Wetland Education Guide

Utah State University seeks a Wetland Education Guide for its Wings & Water program, providing environmental education to 4th graders through field trips at the Great Salt Lake. Responsibilities include leading student groups, preparing facilities, and conducting hands-on activities. Candidates should be dependable, engaging, and enjoy outdoor work. The position requires availability from March to October, with physical demands and a valid Utah driver’s license preferred.
Passionate about place-based environmental education? Join our wetland education team!

Wings & Water is a collaboration between Utah State University and The Nature Conservancy. We provide 4th grade wetland field trips at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve (GSLSP) and Wetland Discovery Point (WDP).

Our field trip season runs Tuesday–Thursday, April thru May and Sept thru Oct. To learn more about the program visit: www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united- states/utah/wings-and-water

Candidates must have a positive attitude, be dependable, engaging, open to learning, proactive, team-players, and enjoy working outdoors in a variety of environments and weather conditions. Candidates must be professional in interactions with youth participants, adult guardians, staff, volunteers, and the public as a representative of USU Extension. Job offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Responsibilities

As the Wetland Education Guide, you will lead groups of 15 students & chaperones on wetland field trips. In preparation each day, you will help prepare our facilities & gear then will lead school groups around the GSLSP boardwalk (2 mile loop). You will help expand understanding of the GSL wetland & watershed ecology, features/behaviors of wetland species, and other ecosystem highlights aligned with Utah SEEd standards.

When the boardwalk tour concludes, you’ll move to WDP at USU’s Botanical Center where the field trip will resume with hands-on activity rotations.

These are fast-paced, rewarding, and physical days – in all types of weather. Your duties will also include:
• Daily set up/clean up of facilities (including retrieval of aquatic insect larvae from ponds).
• General facility/pond clean-up & maintenance as requested.
• Other duties as requested.

Minimum Qualifications:
• Dependability
• Experience with formal/informal youth education & group management
• Demonstrated ability to work with and lead a team

Availability:
• March – Guide trainings each Friday
• April & May – Work two to three days (Tuesday-Thursday, 8:30 AM-2:30 PM) each week
• Potential for Fall rehire (Sept – Oct)
• Some formal education in ecology, environmental science, biology, youth education, or similar fields
• Physical ability to work 6 hours a day in all weather conditions, walk two miles, and lift up to 50 lbs
• Valid Utah driver’s license (job responsibilities may include driving university vehicles and transporting materials)

Preferred Qualifications:
• Informal or formal education experience
• Spanish Fluency

Tagged as: Outdoor Education