River Restoration & Community Science Apprentice

Watershed Management Group; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

Watershed Management Group in Tucson seeks a River Restoration & Community Science Apprentice to support River Run Network activities and invasive species removal across the Tucson basin.

You will help plan and run community events, train volunteers, and contribute to outreach, monitoring, and grant reporting while engaging diverse communities and learning field techniques.

Qualifications

• Interest in and support of WMG’s mission.
• Ability to engage with diverse communities and build relationships built on trust and understanding.
• Ability to work independently.
• Strong communication and writing skills.
• Promptness and sound organizational skills.
• Experience with natural resources-based field work.
• Proficient in Google Docs, Microsoft Office Suite, and social media.
• Cell phone for work calls.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends and outdoors for field days.

Responsibilities

• Assist with River Run Network invasive species removal and reforestation effort in the Tanque Verde Creek and beyond.
• Co-facilitate community events across Tucson’s creeks and rivers to steward our creeks, utilizing inclusive, hands-on workshop techniques.
• Document project efforts and conduct monitoring.
• Support outreach efforts for these events through email, social media, educational videos, print materials, and in-person outreach.
• Outreach to community groups about river restoration and recruit volunteers.
• Aid in grant reporting, including gathering metric data and developing qualitative content.
• Co-develop and co-manage the Flow365 Community Science Program.
• Attend quarterly training sessions for community members.
• Adopt Flow365 Monitoring sites to collect weekly data.
• Support writing the annual report on data collected by volunteers.
• Create and implement an ecosystem health survey plan.
• Support outreach for this program via email, social media, and events.
• Collaborate with the River Run Network Team to plan major WMG events.
• Participate in event planning, volunteer engagement, and event marketing.
• Conduct in-person education and lead activities with all ages.

Skills

Strong communication

Writing skills

Independent work

Organizational skills

Field work experience

Google Docs

Microsoft Office

Social media

Ability to work evenings/weekends

Outdoor work

Tools

ArcGIS Online (Survey123)

Job description

River Restoration & Community Science Apprentice

The River Restoration & Community Science Apprentice will be part of the team working primarily on WMG’s River Run Network community engagement efforts that fulfill WMG’s strategic goals, including our 50-year goal of restoring flow and ecological function to Tucson’s rivers and creeks, as well as our long-term efforts to steward watershed health and hydro-local water supplies. WMG’s community engagement work primarily encompasses the urban and rural areas within the greater Tucson area.

The Apprentice will focus primarily on supporting the invasive species removal work within the Tucson basin. The Apprentice will also co-facilitate and co-lead community clean-up and invasive species removal events in other parts of watershed, including planning, scheduling, implementing, cleaning up after, and supporting grant reporting for events. The Apprentice will also support the Flow365 Monitoring Program by providing outreach and education to the community, supporting volunteer training efforts, creating and implementing an ecosystem health survey, and planning for shallow groundwater areas around our rivers.

WMG’s restoration efforts work to engage limited-income, BIPOC, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities, and we seek an apprentice who is part of and/or able to effectively engage with these populations.

The Apprentice will participate in weekly onboarding and development activities with a cohort of other apprentices, interns, and docents. Training often occurs on Friday afternoons, 3-5pm.

Job Requirements

• Interest in and support of WMG’s mission
• Ability to engage with diverse communities and build relationships built on trust and understanding
• Ability to work independently
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Promptness and sound organizational skills
• Experience with natural resources-based field work
• Proficient in Google Docs, Microsoft Office Suite, and social media
• Cell phone that can be used to make and receive work calls
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours as needed and work outside in physically demanding environments for field days

Routine Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist with River Run Network invasive species removal and reforestation effort in the Tanque Verde Creek and beyond
  • Co-facilitate community events across Tucson’s creeks and rivers to steward our creeks, utilizing inclusive, hands-on workshop techniques
  • Document project efforts and conduct monitoring
  • Support outreach efforts for these events through email, social media, educational videos, print materials, and in-person outreach
  • Outreach to community groups about this effort to inform and educate about river restoration and recruit groups to volunteer
  • Aid in grant reporting, including gathering metric data and developing qualitative content about the work being done
• Co-develop and co-manage the Flow365 Community Science Program
  • Attend quarterly training sessions for community members to assist with their learning
  • Adopt 1-2 Flow365 Monitoring sites to collect flow data weekly
  • Support writing the annual report on data collected by volunteers in the program
  • Create and implement a plan for an ecosystem health survey
  • Support outreach efforts for this program through through email, social media, educational videos, print materials, and in-person outreach
• Collaborate with the River Run Network Team to support and plan major WMG events
  • Participate in event planning and preparation, volunteer engagement, and event marketing
  • Conduct in-person education, including designing and leading educational activities with people of all ages

Preferred Experience

• ArcGIS Online (i.e Survey123) experience
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work experience or training
• Bilingual speaker and writer, fluent in English and Spanish

About the Organization

At Watershed Management Group (WMG), we envision a world where the relationship between the Sonoran Desert and its people creates prosperity for all. This includes all people, plants, animals, land, and waters of the United States, Mexico, and Native American nations found in the Sonoran Desert. Our mission is to develop and implement community-based solutions to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health of the environment. We provide people with the knowledge, skills, and resources for sustainable livelihoods.

At the core of our work is the value and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the goal of advancing care for people and the environment. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.