Habitat Restoration Technician 2

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Inc•Mission Canyon, CA

13d

About The Position

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s mission is to conserve California native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and the planet. Since the 1930s, staff members of the Garden have developed and maintained an intimate knowledge of the California flora, with an emphasis on the plants and vegetation communities of California’s Central Coast and the offshore islands. Today, we take a comprehensive approach to its conservation from genes to ecosystems, with plant systematics, rare plant conservation, community ecology and habitat restoration functions. This allows us to more thoroughly tackle the conservation challenges of our day, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change. Overview: The Restoration Technician II helps execute habitat restoration projects through a range of field and office work. Typical job duties will include the installation and maintenance of restoration projects, including site preparation, seed collection, planting, weeding, and data collection; the coordination, training, and management of volunteers, interns, and others in these activities; canvassing and working with local landowners and landscapers to remove invasive plant species and replace them with native plants; collection, entry, maintenance, and analysis of data; and assistance with report writing. This full-time, hourly position reports to the Applied Ecologist.

Requirements

Must have valid California Driver License and maintain an acceptable driving record
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in biology, ecology, botany, environmental science, conservation biology, or closely related area and five years of related work experience OR
Master’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in biology, ecology, botany, environmental science, conservation biology, or closely related area and two years of related work experience OR
Ten or more years of relevant full-time experience

Nice To Haves

Ability to follow instructions and work well both in a team and independently, as needed
Proficiency using Microsoft office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), ArcGIS Collector, R, and have the willingness to learn new software as necessary
Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software to compile and report spatial data
Ability to identify common native and invasive plant species of Southern and Central Coastal CA
Experience in habitat restoration, landscape maintenance, nursery work, or equivalent fields
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate politely and effectively with landowners
Strong organizational skills
Project management experience
Experience operating 4x4 vehicles
Strong connection to the Garden’s mission

Responsibilities

Assist with the installation and maintenance of ecological restoration projects, including planting, weeding, and watering
Conduct monitoring and mapping for native plant restoration projects, including identifying native and non-native plant species that occur in the vegetative communities of California
Treat invasive plants using both manual methods (digging, pulling by hand or with tools, cutting, etc.) and herbicides (hand and/or backpack sprayers)
Collect plant specimens using accepted protocols and identify them using dichotomous keys or herbarium collections
Operate, maintain, and organize mechanical equipment, potentially including augers, chainsaws, brush cutters, mowers, and other heavy handheld machinery
Safely store, mix, transport, and apply herbicides. Qualified Applicator Certificate (QAC) or Qualified Applicator License (QAL); and/or knowledge of safe herbicide application techniques preferred
Be willing and able to work long days and on weekends as needed
Assist with project management, including communication with internal and external partners
Manage recruitment, coordination, and working with volunteer groups in seed collection, weeding, seed cleaning, and other activities
Talk with landowners respectfully about landscaping, removing invasive species, and native gardening
Collect, enter, and analyze survival, growth, cover, and other data
Assist with report writing
Provide outreach content, such as newsletter articles, social media posts, photographs, and more
Develop and deliver engaging educational material
Maintain legible and accurate work notes and records
Archive and clean data from weather stations and online data repositories