Naturalists at Large

 

UPDATES: NOW HIRING OUTDOOR EDUCATORS FOR FALL 2023!

 

Hiring:

 
 
 

Outdoor Educators


Please email a completed NAL application (https://naturalistsatlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NALApplication.pdf), cover letter, and resume to staffing@natsatlarge.com

 

Ready to share your passion for the outdoors with students? Apply to work with us! This position is a seasonal, traveling naturalist role. Work and play all around the state of California! 

 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Lead students in 2-6 day outdoor education camping programs for grades 4-12.

  • Teach concepts such as natural history, human history, environmental education, basic ecology, local flora/fauna identification, Leave No Trace, and team building. 

  • Guide students in activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, backpacking, and cross-country skiing. 

  • Assist specialist instructors (and even become one!)  with instruction in activities like rock climbing, high ropes courses, snorkeling, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding.

  • Attend specialty site trainings at Catalina Island and/or the Lower Colorado River

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Significant personal outdoor experience.

  • Previous professional experience working with youth in an outdoor setting.

  • Group management, time management, and solid facilitation skills.

  • Enthusiastic self-starter capable of working with minimal supervision.

  • Demonstrated leadership/facilitator skills and safety/risk management skills.

  • Familiarity of basic science concepts (biology, botany, geology, ecology, astronomy, etc.)

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to work and travel to various sites throughout California. NAL does not offer travel stipends. 

  • Weekly availability for field placement (Spring season runs March-June; Fall season runs August-November)

  • Authorization to work in the U.S.A.

  • Minimum Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR certifications. You may apply for a position without certifications as long as you intend to get them before date of hire. Note: WFR or higher is preferred and required for backpacking programs.

  • Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent work experience in environmental education.

  • Satisfactory response from the CA Livescan Fingerprinting process.

  • Tuberculosis test confirming employee is free of Infectious TB.

  • Requires full Covid-19 vaccination as defined by the CDC.

BENEFITS:

  • Entry level (Level I) starts at $152 per day.

  • Trainings are compensated at $15.50 per hour. We follow CA labor laws for overtime compensation.

  • Ability to work up our pay scale levels as you work more days, sites, and seasons with NAL.

  • Tent space/lodging and meals always provided during program.

  • Weekend campsites usually available at specific locations. Resources are available for assistance in weekend planning.

  • Freedom to explore and play in California's diverse ecosystems!

  • Access to pro-deal purchase programs.

 

Additional Information About Naturalists at Large

Naturalists at Large is a leading outdoor and environmental education group in California. Since 1985, we have provided outdoor education programs for tens of thousands of students from over three hundred schools. We have introduced students to environments as diverse as the pygmy forest of Sonoma, the Giant Forest of Sequoia, the spring wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, and Giant Kelp Forests of Santa Catalina Island’s waters.

We pride ourselves on our ability to facilitate outdoor programs that are exciting and fun, while giving students an understanding of the beauty and diversity of our planet. We are committed to teaching people of all ages the skills to be at ease in the outdoors, and to come to a better understanding of the Western ecosystems: mountains, deserts, and seashores.

Education of the natural world and learning how to become a responsible steward of the environment is every bit as important as traditional academics. Through thought provoking subject matter and activities, as well as Leave no Trace ethics and proper camping habits, we hope to inspire not only a love of the natural world, but a sense of responsibility to sustain wilderness for generations to come.

Naturalists at Large provides outdoor education experiences for public and private schools throughout the school year.

We use over 35 sites throughout California:
Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Point Reyes, Pinnacles, Colorado River, Catalina Island, Coastal Redwoods, Anza Borrego, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Cruz Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Big Basin, and Mono Lake to name a few.