Forest Nursery Specialist

Job Description

A Day in the Life:

PRT is seeking a Forest Container Nursery Specialist to work at our PRT Pine Hill Nursery in Camden, AL. The Nursery Technician will participate in the management and production of 16+ million containerized seedlings and 35+million bareroot forest seedlings annually and assist in the management of contract crews. Activities will include, but are not limited to, seed stratification and treatment, planting, irrigation, fertilizing, and harvesting while upholding PRT’s safety and environmental practices and polices. PRT’s seedlings are positioned to be the highest quality in the industry and are distributed across the Southeast. Our efforts are focused on high quality seedlings with good survivability and growth characteristics second to none. The Nursery Technician will primarily focus on containerized seedlings but will also share time with the bareroot seedling crop. Each season brings new goals and challenges. During the spring, the focus is on field preparation and planning. During the summer, efforts shift to growing, fertilizing, and irrigating. In the fall and winter, the Nursery Technician will be involved in the harvest of our seedlings.  Candidates should have a desire and keenness to learn about the seed orchard activities, keep accurate records, work independently and efficiently. Candidates may be interviewed and tested to assess their abilities and qualifications for this position.

Key Accountabilities of the Nursery Specialist are:

Assist the Nursery Manager with inventory, budgeting, and forecasting for the container operations

Fertilize, prune, hand weed, and irrigate nursery seedlings to maintain adequate moisture levels for germination and crop development

Monitor seedling crop cultural practices and share key information with the Nursery Manager and Supervisor

Operate the center pivot and Bermad irrigation system as well pumphouse equipment

Maintain facilities and building for safety, production, and minimal down time

Operate and maintain orchard equipment (i.e., forklift, farm tractors, seedling lifter)

Collect date for Life History Plots

Support innovation and continuous improvement

Promote collaboration and teamwork at all levels

Set targets (i.e., production, timelines) and evaluate achievement

About the team:

The Nursery Specialist will be part of a team of four Nursery Technicians, Nursery Supervisor and will report to the Nursery Manager.

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