Conservation Educator

Sauk County is home to a vast array of lakes, rivers, and creeks with 22,000 acres of natural parks and open spaces that allow for 100 miles of biking, hiking, and walking. The ultimate destination where anyone can happily live, work, and play, Sauk County is searching for the right candidate to educate and support the community as part of the Land Resources and Environment team.

About the role

The Conservation Educator develops and implements a comprehensive information and education program focusing on agricultural, environmental, and zoning issues affecting the county. This position provides technical guidance to the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Department and technical advice to area property owners, organizations, and governmental units regarding soil and water conservation practices.

Responsibilities

• Organize and coordinate conservation education programs for landowners, including field days, tours, demonstrations, award programs, and the development and distribution of educational materials and services.
• Create, plan, and prepare new educational programs that further the goals and objectives of the Land and Water Resource Management (LWRM) Plan.
• Set up and facilitate special meetings or workshops for target audiences regarding environmental and zoning issues affecting the county.
• Create and coordinate a team of farmers and agriculture professionals to promote agricultural conservation practices—particularly soil health, rotational grazing, grass-fed beef, and specialty crops—using the Sauk County Farm as a working classroom.
• Execute and coordinate a media program, including interviews, news articles, public service announcements, department website updates, feature stories, radio and television segments, and the countywide newsletter.
• Oversee the Ag Plastic Program and Hazardous Waste Program (Clean Sweep) in cooperation with DATCP, waste disposal companies, and county departments; prepare and submit applicable grant applications for reimbursement programs.
• Create and manage environmental education and special programs for K-12 educators and local youth group leaders, including youth days, classroom presentations, teacher workshops, outdoor classroom experiences, water quality monitoring, countywide contests, and other activities.
• Oversee the Backyard Conservation program by promoting urban conservation practices (e.g., rain barrels, rain gardens, composting), managing material sales, providing installation information, and awarding yard signs for participants.
• Act as the department education liaison with other departments, agencies, school districts, businesses, and organizations.
• Supervise and assign day-to-day responsibilities to the Education Program Assistant LTE.
• Manage department literature by maintaining and distributing program brochures and bulletins.
• Research and identify funding sources, including grants and donations, to implement educational and outreach programs; apply for and manage short-term or grant projects.
• Disseminate information collected from studies and evaluations in a concise format for publication.
• Conduct programs that may be held in the evening or on weekends to accommodate intended audiences.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Two years of experience in soil and water conservation planning.
• Two years of experience conducting conservation outreach and education programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Agricultural experience.
• Inventory management software experience.
• ArcMap/GIS software experience.