SUMMER 2022 INTERNSHIP: NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA-SHOREBIRD INTERPRETER 

NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA

CONSERVATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for Shorebird Interpreters to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to conserve 15 million hectares of ecologically significant land across Canada. NCC takes a collaborative, science-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With a national office in Toronto and seven regional offices across the country, NCC delivers results you can walk on. 

POSITION TITLE: SHOREBIRD INTERPRETER 

LOCATION: JOHNSON’S MILLS, NB

1. OF POSITIONS: 4

Work Week: 37.5 hours per week

The Shorebird Interpreter will assist with shorebird conservation work at NCC’s Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretive Centre.  As Shorebird Interpreter, you will monitor shorebird activity at this internationally recognized wildlife conservation site. You will also help NCC protect shorebirds by acting as an interpretive guide for the people who visit every summer to watch the vast flocks of shorebirds that stop to feed on the extensive mudflats found here.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Educate the public on the ecology of the mudflats and the biology of the shorebirds, and help visitors use spotting scopes and binoculars to identify shorebird species;
• Interact with the public to ensure that visitors do not disturb roosting birds at high tide;
• Conduct daily counts of shorebirds and identify which bird species are present;
• Monitor and document raptor activity in the area;

•	Take care of the day-to-day facility operations, maintenance, and cleaning tasks at the centre and the surrounding nature reserve;
•	Assist NCC stewardship staff with nature reserve monitoring and stewardship tasks, and community outreach activities as needed.

 

Required Skills and Abilities: This posting is targeted to someone possessing the following skills and abilities:

• University or College student entering final years of study, or recent graduate;

•	Comfortable speaking in front of the public and approaching strangers;

• Keen interest in nature, bird identification, and conservation;
• Experience in interpretation or guiding is an asset (parks, tourist attractions, hunting/fishing guiding);
• Punctual, responsible, and dependable;
• Ability to work as part of a close-knit team,
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and be self-motivated;
• Able to work with little supervision;
• Bilingual (French and English) preferred;
• Strong communication skills;
• Standard First Aid – Level C CPR first-aid certification;
• Valid driver’s licence;

Terms of Employment:

• This is a full-time 12 week (June – September) position and will include weekend and evening shifts. Salary will be $17/hour;
• Funding restrictions for this position may require candidates to be under 30 years of age at the start of employment, or to have been attending university or college in the areas of Science or Technology, and returning to school in the fall;
• For some positions preference to be given to applicants who identify as belonging to one or more of the following: women, indigenous, persons with disabilities, or visible

minority. Candidates who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must self-identify;

• Must have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations;

*Position will be based at Johnson’s Mills, approximately 30 km from Sackville/50 km from Moncton, NB, and the intern must be able to commute.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: February 25, 2022

NCC is an equal opportunity employer. If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your cover letter and resume through our Conservation Internship Program page.

NCC welcomes and encourages application from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We value and incorporate diverse traditions, heritage, knowledge and experiences in our mission and in our workplaces. We celebrate the full participation of people from all walks of life as we work towards common goals. We strive for a conservation movement in which equity, diversity and inclusion are the norm. This is our continuous commitment: to promote healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet for everyone.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls or emails please.

Please note that in-person office attendance, carpooling with co-workers to NCC properties or events, and in-person attendance at any indoor events are currently restricted to staff who are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Accordingly, if you are required to participate in any of these activities as part of your job the expectation is that you must be fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means you have received two doses of the Pfizer, Astra Zeneca or Moderna vaccine or combination of, and have received the second dose at least two weeks prior to your start date or you have received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two weeks prior to your start date.