Restoration & Community Engagement Apprentice

Position Description

The Restoration & Community Engagement Apprentice will be part of the team working primarily on WMG’s River Run Network restoration projects that fulfill WMG’s strategic goals, including our 50-year goal of restoring flow and ecological function to Tucson’s rivers and creeks, as well as our long-term efforts to steward watershed health and hydro-local (local, renewable water) water supplies. WMG’s restoration project work primarily encompasses the urban and rural areas within the bi-national Santa Cruz and San Pedro watersheds, with a focus on work in the greater Tucson area. 

The Apprentice will focus primarily on supporting the River Run Network’s invasive species removal and reforestation effort within the Tucson basin. They will provide outreach and education to community organizations, River Run Network members, and the general public. The Apprentice will co-lead and co-facilitate workshops in the Tanque Verde Creek. The Apprentice will also co-facilitate community clean-up and invasive species removal events in other parts of watershed, including planning, scheduling, implementing, cleaning up after, and supporting grant reporting for events. 

WMG’s restoration efforts work to engage limited-income, BIPOC, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities, and we seek an apprentice who is part of and/or able to effectively engage with these populations.

The Apprentice will participate in weekly onboarding and development activities with a cohort of other apprentices, interns, and docents. Training often occurs on Friday afternoons, 3-5pm.

Job Requirements

• Interest in and support of WMG’s mission
• Ability to engage with diverse communities and build relationships built on trust and understanding
• Ability to work independently
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Promptness and sound organizational skills
• Experience with natural resources-based field work
• Proficient in Google Docs, Microsoft Office Suite, and social media
• Cell phone that can be used to make and receive work calls
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours as needed and work outside in physically demanding environments for field days

Routine Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist with River Run Network invasive species removal and reforestation effort in the Tanque Verde Creek and beyond
  • Co-facilitate community events across Tucson’s creeks and rivers to steward our creeks, utilizing inclusive, hands-on workshop techniques
  • Co-lead Arundo donax (Giant cane) removal and revegetation restoration efforts
  • Document project efforts and conduct monitoring of Arundo and other vegetation
  • Support outreach efforts for community events through email, social media, educational videos, print materials, and in-person outreach
  • Conduct outreach to community groups to inform and educate about river restoration and recruit groups to volunteer
  • Aid in grant reporting, including gathering metric data and developing qualitative content about the work being done
• Collaborate with the River Run Network Team to support and plan major WMG events
  • Participate in event planning and preparation, volunteer engagement, and event marketing
  • Conduct in-person education, including designing and leading educational activities for people of all ages
• Support the River Run Network’s Flow365 Monitoring Program
  • Attend quarterly training sessions for community members to assist with their learning
  • Adopt 1-2 Flow365 Monitoring sites to collect flow data weekly
  • Support the ecosystem health survey launch effort

Preferred Experience

• ArcGIS Online (i.e Survey123) experience
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work experience or training
• Bilingual speaker and writer, fluent in English and Spanish