Nature Educator

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Inc; California (MO); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Inc is seeking a part-time Nature Educator to support school field trips, youth and family programs, and offsite outreach. You will lead groups of K-5 students on garden tours, collaborate with the Education Department, and help prepare materials and activities.

This seasonal role emphasizes creativity, flexibility, and strong verbal communication with children and adults, with occasional weekend work and travel to partner locations as needed.

Qualifications

• Pass a Livescan background check and Mandated Reporter training as required by California state law.
• Pediatric First Aid and CPR certification is required.
• Travel to offsite locations for afterschool programs and outreach events.
• Valid California Driver’s license and use of personal vehicle for work, with weekly travel to Santa Barbara and Goleta.
• Knowledge of ecology, botany, and natural history of California preferred.
• Spanish fluency preferred.
• Excellent time management and communication skills.
• Flexibility and ability to respond to diverse group situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise groups of 5-15 students (K-5) on garden exploration tours incorporating STEM, NGSS, and CA Environmental Literacy standards.
• Serve as tour hosts, welcome groups, collect information, and distribute passes.
• Provide afterschool programming at partner locations based on K-6 Garden Pathfinder curriculum.
• Facilitate outdoor play, exploration, and curiosity with Garden guests.
• Coordinate Pathfinder programming on select Saturdays for kids aged 8-12.
• Participate in offsite outreach at events like Science Nights and Earth Day.
• Support family events and interpretive activities; assist with materials prep and data entry.

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Overview:

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s mission is to conserve California native plants and habitats for th health and well-being of people and the planet. The Garden is a living museum which fosters the conservation of California’s native plants through our gardens, research, and education, and serves as a role model of sustainable practices. Within the scope of this mission, the goals of the Education team are to facilitate transformative experiences with native plants, encourage wider use of native plants in our communities, and empower conservation leaders for the future.

Nature Educators work during the school year to lead youth-focused programs that ignite interest and curiosity about California’s native plants and habitats. They’ll provide general support to the Garden’s Education Department through school field trips, youth and family events, offsite afterschool programs and general public interactions. Nature Educators should be passionate about sharing nature with the public, creative and flexible in their teaching approach, and able to work either as a team or individually to provide effective and impactful programming. This is a part-time (6-13 hours a week), seasonal position, that reports to the Youth and Family Programs Manager.

Essential Duties:

• Lead and supervise groups of 5-15 students (grades K-5) on exploration tours of the Garden that incorporate STEM, NGSS, and CA Environmental Literacy standards.
• Serve as tour hosts by welcoming groups upon arrival, filling in group information and distributing family passes
• Travel to partner locations and schools to provide after school programming based on the K-6 Garden Pathfinder curriculum (spring)
• Facilitate experiences with Garden guests that promote outdoor play, exploration and curiosity
• On select Saturdays, provide Pathfinder programming for guests of children ages 8-12
• Participate in offsite outreach tables at community events such as school Science Nights and Earth Day
• Facilitate and support programming during regular family events
• Answer general questions about the Garden and its Education Programs to the public.
• Support interpretive activities such as creating signage, activity prompts, activity ideas, etc.
• Assist the Education Department with general departmental needs such as prepping materials for programs, preparing plant materials, entering archival documents, surveying visitors, entering data, etc.
• Attend check-in meetings with Education staff as necessary
• Support additional education programming as necessary

Work Schedule:

• Position runs September 1st through June 6th
• Must be available for training from 9:30am-2pm on September 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th
• Must be available to work at least one Tuesday and Thursday morning shifts from 9:30am until 12:30pm
• Additional weekly hours available, typically as extended Tuesday/Thursday shifts (12:30-2pm), but flexibility is available
• Starting in October, available to work 2-4 weekend shifts a month to facilitate youth and family activities
• Available to work family events on select Friday evenings and Saturday mornings
• Available to work with visiting groups and offsite after school programs. Specific hours and dates depend on the group.

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Pass a Livescan background check and complete Mandated Reporter training as required by the California state law
• Having or obtaining Pediatric First Aid and CPR certification is required
• This role involves traveling to offsite locations for afterschool programs and outreach events
• This position requires a valid California Driver’s license and use of your personal vehicle to drive for work. During the spring, you will travel approximately once a week to clients within Santa Barbara and Goleta. You’ll typically spend 2-3 hours at the offsite location.
• Knowledge of ecology, botany, and/or natural history of California preferred
• Working understanding of outdoor etiquette and basic Leave No Trace principles
• Spanish fluency preferred
• Excellent time management skills
• Flexibility and ability to respond appropriately to diverse group situations
• Excellent verbal communication skills with both children and adults

Qualifications and Experience:

• Pursuing or have obtained a degree in education, ecology, botany, or relevant science field preferred
• Experience in a botanic garden, environmental education, and/or a museum setting preferred
• Preference goes to those candidates who have experience with informal education activities in a natura