Coordinator, Community Conservation

Summary: The Community Conservation Coordinator will leverage the Missouri Botanical Garden's core areas of expertise in plant conservation, horticulture, knowledge of invasive and native plant species, environmental education, and ecological restoration to engage and build capacity within communities to actively steward local lands and waters. Approximately 75% of this role is comprised of office tasks to coordinate, plan and report out on ecological stewardship programming in the community and 25% is fieldwork.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinates community-based projects with ongoing education, public awareness, and stewardship actions focused on protecting and enhancing regional biodiversity. Coordinates strategically timed call-to-action alerts; writes web-site updates, e-newsletters, digital and social media posts to connect individuals with regional stewardship opportunities. Coordinates the Honeysuckle Sweep for Healthy Habitats, to include planning, organizing and implementing year-round invasive plant removal and native plant establishment volunteer events and ecological restoration activities in priority communities, especially in late winter/early spring (February-April) and fall (October-December). Coordinates the annual City Nature Challenge and iNaturalist species inventory competition. Collaborates with sustainability, research, restoration, and education staff from the Garden, Shaw Nature Reserve, Butterfly House, and other external conservation professionals to translate best available science and research into practical strategies for invasive plant removal, ecological restoration, monitoring, and land management to increase biodiversity. Coordinates and leads local volunteer corps focused on invasive species removal projects including recruiting and training volunteers, setting up workdays at priority locations throughout the community, and collaborating with partner organizations with volunteers. On occasion, transports program participants and/or volunteers to work sites in a 15-passenger van. Identifies and recruits target audiences for project activities and stewardship actions including students, teachers, landowners, community groups, municipalities, parks departments, policymakers, and more. Develops and delivers community education programs, talks, and workshops that connect individuals to stewardship opportunities to enhance biodiversity. Promotes public awareness of conservation strategies, and trains community members in best practices for maintaining and converting land into ecologically valuable habitat. Promotes the development and facilitation of collaborative partnerships. Represents the Garden with regional conservation leaders to enable long term conservation relationships linking the Garden with state and local agencies, professional alliances, and other non-profit environmental conservation organizations. Acts as liaison with conservation professionals. Identifies new opportunities, collaborations, and project sites for stewardship actions. Assists with the coordination and implementation of the two Rainscaping programs coordinated by the Department: Deer Creek Watershed Alliance's Rainscaping Cost-Share (Rebate) Program and the MSD Rainscaping Small Grants Program as assigned by Sustainability Projects Manager. Represents the Garden in a professional manner at relevant community outreach events and community conservation initiatives, including Missouri Invasive Plant Council and Community Stewardship Alliance Maintains and updates the BiodiverseCity STL website and BiomeSTL ArcGIS Story Map. Assists with securing funding opportunities to support community conservation projects. Ensures financial and program goals are met in all assigned project activities including ordering supplies, recruiting audiences to participate, managing budgets, evaluating outcomes, and reporting project activity results and impacts. Ensures that all applicable safety standards are followed (i.e., informs participants/volunteers of safety guidelines and safe working practices and routinely monitors to enforce them. Adapts or modifies work methods to reduce hazards. Reports all accidents, injuries, and near-miss accidents immediately.) Demonstrates the highest level of professional and ethical conduct; knowledge and understanding of organizational policies, procedures, and systems. Meets expected attendance guidelines. Follows and adheres to established policies and procedures, including but not limited to Employee Handbook, Garden Safety Guidelines and Department Policies. Behaves and communicates in a manner that promotes and fosters a culture of teamwork and cooperation, within our division and throughout the Garden, with co-workers, supervisors/managers, volunteers, visitors, and community partners Perform other duties as assigned.