Ecological Restoration Fellow

Mass Audubon • Lincoln, MA

7d • $50,000 - $50,000

About The Position

Mass Audubon is committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just organization and to providing greater access to nature for everyone, which is why we created the Environmental Fellowship Program for Early Careers (EFP). Now entering its fifth year, the EFP is a unique program that increases pathways for a diversity of early career professionals into environmental professions. Each 14-month fellowship is hosted within one of five departments/teams: Land Conservation, Conservation Science, Nature in the City, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Education, or Diversity & Inclusion. Our fellows will tackle some of the most pressing environmental concerns of our time while working with a passionate and dedicated team of professionals. This is an opportunity designed for recent graduates or those beginning their careers with up to one year of professional experience. In addition to professional experience, the fellows are given opportunities for networking, mentoring, and skill development within a supportive cohort model.
Mass Audubon operates under a strategic plan known as the Action Agenda, a five-year plan to address the rapid loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and the threat of climate change. Conservation is a key component of our success, involving collaboration among colleagues throughout the organization to protect, restore, and steward land for wildlife and for people.
The Ecological Restoration Fellow will join our Ecological Restoration Program within the Conservation Science Department, based out of Mass Audubon Headquarters in Lincoln, MA. Ecological Restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been damaged, degraded, or destroyed. The Ecological Restoration Program focuses on improving the health and functioning of rivers and wetlands on lands managed by Mass Audubon or by other partnering organizations. Our program is focused on 4 types of projects: urban wetlands, salt marshes, cranberry bog wetland restoration, and dam removal. Our projects take several years to design, permit, and implement, and are tied to long-term monitoring and adaptive management.
The Ecological Restoration team is committed to creating a positive work environment and a meaningful experience for the fellow. We value cultivating joy, curiosity, healthy work-life boundaries, progress over perfection, collective responsibility, and mutual respect.
The Ecological Restoration Fellow is committed to protecting the nature of Massachusetts by supporting our ecological restoration work including on-the-ground projects, monitoring, public outreach and engagement, and other potential focus areas.

Requirements

• Must have obtained a bachelor's degree by the start of the Fellowship. Degrees or coursework especially suitable for this work include: Biology, Ecology, Landscape Architecture, Ecological Restoration, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Environmental Planning, Civil and Environmental Engineering, or a related field
• A commitment to practicing conservation through a lens of equity, inclusion, and access
• Passion for conservation and/or ecological restoration and a willingness to learn
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized and motivated
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team
• Comfort working in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and using Microsoft collaboration platforms (Teams, SharePoint)
• Interest in community engagement work
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel frequently and extensively throughout the state

Nice To Haves

• Interest in developing entry level career skills
• Experience communicating technical content to a variety of audiences
• Experience with natural resources fieldwork (ex: environmental, water, biological, ecological, etc.) through coursework, projects, professional, or volunteer experience
• Interest in learning about Massachusetts state and federal environmental regulations
• Experience with GPS devices and digital data collection, and/or ArcGIS mapping software and database design/management

Responsibilities

• Assist in the coordination and project management of dam removal, salt marsh restoration, cranberry bog restoration, and urban wetland projects.
• Collaborate with team members, stakeholders, and volunteers to develop scopes of work, manage budgets, consider project designs, and address public and regulatory concerns.
• Conduct GIS analyses to support project planning and implementation.
• Perform literature reviews on relevant ecological research, especially pertaining to restoration practices.
• Develop and maintain GIS databases to track project progress and ecological data.
• Assist the Ecological Restoration team with development of internal documentation and processes to facilitate internal and external communication about specific projects and the program
• Assist with data collection and study design (vegetation surveys, electrofishing surveys)
• Support the implementation of new and ongoing monitoring and restoration management practices.
• Undertake additional fieldwork tasks as required, contributing to various restoration and monitoring efforts.

Benefits

• Benefits eligible staff at Mass Audubon may elect to enroll in medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Mass Audubon also offers disability and life insurance plans, a retirement plan , and Flexible Spending Account options.
• Mass Audubon employment also includes access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through and the Reciprocity Agreement through the Consortium of Non-Profit Arts/Cultural/Environmental Organizations of New England.
• Mass Audubon employees enjoy 13 paid holidays (holidays may shift annually due to where days fall within calendar).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees