Wildlife Education Specialist

HOWELL NATURE CENTER
~ Job Description ~

Position Title: Wildlife Education Specialist

Department: Wildlife

Howell Nature Center's mission is to teach people to live in harmony with wildlife. The Wild Wonders Wildlife Park provides sanctuary to ~70 Michigan-native wildlife who cannot be released back into the wild due to permanent injuries or conditions. They serve as ambassadors for their species to help teach guests about and connect them to wildlife. Many of these animals came through HNC's wildlife rehabilitation clinic, which treats injures and orphaned wildlife with the goal of release back into the wild.

General Function: The Wildlife Education Specialist (WES) presents Wildlife Education programs, including programs with live Wildlife Ambassadors. The WES is responsible for ensuring safety and maintaining great animal welfare during programs and participates in the secondary care and training of Wildlife Ambassadors.

Entry Requirements: Ability and experience in handling, observing, and providing care for wildlife; ability and experience with training animals using positive reinforcement; ability to present informal and formal programs and communicate effectively with a diverse group of internal and external parties, including large groups; ability to teach complex concepts related to wildlife, biology, ecology, and humane education, including relevant education standards; ability to drive Nature Bus; flexible schedule, integrity, adaptability, problem-solving, judgment, and patience; Bachelor’s Degree in related field or in pursuit of; reliable transportation with ability and willingness to drive personal vehicle to and from programs when needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Program delivery and guest interaction: Interacts formally and informally with guests to provide an engaging, educational experience. Presents programs with and without ambassador animals onsite, offsite, and virtually. Ensures animal, staff and guest safety during programs. Drives Nature Bus to and from programs when requested. May be required to drive personal vehicle to and from programs with mileage reimbursement.
• Animal handling and care: Routinely loads, unloads, jesses and handles animals for program use following established protocols. Observes animal behavior and reports concerns verbally and in writing promptly. May be assigned to assist with daily care and husbandry of ambassadors in Wild Wonders Wildlife Park, including: cleaning, feeding, medicating, enriching, training, and moving animals. Under the direction of Curator of Wildlife & Education, develops training goals and shaping plans.
• Program equipment management: maintains program equipment, including cleaning, storage and inventory.
• Communication: Effectively communicates, in a professional, positive, and timely manner with staff, volunteers, clients and guests. Maintains positive relationships with clients and guests and establishes new relationships as assigned.
• Staff and docent training: Trains new staff members and docents as assigned.
• Continuing education: Continues to increase knowledge in order to utilize up-to-date information and techiniques in animal care, positive reinforcement training, teaching, and wildlife and humane education.
• Programs and events: Participates in, supports, and/or leads Howell Nature Center programs and events as assigned.
• Specials projects as assigned by supervisors.

Job Specifications and Physical Requirements:

The requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Age:

• Must be at least 21 years of age.

Education/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree, or pursuit of, from four-year college or university in Biology, Zoology, Animal Sciences or a related discipline; minimum of 6 months of wildlife experience.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and interpret records and instructions. Ability to write programs, training shaping plans, reports, business correspondence, and detailed records. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from supervisors, volunteers and the general public.

Animal-Related Skills and Requirements

• Ability to observe and interpret animal behavior, body posturing, and symptoms of injury and illness.
• Ability to safely handle wildlife from all taxonomic groups.
• Ability to work calmly around animals during high-pressure situations such as emergencies and escapes.

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and smell. The employee must frequently lift, push and/or pull up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift, push, and/or pull up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and long distance vision.

Working Conditions

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to dangerous animals and animals with risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

Hours

• Schedule is made based on program schedule, so hours may vary by day, week, and season.