Stewardship Assistant

Friends of Acadia, Stewardship Assistant                                                                     

Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

Compensation and Hours: $17.85/hr., 40 hrs./week

Service Periods:

Long Season: May 21 – November 8

Short Season: May 21 – August 24

Do you enjoy maintaining trails in beautiful places?

Do you enjoy empowering volunteers to connect

with their public lands? Friends of Acadia is accepting

applications for two seasonal Stewardship Assistants for 2024.

Deadline for applications is Monday, February 5, 2024. 

Summary of Positions

The assistants work with the Friends of Acadia (FOA) Stewardship Coordinator and the Acadia National Park (ANP) Volunteer Coordinator, Friends of Acadia (FOA) Stewardship Coordinator to facilitate a long-standing volunteer stewardship program on Acadia’s trails and carriage roads. The program works with weekly drop-in and service group volunteers, contributing greatly to the maintenance of Acadia’s natural and cultural resources.

Organization Overview

Friends of Acadia is an independent nonprofit organization, founded in 1986. Its mission is to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities for the inspiration and enjoyment of current and future generations. For more information, please visit www.friendsofacadia.org

FOA is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environment for visitors, volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.

Duties of Stewardship Assistants:

1. Leads volunteer projects, including but not limited to: drainage clearing, weeding on carriage roads, cutting vegetation from trail corridors, clearing trailside drainage, maintaining historic trail surfaces (i.e. resurfacing, check step installation, grade dips, etc.), and constructing bogwalk.
2. Prioritizes safety of volunteers by leading safety trainings for service groups on outdoor hazards, demonstrating proper tool usage, and responding to any incidents.
3. Facilitates volunteer sign-in sheets and waiver form completion during volunteer projects.
4. Promotes broad stewardship of Acadia National Park:
   1. Serves as roving ambassador for FOA while out in the field.
   2. Educates volunteers about FOA/ANP partnership.
5. Scouts and assists in planning work assignments for volunteer projects based on the annual maintenance schedule and park needs.
6. Helps facilitate communication with volunteers regarding project coordination, including but not limited to sending a weekly email to all volunteers.
7. Assists with data reporting for volunteer projects.
8. Performs weekly systems:
   1. Tool distribution, collection, maintenance, inventory, and cleaning
   2. Van cleaning, fueling, and general maintenance.
   3. Reports any equipment issues to the Stewardship Coordinator
9. Works with FOA staff on large events such as FOA annual meeting, benefit auction, local parades, and Take Pride in Acadia Day.
10. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Excellent communication and people skills
• Patience and a sense of humor
• Flexibility to adapt to quickly changing work demands
• Passion for working with volunteers in the outdoors
• Volunteer, natural resource, trail work, and/or manual labor experience
• Outdoor leadership experience
• Familiarity with word processing and data entry

Training will be provided for this position, but knowledge of or willingness to learn about ANP trails and carriage roads is necessary. Must be eager and capable to work hard at a socially and physically demanding job, work in inclement weather (hot, cold, or wet), and attend to routine tasks.

Requirements: Applicants must pass a background check and have a valid driver’s license for driving to job sites in ANP vehicle. Must be comfortable driving a 12-passenger van as well as large trucks. Applicants must be capable of lifting up to 50 pounds, hiking 4 miles per day, and communicating via radio.

Period of Service: Positions will work 7:00am – 3:30pm, Tuesday – Saturday, some weekend and holiday work required.  Applicants must be available for the entire season; start and end dates can be flexible on an individual basis.  Time off during the season includes unpaid holidays (Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples Day), unpaid days off can be scheduled with your supervisor.

Wages: $17.85/hr Pay period: Every two weeks. Housing: Applicants will be expected to find their own housing. Work Environment: Much of the work is performed outdoors and may involve some risk or discomfort. Uniforms/Equipment: Uniform shirts, boots, first aid kits, gloves, and personal protective equipment provided. A stipend will be provided to purchase pants or shorts that fit uniform standards.

To Apply: Submit cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three references.

Friends of Acadia is an equal opportunity employer. Founded in 1986, the organization’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote stewardship of the outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and distinctive cultural resources of Acadia National Park and the surrounding community for the inspiration and enjoyment of current and future generations.

It is the policy of Friends of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees in compliance with all applicable laws. This policy applies in all aspects of the employment relationship including (but not limited to) recruiting, selection, placement, supervision, working conditions, compensation, training, promotion, and termination.

Friends of Acadia does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, reproductive health decision-making, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, in connection with any aspect of employment at Friends of Acadia.