Job Description

This position is with the North Carolina Zoo, located in Asheboro, NC. The North Carolina Zoo protects wildlife and wild places and inspires people to join us in conserving the natural world. This position will be part of the Conservation, Education, and Science section at the Zoo, which is dedicated to conservation projects in North Carolina and around the world, and provides a wide variety of different educational programs for schools, groups, and individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

The 2021-2022 AmeriCorps positions will have a start date (for new full-time 11 month members) of September 1st 2021 and an end date of July 31st 2022.

**Please make sure you upload all of the required documents –  Resume, Cover Letter, State or Federal ID, College Transcripts, Birth Certificate (if US Passport not uploaded).** If required documents are not uploaded at time of application, any offer for employment will be withheld until they are provided. All AmeriCorps Members must submit to having a National Sex Offender, State of Residence (if state is different than NC), State of NC, and Federal FBI Background check conducted. Any applicant denying to submit to these checks will be automatically disqualified as per federal regulations.

For the 2021-2022 service year, Resilience Corps NC offers a living stipend of $17,000 for 11 months, health insurance reimbursement for premiums, childcare assistance, and professional development opportunities (individual trainings, enrollment in NC Environmental Education Certificate Program, and conferences in conjunction with the NC Commission on Volunteerism). Participants who complete the program will receive a Segal Education Award of $6,345 from the National Service Trust. 

CTNC is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate because of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual preference or familial status.

CTNC seeks to engage applicants from underrepresented communities, particularly of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Multi-Racial, and Native American background, in conservation careers. Connecting more diverse applicants to an employment pathway has led to greater equity, diversity and inclusion of all people in conservation.

Purpose of the Position

The primary goal of this position is to expand educational programs and hiking trails in the North Carolina Zoo’s natural areas. This work will involve developing and delivering a new series of educational programs, facilitating the creation of new hiking trails, and promoting programs and awareness of hiking trails. The member will work to identify potential groups among underserved communities to target for outreach, with the goal of providing opportunities for groups that are typically underrepresented as educational participants and trail users at the Zoo. While facilitating outdoor experiences, this AmeriCorps member will work to build a sense of comfort in and stewardship for the outdoors and share information on the unique and diverse wildlife, plants, ecosystems, and geologic features present in the Zoo’s natural areas. This AmeriCorps Member will also provide some assistance with field conservation and research projects to learn more about the diversity and value of the Zoo’s natural areas and evaluate the potential of these projects as citizen science projects in the future.
Position Responsibilities and Duties

• Environmental education – the AmeriCorps member will develop and facilitate a new series of educational programs on the North Carolina Zoo’s natural areas, such as guided hikes, canoe trips, birding walks, and photography outings. The member will promote awareness of programs and public trails on the Zoo’s natural areas within local communities by developing partnerships and promotional materials. The member will also work to identify potential community groups among underserved communities to target for outreach.
• Hiking trail improvement – the member will be instrumental in improving the Zoo’s trail system by establishing new routes, leading trail work crews, installing trail markers, and developing graphic materials to guide trail users.
• Conservation – the member will assist with conservation and research projects on the Zoo’s natural areas, such as installing coverboards to sample amphibians and reptiles, building bird nest boxes, trapping turtles and small mammals, and conducting vegetation surveys.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in education, environmental science, biology, or related field is required. Prior field experience and/or experience in environmental education is preferred. Qualified candidates must possess excellent oral and written skills, an ability to work effectively with a team and independently, an ability to follow instructions and protocols, and an ability to work with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. Spanish language skills are desirable, but not required.

Essential Functions / Physical Demands

The physical demands of this position are moderate. Applicants should be able to hike at least five miles on uneven terrain and slopes, lift up to 25 lbs, use tools and equipment to conduct trail construction and maintenance tasks, and be comfortable working outdoors in all types of weather

Preferred Schedule

Much of the AmeriCorps member’s work will be completed during normal business hours. However, weekend and early morning and evening work will be necessary for educational programs (e.g., weekend or night hikes) and for leading volunteer trail work crews on weekends. Although the working schedule may vary weekly, working hours will not exceed 40 hours per week.

JOB CODE: Zoo 1

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Temporary. Job Tags: accessibility, AmeriCorps, conservation, Diversity, environmental education, Equity, inclusion, outdoor education, outdoor recreation, trail building, and Zoo. Salaries: Less than 20,000.

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