Stewardship Assistant

See the job posting on the website: Employment Opportunities

Office: 412 N. Commercial Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 
Pay: $18 per hour, non-exempt 
Schedule: 40 hours per week generally Tuesday through Friday 7:00 am-5:00 pm with occasional weekend and evening hours. Some remote work is negotiable; however, the majority of the time is in the office and field.   Benefits: Include but are not limited to; competitive health benefits, up to 3% retirement match, 11 holidays annually, vacation hours increase with tenure, and a cell phone stipend.  
Posted: February 16th, 2024: open until filled. The next date applications will be reviewed is March 4, 2024. 

About Whatcom Land Trust 
Whatcom Land Trust is a nationally accredited non-profit organization with the mission to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, and scenic, agricultural and open space lands in Whatcom County for future generations by securing interests in land and promoting land stewardship. Since 1984, the Land Trust has protected over 26,000 acres through ownership, conservation easements, and facilitation. 

Position Summary 
The Stewardship Assistant primarily supports stewardship of Whatcom Land Trust (WLT) owned properties by conducting annual on-the-ground monitoring, reporting, filing, creating maps in ArcGIS, drafting Baseline Documentation Reports and Stewardship Plans, and completing land management activities including boundary line marking, habitat maintenance and restoration, trail creation and/or maintenance, signage installation, and other activities as they arise. This position will further support the Stewardship of WLT’s Conservation Easement properties by completing a limited number of annual monitoring visits. Currently, WLT owns and manages just over 6,500 acres across approximately 100 properties and has protected an additional 10,000 acres through approximately 110 Conservation Easements. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Assist with annual monitoring, report creation, and recordkeeping for WLT-owned properties and some conservation easement properties.
• Assist with the implementation of appropriate ecological management projects on lands owned by WLT such as invasive species removal, planting, maintenance, forest thinning, trail maintenance and creation, public access maintenance, and restoration project management.
• Use GIS for stewardship program and organizational needs, including creating project maps and updating GIS databases with new properties, management actions, trails and other improvements.
• Assist with planning and implementation of management plans on WLT-owned properties and creation of Baseline Documentation Reports for newly acquired lands using digital photography, GPS, and GIS technologies.
• Assist with leading volunteers for stewardship activities including those participating in Field Fridays and the Volunteer Land Steward program.
• Assist with monitoring some of WLT’s Conservation Easement properties.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with property neighbors, donors, partnering organizations, and long-term volunteers through communications and events.
• Work closely with the entire Stewardship team and other departments as needed to further the Land Trust’s mission and attend meetings.

Please see the website for further details.