Upham Woods Naturalist

The Upham Woods Naturalists are the primary programmatic personnel for Upham Woods. In that regard this position is responsible for teaching the classes for schools and summer camps, leading the programmatic activities, interacting with center clientele, corresponding with schools before and after a group visit, assisting with program development and reporting, and caring for programmatic equipment, which includes the science center animals. Additionally, the teaching naturalists may sometimes be called upon to lead offsite educational school outreach presentations. All of the above is to be done with a focus on customer service and effective educational methods in a safe and inclusive environment.

Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center is a residential facility operated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension and located on the beautiful Wisconsin River, two miles north of Wisconsin Dells. The center rests on 318 acres of forested land including Blackhawk Island, a 210-acre designated State Natural Area. As such, much of the center's focus is place-based education exploring these resources, so it is preferred for staff to work towards a lifeguarding certification, have the ability to hike up to 3 miles, and on-occasion lift up to 50lbs.

Required Qualifications:
- Ability to work in a team setting with enthusiasm and creativity
- The desire to teach environmental education to Upham user groups
- Ability to effectively communicate environmental concepts to youth and youth leaders
- Familiarity with outdoor adventure pursuits and their associated equipment, such as hiking, camping, canoeing, etc.
- CPR and First Aid certification or ability to acquire certification before contract start date
- Ability to work independently
- A general understanding of the field of environmental education, natural resources, education and youth development
- Experience working with youth in an educational setting
- Ability to work flexible hours any day of the week including some evening hours
- Applicant must be able to pass a standard criminal background check
- Understanding of computers and commonly used programs such as Word and internet searching

Preferred Qualifications:
- A Bachelor's degree in education, natural science, biology, environmental education or a related field
- Wisconsin Teacher Certification
- Professional certifications, including lifeguarding, in any of the activities which we commonly offer, such as archery, ropes challenge course, canoe, etc.
- A clean driving record
- Ability to hike at least three miles on uneven terrain in a wide variety of temperatures and environmental conditions
- Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds
- Knowledge and ability to handle birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians in a presentation setting
- Ability to teach environmental issues with a positive and open approach
- Ability to take responsibility for one of the specialization areas. Specialization areas include but are not limited to: program animals, challenge course, technology, marketing and social media, and facility improvement.

How to apply:

We are eager to learn more about how your experience and passion may align with this position. Please submit a cover letter referring to your related work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background. Please keep in mind, applicants need to articulate all required qualifications in their cover letter and/or resume. Applicants who have preferred qualifications should share those too in the cover letter and/or resume. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine who may advance to preliminary interviews.

We are committed to reducing bias in the recruitment process and utilize a redacted application process, which is the practice of removing personally identifiable information from application materials, before the screening of applicants begins. This may include, but is not limited to, name, gender, age, education, address, dates (such as graduation dates), photos, references, links to personal webpages, supervisor names, and/or citizenship.

Apply Here: https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/512653/upham-woods-naturalist