Pickering Creek Audubon Center conserves natural habitats on Maryland’s Eastern Shore by engaging and empowering our community through exploration, education and stewardship. We collaborate with a wide variety of environmental and non-environmental partners throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We have well-established partnerships with shore school systems and play a key role in ensuring that students have excellent outdoor science experiences that are relevant to their community and fulfill school system’s environmental literacy plans. 

We have been providing quality outdoor science learning experiences connected to school system curriculum for over 30 years. The Center’s 450-acres serve as a wonderful classroom for students and teachers to connect their own lives with the watersheds and ecosystems on which we all depend, and the science and civics knowledge that is critical for citizens to have to protect them to the best of our human ability. The opportunities at Pickering Creek for unforgettable experiences with nature such as the sight of eagles locking talons overhead or a white perch flipping around in a seine net, combine science with inspirational outdoor experiences that can motivate people of all ages to take action for the environment.

The Summer Camp Director and Teacher Naturalist works closely with the Center’s staff to ensure smooth delivery of a variety of programming. Pickering Creek’s summer camp program is incredibly popular.  We seek a person to build upon the camp offerings and expand participation to older age groups and more diverse audience members as well as engender camper connection to nature. The camp director plans and carries out all aspects of summer camp programming.  During the school year the camp director serves as a lead instructor for environmental education programming with school aged children.  Throughout the year the camp director works to ensure trails and facilities are in order and welcoming to guests. The camp director collaborates with the Field Programs Manager to manage our youth volunteer junior naturalist program.  This position is exempt and works approximately 35 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours a week during summer camp, including early morning, evening and weekend hours.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the Director of Summer Camp program:
  • Develop and implement a short- and long-term vision for EcoCamp that grows recruitment of participants beyond our traditional audiences and the bolsters the experiences for participants.
  • Annual planning and curriculum development.
  • Accept primary responsibility for the safety and well being of 40 individual campers each week.
  • Coordination and implementation of registration and camp operations.
  • Guide state department of health certification process.
  • Ensure necessary trainings are in place for all staff.
  • Creation and execution of inspired training for summer camp staff and junior naturalists, and ongoing guidance and support of camp counselors in the field.
  • Serve as the primary contact with camp families.
  • Coordinate transport for camp in Pickering Creek vehicles.
• Constructively contribute to improvement and regular maintenance of the site for passive users including developing and enhancing the interpretive messaging at the Center, installing new trail sections and championing site projects.
• Serve as a lead educator in the development and execution of environmental education programming for school aged students, from preK through high school programming in classrooms and on field experiences.
• Collaborate on design and delivery of the Junior Naturalist Youth Leadership program.
• Co-lead select professional development workshops for educators, writing program lessons, and participating in the evaluation of programming
• Actively participate in the Center’s Of By and For All approach to build trust, relationships and meaningful partnerships in the mid-shore community, including and especially with communities of color and non-traditional audiences that grow our ability to deliver our mission.
• Collaborate with other staff to prepare and lead public, community and volunteer programs for families, adults and youth.

Qualifications:

• Proven skills in teaching in both formal and informal settings to a variety of audiences with a desire to connect people of all ages to nature.
• Professional experience in a conservation education setting including teaching, program leadership, community involvement, management experience and curriculum development and assessment.
• Willingness to get dirty and be a role model for outdoor exploration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required for press articles, report and grant writing required.
• Interpersonal skills to include:
  • Attention to detail
  • Self starter, who takes initiative and has demonstrated dedication
  • Problem solver who works to see projects through to completion
  • People oriented and team focused
  • Committed to conservation and the Center’s mission
• Willingness to become a part of the community that we serve.
• Must be available for early morning, weekend and evening programs.
• Must be able to walk/stand for six hours a day for education programming.
• Must be willing to travel as the job requires.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must have or be able to acquire lifeguard certification.
• Enjoys hiking, birding, ponding, fishing, seining, gardening and leading games for children of all ages
• Is committed to the conservation of birds, other wildlife and habitats
• Spanish proficiency preferred.