Community Forester

Please see the full position description on our website: washtenawcd.org/career-opportunities

POSITION SUMMARY

As the Washtenaw County Conservation District’s (WCCD) Community Forester (CF), you will play a pivotal role in promoting urban and community forestry initiatives aimed at enhancing the environmental health and social well-being of our community. This position blends expertise in forestry and native habitats with a passion for community engagement, fostering sustainable practices, and advocating for protection of remnant woodlots and urban forests. The CF will develop countywide efforts to increase native tree and forb planting and maintenance as well as pursue grants to support this work. The CF will bring a forester’s perspective and background to all the work we do and must be comfortable providing one-on-one guidance as well as presenting to and leading large groups. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential functions. These examples do not include all of the duties which the employee may be expected to perform. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.

1.   Technical Assistance (20%)

·      Answer one-on-one resident and municipal questions and connect with resources to address concerns; track time spent and deliverables on any assistance offered.

·      Ensure that sufficient educational materials and resources are provided to residents at distributions and events based on tree, shrub and plant species provided.

·      Update, source and/or create new tree and habitat related educational resources and guides (hard copy and digital) for both community and agricultural audiences.

·      Ensure contractor lists are updated and maintained, new lists created as needed.

·      Assist Resource Coordinator with selection of species for resource distributions.

·      Assist MAEAP Technician in the development of Forest, Wetland and Habitat (FWH) plans for verification, including site visits and report writing.

·      Assist with GIS analysis and mapping for WCCD programs as requested.

2.   Programming and Events (35%)

·      Plan, coordinate, execute community focused workshops, seminars in partnership with staff and partners.

·      Develop post-event surveys for community focused workshops, compile results from workshops.

·      Track deliverables for all community focused events.

·      Coordinate the School & Community Habitat Grant program with support from staff.

·      Plan for, coordinate and execute programming and tools around land preservation.

·      Assist with other programs and events as needed (annual meeting, sales distributions, etc.).

·      Prepare and submit grant reports as needed (e.g. Forest to MiFaucet, etc).

3.   Supervision and Program Oversight (20%)

·      Seasonal Intern (as funding allows)

·      Finalize the position role and responsibilities with assistance from the Executive Director.

·      Take lead on the interview and selection process.

·      Provide direct supervision for intern and monitor activities and program deliverables.

·      Provide final report on internship deliverables and successes.

·      Farmer Programs Outreach Coordinator

·      Provide direct supervision and monitor program deliverables.

·      Advisory Committee

·      Work with partners and staff to recruit foresters to serve on committee.

·      Manage schedule for and facilitate quarterly committee meetings.

·      Provide ongoing support to committee members.

·      Provide updates to Executive Director on suggestions and needs of the committee.

4.   Research & Program Development (10%)

·      Assist with grant database, grant research and proposal drafts as needed.

·      Take lead on the development of the Michigan Agroforestry Working Group.

5.   Partnerships (5%)

·      Participate in partner meetings and steering committees as a representative of WCCD: JLW CISMA, A2 Zero, HRWC and others.

·      Run to represent Washtenaw on the Michigan Forest Association board.

6.   Training (5%)

·      Commit to ongoing professional development through the Employee Development Plan (EDP).

·      Complete all training required to successfully serve as the Community Forester.

7.   General WCCD (5%)

·      Provide content for the monthly newsletter, monthly board report, occasionally attend monthly board meetings.

·      Assist with WCCD annual and long-term planning.

Meet with Executive Director for quarterly and annual check-ins.

ABOUT US

The WCCD is a local government agency and has played a significant role in assisting residents and landowners with access to trees, plants, and conservation tools in Washtenaw County since 1948. Our mission is to assist residents with the conservation, management, and wise use of natural resources in Washtenaw County. Since 1951 the WCCD has distributed over 7.1 million trees, shrubs, and native plants for various conservation purposes. To obtain further information about the WCCD visit our website at www.washtenawcd.org. 

TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and two professional references by email to Executive Director, Summer Roberts (summer@washtenawcd.org), by 8 a.m. on Monday, July 22nd. However, applications may be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please combine all application materials into one PDF file for review and state “Application – WCCD Community Forester” in the email subject line. Contact us at the above email address with

questions related to the position.