Seasonal Naturalist

Job Description:

Seasonal Naturalist

Description

Job Location/Shift: This position is with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks, and will be located at Onondaga Cave State Park, 7556 Highway H, Leasburg, MO 65535. This position will be temporary, extending the length of the recreation season between March and October. The work hours will be between 20 to 40 hours per week, not to exceed 1,000 hours total during the length of employment. Work on weekend and summer holidays will be required.

Why you’ll love this position:

Onondaga Cave State Park is a beautiful place that offers cave tours, camping, hiking, a gift shop, and river access. Cave tours are a great way to learn about the cave ecosystem and give park employees the ability to add creativity to their work. There are two tour caves at Onondaga Cave State Park, including its namesake and Cathedral Cave. This position will be great for someone who enjoys sharing knowledge with guests and is interested in science and education.

• Guide cave tours of Onondaga Cave and, possibly, Cathedral Cave.
• Provide park information to guests in the Visitor Center when not guiding tours.
• Clean Visitor Center facilities, including bathrooms, recycling, gift shop inventory, nature room, AV room, and outside the Visitor Center.
• Refill hummingbird feeders and do some garden maintenance during the spring and summer months.
• Research and use spare time to learn more about the cave and the history of Onondaga.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience/Special Job Requirements

• Ability to speak audibly to the public and provide information to a wide audience.
• Ability to hike 4 or more hilly miles a day in the 57-degree cave environment.
• Ability to work into the fall, preferably into October.
• Ability to keep busy when not on tours with cleaning and various other tasks that arise.

• You will gain experience in researching, preparing, and presenting nature programs to a variety of audiences.
• You will gain hands-on knowledge with methods used to promote natural stewardship, including identifying and treating invasive species.
• You will gain the ability to work a job with diverse duties.
• You will gain the ability to work outside in the park.

Salary:

$15.00 per Hour