Street Tree Care Coordinator

THE POSITION: Street Tree Care Coordinator 

The Ecology Center seeks someone who is deeply motivated to inspire environmental stewardship and volunteerism within people of all ages and skills through street tree stewardship. The Street Tree Care Coordinator will be responsible for organizing and carrying out tree care volunteer activities, coordinating training workshops for community members, and managing a tool lending library. This person will also be responsible for launching our new ‘Coolest Block in the Lower East Side’ program - a contest that empowers neighborhood residents to maintain and protect their street trees through soil amendment, pest and contamination management, beautification, and tree guard installation. The Street Tree Care Coordinator must be committed to environmental justice and be comfortable interacting with a wide-range of individuals from a variety of social, ethnic and organizational backgrounds. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Collaborate with leadership to guide the direction and vision for the environmental stewardship program 
• Plan for and carry out street tree stewardship volunteer events for groups of all ages and skills. This includes managing event scheduling and registration, overseeing communication with groups, acting as day-of point person/leader, demonstrating tree care best practices, organizing tools, tracking attendance, and ensuring safety. 
• Work with staff to launch the Coolest Block in the Lower East Side Contest. This includes planning tasks such as: promotion and marketing, communication with contest participants, and developing a judging and award process. The contest is scheduled to launch in early 2025. 
• Collaborate with NYC Parks Department to develop tree care training programs and tree guard installations. 
• Coordinate with the compost operations team to acquire finished compost for soil applications. 
• Transport tools and materials to tree care sites using either an electric cargo tricycle or truck 
• Develop and foster relationships with community partners, including NYC Parks Department, block associations, and community gardens 
• Serve as a representative of the Ecology Center in the local neighborhood and within the broader NYC environmental stewardship community 
• Track participation and programmatic data and write program reports as needed 
• Assist with other Ecology Center programs and activities as needed 
• Continuous development of knowledge and skills in volunteer management through webinars and workshops 

CORE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 

• At least 1 yr of experience related to urban forestry, environmental stewardship, or horticulture 
• Experience managing and retaining volunteers
• Strong familiarity with street tree stewardship practices and working knowledge of NYC native plants, common weeds, tree identification, and soil and tree health 
• Team player that is self-directed with a can-do attitude, organized, and able to manage multiple tasks 
• Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion 
• Ability to work with and effectively communicate with a wide range of audiences including: staff, community and city agency partners, volunteers, youth and adult participants, the general public 
• Enthusiasm to work outdoors in all weather conditions 
• Complete physically demanding tasks and be comfortable handling items up to 50 lbs 
• Flexibility to work on weekends and evenings, varies by season, could range from 1-4 weekend days/month 
• Comfortable with Mac OS, Microsoft Office, and Google Drive apps 
• A valid driver’s license is required, experience driving in NYC preferred 
• Willing to operate a cargo bike on NYC streets (training will be provided) 

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE PREFERRED 

• At least two years of higher education experience 
• Super Steward and/or Citizen Pruner certification 
• Bilingual skills 
• Comfortable with being flexible and adapting to change 
• Demonstrated mentorship and leadership skills 

HOW TO APPLY 

Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter that addresses why you’re interested in the position, how your experiences relate to the job responsibilities, and why you would like to work for the Ecology Center. Application materials should be combined into a single pdf file and sent to info@lesecologycenter.org with “Street Tree Care Coordinator - YOUR NAME” in the subject line. Deadline to apply: August 30, 2024 

No phone calls please. The Lower East Side Ecology Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.