Aldo Leopold Foundation Education and Visitor Services Internship (2 positions available)
Background Every year, visitors to the Leopold Shack are inspired by some of the earliest land restoration efforts in our nations history by reveling in the simplicity and beauty of the world famous refuge from too much modernity, the Shack. In April 2007, we opened the Leopold Legacy Center, an educational and interpretive facility near the Leopold Shack. It has recently been rated as the greenest building in the world by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is also one of the first buildings to be designated carbon neutral. The Education and Visitor Services interns will frequently lead both formal and informal tours of the green building components of the Legacy Center in addition to tours at the Shack. We seek 2 people for a full time 9 month term. We believe that on-site educational programs are one of the most powerful tools available to us to make an impression on visitors, inspiring each person to develop their own personal land ethic. Help us impart this important message to our growing pool of visitors from all over the world! Duties Act as primary guide for interpretive tours of the historic Leopold Shack and Farm, and the green-built Aldo Leopold Legacy Center. Targeted audiences include conservation professionals, land owners and managers, the general public/Sauk county tourists, high school/college students, and a small number of local middle school students. Staff the information desk and bookstore at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center every Wednesday Saturday. Tasks include welcoming visitors and orienting them to guided and self guided tour options, answering questions about the Leopold Foundation, and helping gather and compile visitor evaluation data. Act as support staff for and participate in the Woodland School landowner workshop series. Tasks include classroom setup and other logistics, coordinating with workshop leaders, and collecting participant evaluations. Support land stewardship staffs restoration activities as interest and time allow. Take on several other projects/focus areas from a list of targeted needs. Potential projects include: developing PowerPoint presentations or stand-alone talks to give to local groups, writing pre-post curriculum activities for guided tours, writing articles for the ALF newsletter, choosing and writing a grant proposal, developing an outreach program on Leopold and sustainability for the local community, or developing lesson plan materials for variations on existing programs. Required: Excellent presentation skills; Excellent customer service skills; Experience working with children or adults in an educational setting; Familiarity with A Sand County Almanac; Interest in learning more about Leopolds life and his familys time at the Shack; Dynamic personality; Ability to work independently; Multitasking skills; Well-developed communication skills; Flexibility and leadership ability; Ability to work flexible hours during work week of Tuesday Saturday, including some evening hours. Desired: Degree or equivalent experience/coursework in Environmental Education/Interpretation, Environmental Studies, Natural Sciences, Education, Parks and Recreation, Biological or Earth Sciences, or other related fields; Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe applications desirable. Compensation: Interns will be paid $520 biweekly along with 9 days paid vacation, and shared housing provided. The staff house located within walking distance to the building, and is on a quiet rural road perfect for walking and biking after work. Training will be provided in many areas throughout the internship with several opportunities to become certified in various capacities. Training will include First Aid and CPR, and opportunities to participate in prescribed burning and invasive species control with the land stewardship team. Safety equipment will be provided for you. Interns can also expect to gain experience with presenting to and networking with professionals and leaders in many different natural resource fields. Applicants should be prepared for physically demanding work in a variety of weather conditions. The internship term is 36 weeks. Start date will be in late March 2008. Candidates should send a resume, cover letter that addresses the job announcement, and two references to Jennifer Kobylecky, P.O. Box 77, Baraboo, WI, 53913. Applications must be received by Wednesday, February 13th, 2008, and interviews will commence after this deadline. Website: www.aldoleopold.org The Aldo Leopold Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
