Nature Advocate/Research Associate

Job Description
– Are you passionate about protecting the natural environment?
– Do you love writing about nature and working with people?
– Do you enjoy inspiring others?
– Are you self-motivated and willing to challenge conventional wisdom?

If your answer to these questions is an enthusiastic yes, then please keep
reading.

Position Description
A job at the California Chaparral Institute, a research/educational/advocacy
non-profit, is unlike any other you will ever have. You’ll be challenged as
well as inspired. You’ll apply what you have learned in college and learn
more. You’ll have the opportunity to change lives and shift public policy.
Working closely with the Institute’s director, you will be advocating for
and writing about California’s most characteristic, extensive ecosystem, the
chaparral. You will be responsible for co-designing, coordinating, and
expanding an innovative naturalist training program, monitoring public
projects that threaten native shrubland habitats, co-authoring influential
comment letters to government agencies, assisting in field research, and
inspiring others to love nature as much as you do. You will be responsible
for managing tasks across multiple projects simultaneously. Most
importantly, your creativity will be allowed to expand in ways that
challenge convention and yourself.

This is a full-time position for at least one year, located in Escondido,
California.

Do the following activities inspire you?
– Collaborating to produce a program
– Writing
– California native plants
– Botanizing, bird watching, watching a colony of harvester ants go about
their business
– Teaching
– Fighting for a cause
– Photography
– Video production/editing
– Hiking

Are we looking for YOU? Yes, if you…
– Have strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
– Can work for extended periods of time in a basement office with four
windows and a door that’s open with it’s warm out.
– Are willing to crawl under and through the chaparral.
– Have competent writing and public speaking skills (with the desire to
become excellent).
– Can present a compelling personality on film.
– Are willing to travel and attend conferences/workshops throughout the state.
– Enjoy research.
– Have competent (or willing to learn) video editing/photography skills.

Education and Experience
– A Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies or Life Sciences, or in need
of a break after 2 or 3 of years of full-time university-level study in the
same.

Benefits
– Competitive salary for a environmental, non-profit organization (enough
for an apartment, food, gas, and weekend escapes)
– Retirement savings account
– Casual, environmental-advocate dress
– Meeting senior leaders in environmental/science fields

To Apply
Become familiar with our work by visiting our website at
www.californiachaparral.org.
Submit:
1) a sincere answer (500 words or less) to the following prompt: Why is
nature important?
2) resume with photo

Send your materials via email to:
naturalist@californiachaparral.org
or if you prefer mail:
The California Chaparral Institute
PO Box 545
Escondido, CA 92033