Contractual Wildlife Educator

Piedmont Wildlife Center; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 900 - 1,800; Part time

Job summary

Piedmont Wildlife Center in Durham, NC seeks a Contractual Field Trip Educator with a flexible schedule to run raptor tours during field trips and participate in animal programming training. This extremely part-time role (~5-10 hours per month) prioritizes weekday availability for field trips.

The Educator works with ambassador animals in on-site programs, birthday parties, and school visits, contributing to outdoor education and conservation storytelling.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a natural science field or equivalent experience.
• Most school programs are scheduled during the week; must be available during at least one or more weekdays.
• Attention to safety of animals and participants.

Responsibilities

• Follow a standard Raptor Tour program (~40-45 minutes) explaining natural history and conservation.
• Lead a group and educate on ~1 mile of trails (paved and unpaved).
• Speak in front of small groups (15-45 people).
• Teach in a team setting with Conservation Team during large programs.
• Ensure safety of all tour participants while navigating trails.
• Arrive at least 20 minutes prior to start time.
• Willingness to learn.

Skills

Public speaking

Group leadership

Safety awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in natural science

NC-EE certification or pursuing

Job description

Piedmont Wildlife Center is seeking a Contractual Field Trip Educator with a flexible schedule to help run raptor tours during field trips with the opportunity to be trained on animal programming. We teach natural history lessons and conservation practices with the help of our ambassador animals during birthday parties, on-site field trips and at-school programs. This is an extremely part-time position (~5-10 hours per month) and hours will vary greatly depending on the program schedule. This is a great opportunity for those looking to get experience with education, but have a limited schedule. Since field trips occur during the weekdays, we are specifically looking for an Educator with weekday availability to help with field trips.

Organizational Overview: Piedmont Wildlife Center is a Durham-based non-profit environmental organization encouraging conservation and inspiring people to build lifelong connections with nature through immersive outdoor education, citizen science, and wildlife stewardship. We offer year-round outdoor education programs as well as conservation-themed outreach and citizen science programs with our resident ambassador animals.

Land Acknowledgement: Piedmont Wildlife Center operates out of Leigh Farm Park in Durham County. Leigh Farm Park is a remnant of a 19th century plantation. The Durham County Park department has preserved multiple historic structures. It is extremely important that we discuss this history with our staff and campers, honor the Indigenous and enslaved peoples who cared for the land, amplify their stories, and continue learning about and examining the parks' legacy. Please let us know if you have perspectives or resources to share - we are always interested in getting staff involved in our journey.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Following a standard "Raptor Tour" program that is approximately 40-45 minutes long. The program includes discussing the natural history and conservation efforts of North Carolina native raptors, but does not include handling of any animals.
• Ability to lead a group and educate on ~1 mile of paved and unpaved trails.
• Ability to speak in front of small (15-45 people) groups.
• Ability to teach in a team setting with members of the Conservation Team during large programs.
• Ensuring the safety of all tour participants while navigating our trails.
• Ability to manage time efficiently in order to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the start time of a field trip.
• Willingness to learn.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a natural science field or equivalent experience.
• Extremely flexible schedule. Most school programs are scheduled during the week. Must be available during at least one or more weekdays.
• Attention to detail, especially in relation to the safety of animals and program participants.
• Confident and enthusiastic.
• Dependable. Must have reliable transportation.
• Comfortable working independently.
• Comfortable teaching in an outdoor setting year-round.
• Preference given to those with:
  • Knowledge of NC native wildlife and habitats
  • Experience working with children (pre-K through 8th grade)
  • NC-EE certification or working towards certification

Schedule: The Contractual Field Trip Educator will not have a regular schedule. Scheduling will be based on the Educator's availability and the program schedule. Field trips only occur from March-October.

Pay: $15/hour