CLASS TITLE: Environmental Education Naturalist

To assist in the planning, development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of Environmental/Outdoor Education programs and activities; to promote environmental education programs and activities to school districts and other prospective client organizations; and to provide instructional/operational services in support of established programs and activities.

The Environmental Education Naturalist is responsible for assisting in the development, implementation, and evaluation of environmental education programs and activities as well as for establishing positive and confident relationships with potential client school districts and other organizations. This job class requires a high degree of initiative, problem solving, and public relations skills. This job class receives limited supervision within a broad framework of policies and procedures. Employees in this classification may direct and coordinate the work of others in a lead capacity.

• Assists in pre-planning activities related to environmental/outdoor education and summer camp programs and activities

• Estimates time, material, and equipment resources needed for new or established programs and takes appropriate action to ensure availability of materials/staff resources needed

• Acts as information source to teachers, students, instructional support staff, and the public regarding environmental issues, program objectives, concepts; responds to parent inquiries and concerns

• Oversees, directs trains, and assesses the work of outdoor school instructional staff, cabin leaders, counselors and other support staff

• Coordinates, arranges, and schedules the use of site facilities with client districts/organizations

• Recruits outdoor school cabin leaders and summer counselors; ensures cabin leaders meet established requirements and contacts school administrators to follow-up on high school student cabin leader performance

• Coordinates the ordering and/or insures the availability of equipment, materials, food, needed for camp/program activities

• Performs outreach to agencies related to the summer camp program

• Prepares lesson plans and instructional activities to cover environmental/outdoor education concepts and focal points

• Provides instruction to classes regarding environmental/outdoor education programs and concepts

• Coordinates advertising efforts and campaigns

• Monitors the general cleanliness and safety of campsite facilities and areas

• Arranges for repair/maintenance of camp facilities, equipment, buildings

• Compiles, evaluates, and summarizes program information and data to determine the effectiveness of established activities; recommends program changes or modifications as appropriate

• Assumes responsibility for the general operation of camp site and related facilities in absence of site manager

• Prepares event schedules, announcements, health and release forms and a variety of reports and correspondence related to assigned programs, activities and functions

• Visits schools and other prospective client organizations to promote environmental/outdoor education programs and services

• Contacts high school administrators to ensure cabin leaders meet established requirements

• Collects payments for program merchandise

• Administers first aid/CPR in emergency situations

• Performs related duties as required.

• A valid California Driver's License

• A driving record which meets the County Office of Education's insurance requirements

• A valid First Aid Certificate and Cardiopulmonary (CPR) Certificate

• Environment and diversified ecosystems

• Proper English usage, punctuation, spelling, grammar and sentence structure

• Current environmental education issues, concepts, and curriculum development methods and techniques

• Camp operations and related facilities management

• Read and write at a level sufficient to successfully perform required duties

• Develop an environmental/outdoor education programs using a variety of curricular techniques and methods

• Maintain environmental education teaching materials

• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form for a variety of audiences

• Analyze and assess situations accurately and take appropriate action to resolve problems encountered

• Reason logically and to think independently and creatively

• Gather data and prepare reports

• Direct and coordinate the work of others

• Accurately estimate time, materials, staff, and other resources needed for assigned programs activities

• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

Generally, the required knowledge and abilities will have been acquired through any combination of education or experience equivalent to graduation from a four year college with a major in natural sciences, environmental sciences or a related field and during at least one year of related experience.

BARGAINING UNIT: Aides Unit

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Outdoor environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Strength, endurance and dexterity to participate in strenuous physical activities, including hiking on mountain trails and clearing chaparral and cutting tree branches; walking for extended periods of time; hearing and speaking to exchange information; seeing to read and prepare documents; sitting or standing for extended periods of time; dexterity of hands and fingers to operate office and assemble outdoor equipment; kneeling, bending at the waist, and reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally; and lifting and carrying heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Personnel Commission Approval: 08/01/84
Revised: 07/02/85; 2/14/08