Job Summary    
The Animal Care Naturalist at Carrie Murray Nature Center is a professional position with primary responsibility for assisting in the care and maintenance of our animal collection under the guidance of senior staff members. The successful candidate will contribute to the well-being of the animals, assist in educational programs, and ensure that visitors have an engaging and informative experience. Carrie Murray Nature Center is a Baltimore City Recreation and Parks facility located in Gwynns Falls Leakin Park. This position reports to Parks Administrator/Director of Carrie Murray Nature Center. While performing essential functions, the Education Naturalist is regularly required to walk, stand, see, speak, and hear; frequently required to hike, sit, reach, use hands to manipulate objects or tools, and work in all weather conditions; and often required are the abilities to lift, carry, bend, and stoop.

Essential Functions     

• Animal Husbandry: Assist with daily care and cleaning of animal enclosures, including scrubbing, disinfecting, and maintaining appropriate habitats for our diverse collection of animals.
• Health and Behavior Monitoring, Enrichment Implementation: Observe animal behavior and health, reporting any abnormalities to senior staff and taking appropriate action under their guidance. Assist in the development and implementation of enrichment activities to promote the mental and physical well-being of the animals in our care.
• Diet Preparation: Assist in the preparation and delivery of appropriate diets for animals, ensuring proper nutritional standards are met.
• Data Entry: Assist in maintaining accurate records of animal care, including behavior observations, feeding, and health status, in our database.
• Facility Maintenance: Participate in the routine maintenance of animal habitats and general facility upkeep, ensuring that all exhibits are safe and well-maintained for both animals and visitors.
• General Grounds Maintenance: mulching, weeding, weed whacking, trash pickup.
• Cleaning and organization of outdoor spaces: compost area, aviary, outdoor classroom, fire circle, etc., gazebos, etc.
• General cleaning of indoor spaces: kitchen, animal room, bathrooms, lodge, hallways, office
• Public Engagement: Lead or assist with educational programming, including interactive presentations and animal encounters for visitors, both on-site and in outreach programs.
• Assisting in Animal Handling: Work with a variety of animals, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. This includes safely handling animals during educational presentations and ensuring their welfare during off-site outreach events.
• Team Collaboration: Work alongside animal care staff, volunteers, education naturalists, and other departments to ensure a seamless and positive experience for both animals and visitors. Participate in team meetings to discuss care protocols, program development, and animal welfare.