The Environmental Science Center (ESC) is a non-profit organization offering experiential environmental education programs at local beaches, streams, forested areas, and in classrooms throughout south King County. Our goals are to foster environmental stewardship actions in all participants of our programs, and to offer knowledge and resources for communities to deepen their relationship with their local environment. ESC recognizes that many communities in south King County – particularly Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrant/refugee, and low-income communities – have been systematically excluded from safe, positive outdoor experiences, and we are striving to change that. We aim to remove some of the barriers to these experiences by providing free or low-cost programs, and by working to create a safe and affirming space within our programs and in the broader community.

We are currently hiring Beach Naturalists for our spring 2021 Beach Heroes Program.  Naturalists will be teaching virtually on-site at Seahurst Beach as well as virtually to students from home.

The two-part Beach Heroes program introduces students to the local Puget Sound beach habitat and the organisms that live there.  During the 1-hour virtual Introductory Lesson naturalists will introduce students to marine invertebrates and the beach habitat, along with beach etiquette and stewardship. The 1-hour Field Lesson will feature naturalists live-streaming from Seahurst Beach, guiding students in connecting to and learning more from the beach organisms and habitat. ESC curriculum for each component of the program is provided.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct 1-hour virtual Introductory Lessons for students grades K-3rd, introducing students to marine invertebrates they are likely to see during the Field Lesson, while sharing beach etiquette and stewardship. Naturalists will connect virtually with students, while working from home or from the Environmental Science Center.
• Conduct 1-hour virtual Field Lessons for students K-3rd grade about common intertidal marine organisms, ecological importance of the nearshore habitat, and marine stewardship. Naturalists will teach on-site on the beach in teams of two; students will connect virtually.
• Work with other naturalists and staff to create pre-recorded videos and materials to enrich the virtual program experience for students.
• Model appropriate stewardship behavior.

Qualifications:

• Experience teaching youth in outdoor or informal settings.
• Knowledge of the Puget Sound nearshore habitat including marine invertebrate and seaweed identification, tide zonation, and ecological relationships.
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Exceptional interpretive skills.
• Ability to teach in a language other than English a plus.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must be able to pass a Washington State background check.

Technology requirements:

This is the equipment required to teach as Lead Naturalist (see Time Commitment below). ESC has some capacity to provide support in this area (such as loaning laptops and wifi hotspots).

• Access to high-speed internet
• Device with which to teach virtual classes such as a computer, laptop, or tablet

Compensation: $17.00/hour – $19.00/hour DOE

Time Commitment:

• Lead Naturalist: Part-time/seasonal. 20 hours/week on average. Will be regularly scheduled for both Introductory Lessons and Field Lessons.
• Field Naturalist: Part-time/seasonal, based on demand from schools; no set hour average. Will be scheduled primarily for Field Lesson days, with potential for other work.

The ESC spring season starts in late March and runs through late June.  Field studies are typically scheduled Monday – Friday between 9:00am and 3:00pm. There may be special weekend projects that occur on occasion.  Beach naturalist time commitment per shift is 2 hours for Introductory Lessons and 3 hours for Field Lessons. Typically there is more than one lesson on any given work day, with the pre-COVID-19 average being 2.

Attendance is required at the training sessions March 29th-March 31st. Training will be approximately 20 hours, and will be a combination of both virtual and in-person at Seahurst Park in Burien.

Supervisor: Rosie Wilson-Briggs, ESC Program Coordinator

On-site Work Location: Seahurst Park (1600 SW Seahurst Drive, Burien, WA 98166)