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Position Summary 

Outdoor Educator

 

The role of the candidate is to provide education about the natural and cultural history of Minnewaska State Park Preserve to patrons of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. The goal of the education program is to foster preservation stewardship of the natural world in all individuals and germinate potential conservation leaders for the future. The member will also assist the Minnewaska staff to implement land management activities to include mitigating visitor use impacts, provide invasive species control, and collect data for ecological monitoring projects. The program provides valuable education and recreation opportunities for members of both the local and distant community. People from all over the world visit Minnewaska, as do locals who adore this Park Preserve.

 

Participation in a Minnewaska education program creates possibilities for patrons to exercise outdoors while learning about the natural world and local history. Exercise enhances good health, while learning about nature in a positive setting fosters a connection with the landscape that may lead to future stewardship. In an era of fewer in-person social interactions, Minnewaska’s programs create an opportunity for people of diverse life experiences to learn from each other as well. Striking a balance between recreation and preservation happens best when negative impacts to the Park Preserve are addressed with timely and informed responses. Trail overuse/erosion, introduction and spread of invasive species, deer overbrowse and other recreation and biological impacts have the potential to significantly alter the landscape and threaten the rich bio-diversity found in the Northern Shawangunks.

 

In order to keep this landscape intact, and also to offer world-class recreation experiences to a growing audience, Minnewaska needs to identify impacts and prioritize mitigation efforts to ensure that the negative impacts do not cause a degradation of the natural experience available to park patrons. One focus of our education programming is to teach people about this wonderful area and how they can help to protect it.

 

Location 

Kerhonkson, NY

 

Schedule 

March 16, 2026 - October 30, 2026

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

Come to Minnewaska State Park Preserve, a 24,000-acre gem featuring seven waterfalls, four sky lakes and over 85 miles of carriage roads and trails. Recreation opportunities include hiking, biking, swimming, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, horseback riding, scuba, and paddling. Be part of a dynamic team leading education and recreation programs for the public both on-site and off-site; implement existing education programs and develop new and innovative ones; promote all programming through printed materials, press releases, social media and other means; organize volunteer events; staff, maintain and update the Visitor Center and its displays; participate in conservation stewardship work, trail stewardship and trail assessment and updating. Other miscellaneous duties may include assisting with various maintenance and operational needs.

 

Candidate must be able to work a flexible schedule which will usually include one day out each weekend, as well as holidays and rarely evenings. The usual schedule of hours is 8:30am – 5pm with a half-hour for lunch. Through the education programming and trail improvements that the member provides, the following actions, which are key components of the mission of NYSOPRHP, will be accomplished:

Provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors Encourage visitors to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources

 

The following is an approximate breakdown of job duties:

 

A) 50% Provide education and recreation programs for the public, including school groups, clubs and the public. This includes researching, developing and delivering education programs about the natural and cultural history of the site as well as creating and distributing promotional materials. The member will seek new audiences for education programs, including but not limited to local libraries, preschoolers, veterans, mobility and cognitively impaired individuals and other audiences. The member will assess all education programs and make any necessary updates to the programs. The member will also lead public recreation programs, such as hikes, year-round.

 

B) 15% Trail Assessment and Maintenance. The member will work with park staff and volunteers to assess footpaths in the Park and make improvements to them as needed, including structural repairs such as clearing water bars and building turnpikes. In addition, the member will also assist with educational improvements, such as hanging signs or speaking to patrons about trail use, including acting as a trail steward on busy days. The member may also work on developing various education tools related to trails possibly including signs with QR codes to be posted at scenic views and Park based descriptions of various hike routes to be posted on our website. These descriptions would be accurate and user friendly and would include photographs, maps and text. The member will also work with their supervisor to assist in supervision of the work of the NYNJ Trail Conference Trail Stewards.

 

C) 15% Participate in all SCA Corps-wide trainings and service projects, as well as project evaluation and reporting.

 

These goals are in mind for the candidate:

 

Goal 1: Develop and Teach Education Programs

March-April:

1)Develop Education Programs:

 

The member will create a series of education programs as follows:

 

A) Homeschooler series to be offered from March – June and September - November, once per month.

B) Develop Preschool Naturalists series of programs to be offered from April – October, with a goal of offering four or more programs.

C) Develop Afterschool series for local elementary schools to be offered in Spring, for a total of three to four programs per school.

D) Develop programs for developmentally disabled adults in small groups, during April-November, up to four programs, which can include volunteer projects such as weeding as well as strictly education and recreation programs.

E) Jr. Naturalist Summer Series: Develop and lead education programs for youth for the months of July-August. At least four programs should be offered.

F) Work with other staff to update the existing brochure of school field trip programs, including developing new programs to be added.

G) Create a series of pre-visit activities for the most popular school field trips. These will be shared with teachers to be used with their classes before their field trips here.

H) Assist with the development of a new, self-guided school field trip program for middle schoolers. This will include a walking route with suggested stopping points and accompanying talking points and activities for teachers to offer. It may be in a brochure format with a map, photos, education talking points and activities.

I) Assist with the development of the 2025 Adult Learning Summer Series by helping to promote the program, recruiting possible teachers and developing and leading programs.

J) Assist with the development of a summer, live music series for the Park.

K) Create a monthly Instagram post on topics of cultural and natural history.

L)The member will also develop promotional materials with which to recruit participants for all programs, such as flyers, Instagram posts, email messages, etc; learn and lead the lesson; gather teaching tools and document all programs.

March-October:

2) Leading Public Education and Recreation Programs:

The member will develop and lead programs and assist other staff with their programs. The member will assure that these programs successfully deliver a safe, enjoyable and educational experience for visitors, with a goal of fostering enthusiastic and knowledgeable stewards of our natural world. The member will participate in either leading or co-leading approximately 40 programs over the course of their position, some of which will be observed and critiqued by the SCA member supervisor, who will provide beneficial feedback.

 

Goal 2: Conservation Stewardship and Trails Assessments and Improvements

March–October:

Biological Surveys:

The member will assist with various biological surveys, as time permits, including broom crowberry, tiger beetles, invasive species and more.

March-April:

Learn the Trails of Minnewaska:

The member will be given time to hike, cross-country ski or snowshoe (dependent on designated trail use) the most frequently used trails during this time. While on the trails, the member will make notes of any improvements or updates that need to be made and report these to the education team and park management. These may include erosion, flooding, signage needed, re-routes suggested, litter clean-up, brushing in of social trails, etc.

April – October:

Trail Maintenance and Updates: The member will help assess up to three trails and also work on improving trail conditions, up to half a mile, with members of the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, as time allows. The member will lead a team of volunteers for the annual I Love My Park Day trail project and will also assist with organizing this event as needed. The member will also help improve education through the installation of signage on trails as needed.

Trail Stewardship:

On busy days, the member will station themselves on Gertrude’s Nose Footpath and other popular trails in order to educate hikers about Leave No Trace principles. The member will assist hikers in properly orienting themselves on the map/trail, educate hikers about the importance of staying on the trail, discuss various ecological concepts, brush in social trails and generally assist hikers and educate them about the Park Preserve. The member may create various teaching tools that they can use on the trail to accomplish this task effectively, including brochures, signs, photographs of the site, etc.

Trail Discovery Posts:

Once a month, the member will create an Instagram post about a specific hiking route at the Park. This post will provide an opportunity to teach hikers about Leave No Trace and trail orientation and also to promote less popular trail routes.

Outing Club Volunteer Days:

The member will work directly with the leaders of the SUNY New Paltz Outing Club and other local, college or public school outing clubs, to set up a volunteer trail work day in Spring and/or Fall. The member will help to choose the project and set up the logistics for the project.

 

Goal 3: Social Media Education and Monitoring

March-October:

1) The member will monitor social media and other digital platforms in order to correct inaccurate information about Minnewaska’s trails and their use. If inaccuracies are found, the member will alert Minnewaska management and propose a strategy to correct that inaccuracy as quickly as possible.

2) The member will create up to ten education posts to be put on Instagram during the duration of the internship. The member will propose topics, including a short outline of the post and share these with the education team. Once they are approved, the member will create the post and then share the post again with the education team for edits and approval. The focus of the posts will be specific to Minnewaska and will provide valuable education to visitors to the site. In fact, these could be developed into a monthly series of topics of natural and cultural history. A list of the intended topics can be developed and fleshed out in winter.

 

Marginal Duties 

  • Helping to document project progress (photos, notes, or social media updates).
  • Participating in outreach or community engagement event.

 

Required Qualifications 

  • BA/BS in biology, environmental science, education or related field
  • Communications skills- both written and verbal
  • Comfortable speaking to groups of up to 25
  • Experience providing informal interpretation and/or educational programming Education program development
  • Focused, self-motivated individual, able to work both independently and as a team member
  • Volunteer recruitment and coordination
  • Skills developed through experience and or training in trail building/repairing and removal of invasive species
  • Field experience in data collection
  • Ability to use GPS/GIS to track activities performed
  • Experience navigating and traveling in remote areas
  • Friendly and patient demeanor
  • Able to work easily in close quarters with others, sharing space and tools
  • A genuine desire to teach people, particularly children, about nature, cultural history and more
  • Ability to interpret the natural and cultural history of the area
  • Ability to identify local flora and fauna
  • Familiarity with Phenology Monitoring, Project FeederWatch, or other Citizen Science projects
  • Familiarity with New York State Learning Standards Familiarity with graphic design
  • Basic topographic and trail map knowledge
  • Basic knowledge/understanding of children

 

 

 

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Experience delivering education programs preferred
  • Experience in field data collection preferred
  • Experience in trail maintenance and restoration preferred
  • Experience organizing and supervising volunteers preferred
  • Leave No Trace training would be a great asset

 

Hours 

40 per week

 

Living Accommodations 

  • $1,000 housing allowance provided monthly. All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.

 

Compensation  

  • Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award being offered for successful completion of the member’s term of service: $5,176.50
  • Living Allowance member will receive: $440/week 

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. 

 

Personal Vehicle Information

Required

 

Additional Benefits 

  • AmeriCorps and SCA Training
  • SCA Risk Management
  • Sexual Harassment/Drug Abuse in the Workplace
  • Mental Health First Aid Training
  • Wilderness First Aid & CPR
  • Project WILD/Aquatic Curriculum
  • Environmental Leadership Institute
  • New York State Outdoor Educator Association Conferences/Events
  • Hudson River Ecology
  • Leave No Trace Level I Certification
  • Professional Development & Job Readiness
  • AmeriCorps: Eligible/Required

 

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.