Preserve Stewardship Associate

About Legacy Land Conservancy (Legacy):
Legacy Land Conservancy is an accredited land conservancy founded in 1971 to protect the forests, fields, wetlands, and rivers of southern Michigan. Serving Washtenaw, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, Legacy’s mission is to secure for current and future generations a land base for nature, agriculture, fresh water, and recreation today and forever. More information: www.legacylandconservancy.org.

Legacy Land Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Legacy recognizes that opportunities in the conservation and environmental fields have historically excluded and continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, as well as Asian, Latino/a, and Hispanic people, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage individuals with these, and all other identities to apply.

Legacy is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace people from all backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints, because we value the collective sum of our individual differences, unique capabilities and talents. We encourage and support our employees’ differences in age, race, color, ability, ethnicity, family or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and any other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Core Values:
Legacy seeks to embrace these core values in all our actions: Justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, trust, relationships, integrity, perpetuity, responsibility, honor, collaboration, science, sustainability, history.

Position Overview: 

Legacy Land Conservancy’s Preserve Stewardship Associate works closely with the Preserve Stewardship Manager to assist in Legacy’s Preserve Stewardship Program. Legacy’s Preserve Stewardship Program focuses on the care and stewardship of Legacy’s eight publicly accessible preserves. The aspects of the Preserve Stewardship Program that this position assists with are: implementing preserve stewardship field operations including supervision of seasonal crews / AmeriCorps Members and volunteers, leading and co-leading volunteer preserve workdays, and other tasks needed to nurture Legacy’s public lands. This position requires engagement with other land department staff, development and communications staff, volunteers, preserve caretakers, preserve neighbors, and external partners.

Reports to: Preserve Stewardship Manager

Hours: Approximately 24 hours per week. Legacy embraces a work remote culture, flexible schedule to be determined with supervisor. Position requires some time at the office and travel throughout our service area of Jackson, Lenawee, Washtenaw Counties, and beyond. Evening and weekend work will be required to meet the goals of this position.

Start Date: The ideal candidate would start June 3, 2024, but we are willing to work with the right candidate’s schedule.

Compensation:
(Part Time Regular Hourly)

• Starting salary is $20/hour. Legacy sets a nonnegotiable salary to ensure all employees are compensated equitably.
• Employer-paid flexible spending account prorated based on 0.60 FTE status.
• Accrued, paid personal time off starting at 14.4 days a year.
• Paid holidays.
• Professional development opportunities

Responsibilities:

• Assist in coordination and management of a growing portfolio of ten fee properties, including eight preserves.
• Implement stewardship activities such as ecosystem restoration, habitat management, and invasive species removal.
• Maintain and improve public accessibility at preserves in accordance with approved plans.
• Assist in routine maintenance of preserve infrastructure, such as a caretaker residence, board walks, signs, parking lots, etc.
• Assist in the creation and updating of Legacy’s Preserve Management Plans in accordance with Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission standards and practices.
• Assist in the maintenance and regular inventory of preserve equipment and vehicles.
• Participate regularly as part of Legacy’s “Land Team” to help plan and implement Legacy’s organization-wide land protection program.
• Work with other staff to administer and operate public engagement opportunities on preserves with events such as educational programming, hikes, invasive species removal workdays, or other activities. Lead or co-lead preserve events.
• Occasional public speaking related to educational events, partner presentations and public relations events.
• Complete annual monitoring for Legacy preserves in accordance with organizational policies and Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission standards and practices.
• Guide and inspire volunteers and seasonal crew / AmeriCorps members in completion of aforementioned stewardship activities as well as other tasks as needed.
• Other tasks as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent relevant experience
• Knowledge of local flora and ecosystems
• Commercial pesticide applicator license
• Have taken or will take an OSHA chain saw safety course
• Have taken or will take first aid certification
• Must be able to work efficiently outdoors in varying conditions and terrains

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience leading volunteers or crews in the field
• Familiarity with ArcGIS or similar mapping software
• Experience with habitat management, ecosystem restoration, and invasive species treatment

Other Requirements:

• Valid Michigan driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Background Check
• Flexibility, enthusiasm for work and mission, and a sense of humor are the key traits of the perfect candidate.
• Comfortable in the safe operation of basic hand and power tools, with an emphasis on familiarity with chainsaws for preserve maintenance and invasive species treatment.
• Knowledge and prior experience with GPS, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe Suite

Milestones:

First month:

• General Legacy onboarding with Preserve Stewardship Manager, Executive Director
• Meet with each staff member to learn more about their work
• Visit all of Legacy’s nature preserves and review their management plans, as well as relevant stewardship tasks for the 2024 season
• Become familiar with Landscape software basics
• Shadow Preserve Stewardship Manager at volunteer workday(s)

Within three months:

• Lead Legacy’s AmeriCorps members in preserve stewardship and maintenance
• Complete summer field work goals for the preserves
• Lead volunteer workday(s) with assistance from other Legacy staff and AmeriCorps members
• Complete installation of nature preserve trailhead kiosks

Within six months:

• Lead volunteers at preserve workdays independently
• Learn how to complete preserve management plans/updates from Preserve Stewardship Manager
• Complete fall field work goals for the preserves

Within one year:

• Collaborate with Preserve Stewardship Manager on a Preserve Management Plan and/or Preserve Management Plan Update
• Collaborate with Preserve Stewardship Manager on hiring and orientation of 2025 Seasonal Crew/ Americorps members
• Independently lead, inspire, and empower seasonal preserve staff and volunteers
• Complete winter field work goals for the preserves
• Begin spring field work goals for the preserves