Position Description: Summer Land Steward, 2021
Part of the Regional Field Team at the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, Brunswick Topsham Land Trust, & Phippsburg Land Trust
Job Title: Summer Land Steward
Hours: 40 hours per week for 10 weeks (June 7-August 13)
Compensation: $14.00 per hour
Requires: Availability and use of reliable personal vehicle
The Regional Field Team (RFT) is a collaboration between three organizations: Brunswick Topsham Land Trust (BTLT), Phippsburg Land Trust (PLT), and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT). The Regional Field Team is seeking Summer Land Stewards for the 2021 field season.
This is an outdoor position helping to maintain, monitor, and manage the protected lands and trails of Maine’s southern midcoast region across thirteen communities. Projects will be conducted on lands protected by all three regional organizations, giving our Summer Land Stewards experience with a wide variety of properties, tasks, and land conservation professionals. This will be an excellent opportunity for networking and gaining land management experience.
Opportunities Provided by this Position:
- Learn plant and animal identification skills, with a focus on invasive plant species
- Experience the structure and operation of not-for-profit land trusts, with a particular emphasis on land management
- Gain hands-on experience with the planning, construction, and maintenance of trails
- Develop skills in observation and reporting
- Have the opportunity to work with GPS data collection and basic ArcGIS mapping
- Learn how read surveys and navigate the boundaries of properties with map, compass, and GPS
- Spend most of the summer working in the beautiful natural areas of the Maine Coast
Supervision and Team Design:
The Summer Land Steward will work closely with the Stewardship Staff and/or Board Members at each of the land trusts. This summer we are building a Regional Field Team of four Summer Land Stewards; two Land Stewards will be managed primarily from the BTLT office in Brunswick, ME and two Land Stewards will be managed from the KELT office in Bath, ME. There will be opportunities to work jointly as a four-person team as well as working independently at times. The Land Steward will also have the opportunity to work with and lead groups of volunteers. The Land Steward will frequently meet visitors on our properties. Successful applicants will be expected to act professionally and communicate in a polite manner, both with the public and with fellow team members, as well as follow all applicable COVID-19 guidelines.
Responsibilities:
- Conduct trail clearing and trimming with loppers, hand-saws, bow-saws, etc.
- Occasional use of string trimmer or hedge-trimmer for trail clearing
- Use of chainsaw possible, depending on skill level and project needs
- Monitor preserve conditions and create detailed reports and maps of problem areas
- Traverse property boundaries to maintain signage and check for encroachment
- Assist with occasional clean-up of illicit dumping sites
- Help to build bog bridges, stone steps, and other trail structures
- Check and maintain kiosks, map boxes, trail signage, and paint blazing
- Conduct mechanical control of invasive plants (i.e. cutting, digging, pulling)
- Assist with any other suitable project, indoor or outdoor, as needed
- Keep a log of activities and hours completed
Preferred Education/Experience:
Completed High School program, plus some college and/or relevant work experience. Applicants still in HS may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Necessary Qualifications:
- Driver’s license and reliable personal transportation
- Ability to lift and carry equipment over rough ground
- Willingness to work in sometimes adverse conditions including heat, rain, biting insects, and difficult terrain
- Ability to use hand tools and power tools in the field
- Ability to work, responsibly, safely, and at times independently
- Enthusiasm for outdoor work and conservation
Please share with us if you have any similar skills or experiences to those listed below:
- First Aid Certification
- Experience working outdoors, particularly on trails
- Experience communicating with the public
- Map and compass (orienteering) skills
- Environmental or ecological study or background knowledge
To Apply:
Send a cover letter and resume in one PDF to info@kennebecestuary.org with the subject line ‘Summer Land Steward’. Applicants may also send applications by mail to P.O. Box 1128, Bath ME, 04530.
Please prepare the names and contact information of two references. If an applicant is called to interview, KELT may request the list of references at that time.
Application Deadline: Friday, March 19th
Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust is excited to welcome Garrett Fondoules as the organization’s second full time, permanent stewardship and lands team member! Garrett (he/him) joined BTLT in May 2022 having spent the previous nine years living semi-nomadically in the Appalachian Mountains. That time began with a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, continued with five thousand more miles of hiking, and concluded with six years working in GIS and land stewardship for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. He values good and well-organized data and can often be found immersed in spreadsheets, collecting even more data, and is always quick with a pun.
On a cold and clear Sunday in December, Eagle Scout Luke Page visited Crystal Spring Farm. It was a nice afternoon for a walk, however he didn’t come empty handed, or alone. He brought with him 10 bumble bee boards, one bat box, two bluebird boxes, and a robin / cardinal nesting box. Armed with power tools and help from a fellow Eagle Scout, his troop leader, and the helping hands of parents, he installed another seven bat boxes, two bluebird boxes, and three robin / cardinal across Crystal Spring Farm, Tarbox Preserve, and Androscoggin Woods.
