Natural Resource Specialist – Native Plants

Part-time, temporary

20 hours/week, May 2024 – September 2024

Pay rate $22-30/hr DOE

The Homer Soil and Water Conservation District’s (SWCD) mission is to provide education and leadership in the conservation and sustainable use of soil and water-related resources through cooperative programs that protect, restore, and improve our environment. 

The Homer SWCD is working collaboratively with statewide partners to develop native plant materials for use in restoration and remediation projects.  We spent the past winter researching supply and demand to grow the industry, as well as technical resources for best propagation strategies unique to Alaska’s species and environmental conditions.   In summer 2024 we will be hiring one part-time seasonal employee to assist the Program Manager with four primary project areas, described below.  Applicants will need to be able to work in Homer, Alaska, at least 2 days a week and attend weekly team meetings.  The occasional desk work can be done remotely or from the Homer office.

Vegetated mat production experiments

• Follow an experimental design to test different materials for growing out vegetated mats.
• Collect standardized data weekly, enter and manage data using Excel spreadsheets, and collect and maintain a photo log.
• Build/install/maintain capillary beds, work benches, fencing, and irrigation.
• Transport and install vegetated mats.
• Assist in writing project summary and results.
• Assist in developing monitoring protocols to measure success and inform long-term management of restoration sites.

Plant salvage

• Remove plants from areas scheduled for ground disturbance.
• Locate suitable sites in need of vegetation for outplanting salvaged materials. Outplanting may also be done by Homer SWCD staff, or guidance may be provided to the receiving individual/organization to help them with installation.
• Provide transportation and temporary care of plants between collection and outplanting.
• Maintain records of salvage and outplanting sites, species, quantities, success and failures, watering schedules, etc.
• Assist in writing project summary and results.
• Assist in developing monitoring protocols to measure success of salvage efforts.

Seed collection

• Follow established protocols to collect wild seed and associated data for the nationwide Seeds of Success program.
• Requires using geospatial mapping software and performing detailed data entry. This includes accurate species identification of the target plant and surrounding vegetation community, assigning standardized vegetation classification codes, providing soil descriptions, collecting herbarium voucher specimens, and maintaining a photo library.

Education and outreach

• Organize and guide volunteers in plant salvage, nursery management, and seed collection.
• Network with local contractors, growers, and other entities to identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration, as well as salvage.
• Communicate with the public about the importance of native plants in restoration, remediation, wildlife habitat, and invasive species management.
• Sustain and build on the numerous relationships Homer SWCD has with other land management agencies in Southcentral Alaska, including government agencies, nonprofits, and Tribal districts.
• Potentially assist with Facebook posts, website content, public presentations, and/or educational video production, if interested.

Required Qualifications

• Either a bachelor’s degree or professional experience in botany, ecology, horticulture, arboriculture, environmental science, habitat restoration, landscaping, or related field.
• Computer skills: Microsoft Word and Excel
• Knowledge of local plants and ability to use a dichotomous key to identify plants to the species or infraspecific level.
• Comfortable working in semi-remote locations in all weather conditions.
• Must be able to perform basic manual labor tasks, such as bending, digging, lifting up to 50 pounds, and walking over uneven terrain.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Computer skills: GIS Online.
• First aid training.
• Bear awareness and defense training.
• Experience working on federal contracts.