is based in Stratford, CT.

$19.00 / hour

The Wild Life 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…