Part Time Nature Center Educator Assistant- Reedy Creek Nature Center (19hr/week)

Position Summary

Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation is seeking a Part Time Nature Center Educator Assistant to join our team at Reedy Creek Nature Center! The incumbent will assist with facilitating environmental education and/or outdoor recreation programming, assist with nature center operations including customer service, care of ambassador/exhibit animals, upkeep of the grounds, and assist with additional special events as needed. This position will work about 19 hours per week, which will include a combination of daytime hours, evenings and occasional weekends based upon business and facility needs.

Facility Information

Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve offers a variety of educational programs for all ages and is open to our visitors 7 days a week. The nature center features live, native animals, an exhibit hall, a classroom, a gift shop and the Dr. James F. Matthews Center for Biodiversity Studies. In addition, the nature preserve consists of 900+ acres of natural habitats and over 10 miles of hiking trails.

Essential Functions

• Conduct and/or assist with developing environmental and historic education and interpretive programs for all ages and diverse audiences, including facility tours, curricular school programs, summer camp programs, public lectures, special events, outreach programs, live animal programs and field experiences in a variety of outdoor environments both on and off-site.
• Maintain program props, interpretive displays, native plant gardens, and demonstration compost areas
• Assist with planning and implementation of teacher workshops and special events
• Assist with development of educational exhibits, interpretive brochures, and other educational materials
• May assist with the care and feeding of exhibit animals
• Assist with operation of the nature center, or historic site, gift shop, program registration, and facility maintenance
• May assist with Outdoor Recreation programming as needed
• Maintain general housekeeping in work area
• May coordinate volunteer efforts
• Work as part of an overall team of program staff at all nature centers and historic sites within Mecklenburg County
• Follow the work plan as prepared by the supervisor
• Respond to emergency situations

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: None required
• Education: Requires enrollment in, or completion of, a bachelor’s degree in natural/environmental sciences, biology, botany, ecology, environmental education, education, social studies/civics or related field
• Combination of relevant experience and relevant education accepted?: Yes
• Licenses/Certifications: May require a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver’s License and County Driving Privileges
• Computer Skills: General knowledge of applicable computer programs

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Educational programming and instruction in assigned area
• Skills:
  • Managing multiple tasks concurrently
  • Developing and enforcing classroom rules and safety procedures
  • Organizing and presenting demonstrations in area of specialization
• Abilities:
  • Building Partnerships: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units or organizations to help achieve business goals
  • Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that instills confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
  • Customer Service: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty
  • Energy: Consistently maintaining high levels of activity or productivity; operating with vigor, effectiveness, and determination over extended periods of time
  • Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the information provided
  • Initiating Action: Taking prompt action to accomplish objectives; taking action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being proactive
  • Time Management: Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently

Work Environment

Works outdoors exposed to varying weather conditions