Conservation Technician

With guidance from, and under the direction of, the Conservation and Maintenance Director and the Conservation Manager, the Conservation Technician will coordinate the following activities within the Bayou Greenways Conservation and Maintenance program. This position involves hands-on work in restoring and maintaining natural areas and landscape resources, therefore it requires knowledge of plant/animal ecosystems and landscape techniques. 

Main Responsibilities

• Capable of working effectively and independently in the field with minimal guidance
• Understanding, monitoring, and caring for the forestry resources and/or habitats along the Bayou Greenway system
• Natural resource management tasks, such as herbicide control of invasive species
• Work collaboratively in the field with other conservation staff, volunteers and contractors on conservation projects
• Vegetation inventory/assessment within prairies, meadows, wetlands and wooded areas 
• Creation, replanting and rebuilding of prairies, wetlands and wooded areas
• Project coordination with HPB team members, including Greenspace Managers and the HPB Volunteer Manager
• Regular meetings with Conservation Manager and Team
• Additional duties as required

Work Environment:

• Primarily “in the field” along the greenway system, via company vehicle, with periods of office time for meetings, preparing reports, etc.
• The Conservation Technician will be outside exposed to long periods of sun, high heat and humidity, rain, or cold
• Driving in the Houston area will be required
• Must have valid Driver’s License

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, natural resources, ecology, forestry, resource management, biology, wildlife biology, urban planning with an emphasis on environmental design or related field, or equivalent experience in a related field

Knowledge and Experience:

• 2 or more years of experience managing natural resource management projects and environmental education programs
• Strong knowledge of plants native to the Houston area, including tree identification
• Experience with technical aspects and best practices of landscape and wildlife management
  Houston Parks Board ConservationTechnician 
• Expertise and understanding of landscape systems, ecological systems, green infrastructure and landscape sustainability
• Understanding of long-term implications of construction-related decisions and practices on future maintenance operations

Skills and Abilities:

• Plant identification skills are essential for a successful candidate, particularly tree identification skills
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to meet multiple deadlines with attention to detail, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and present viable solutions
• Good communicator, including clear, concise and accessible reports, correspondence, procedural manuals and verbal presentations
• Ability to work effectively with others in order to build mutual respect and solve problems
• Ability to efficiently respond to questions from staff, Board members, program partners, funders and members of the community
• Ability to effectively manage projects and project personnel, both volunteer and contract 
• Demonstrated ability to work independently
• Evidence of good judgment and decisiveness
• Ability to work creatively and resourcefully within a determined budget
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite products, working knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ability to read and interpret landscape architectural plans