9 Positions: Conservation Technician
Type: summer positions (age 30 & under)
Organization: Friends of the Rouge Watershed
Location: multiple sites in Markham & Scarborough, Ontario
Start and End Dates (Possibility of extension – subject to CSJ funding) :
- April 15 to June 20 (4 positions)
- April 29 to July 4 (3 positions)
- May 13 to July 18 (2 positions)
Pay: $18.00/ hour Average of 5 days/week, 35 hours/week, plus a few week-end events. Potential wage increase based on work ethic, skills, and leadership.
Equal Opportunity Employer: FRW embraces diversity, inclusivity, and environmental and social justice.
Job Description:
Technicians will gain valuable knowledge and practical skills in the planning and implementation of ecological education and restoration work. Technicians will help FRW: a) plant, and care for, native trees, shrubs, and flowers; b) organize and run planting events for students, community groups and corporations; and c) create social media, education, and communication tools.
Job Tasks:
- Helping FRW plant seedlings and potted trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
- Coordinating school, community and corporate volunteers and ensuring planting quality control.
- Watering, mulching and weeding planting sites to maximize tree survival and growth.
- Installing rodent guards, weed blankets and protective fencing around trees.
- Identifying native trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, and mammals.
- Identifying and removing invasive plants.
- Monitoring planting success and new habitat use by key species.
- Assisting with public outreach, community events, communications, and advocacy.
- Assisting with virtual and interpretive nature hikes for school and community groups.
- Recording daily activities via photos and approved posts to social media and website.
- Assisting with other activities related to watershed planning and protection, such as GIS mapping.
Transportation:
Candidates should have reliable transportation to access multiple worksites in Markham and Scarborough which are not well-served by public transit.
Desired Applicant Skills and Qualities:
- Strong work ethic, punctuality, and ability to meet ambitious planting and maintenance goals.
- Fitness and endurance for manual and repetitive outdoor work.
- Ability to work outside in all weather conditions (rain or shine, heat or cold)
- Reliably work 7-to-9-hour days starting as early as 7:00 am and a few weekend plantings.
- Knowledge of, and proximity to, the Rouge River Watershed (eastern GTA).
- Ability to follow instructions and work safely and independently with minimum supervision.
- License and vehicle to travel to planting sites which are difficult to reach by public transit.
- Tree planting and ecological restoration and education experience.
- Volunteer, NGO and Educational experience, and social media and website skills.
- Experience with GIS Mapping, photo, and video editing, and uploading online educational content.
- Valid First Aid Certificate.
- Ability to obtain vulnerable sector screening police clearance for working with children.
About Friends of the Rouge Watershed
FRW is a registered Canadian Charity (# 88878 1028 RR 001). FRW helped to generate public and political support for the creation of Rouge Watershed and Greenbelt Plans, and Rouge National Park.
FRW involves thousands of students and community volunteers in practical ecological education, protection, and restoration work every year. Since 1991, with the help of federal, provincial, municipal, school and community partners, FRW has:
- educated and activated 73,930 school and community volunteers.
- planted more than 802,668 native trees, shrubs, and flowers.
- restored 3.6 square kilometers of forests, wetlands, meadows, and stream buffers.
More than $10 Million Dollars of public benefits accrue from this habitat restoration work every year.
FRW increases public environmental awareness, values, and actions; we motivate energy and resource conservation; and we protect, expand and interconnect natural areas to:
- Reduce water and air pollution to improve watershed and human health.
- Absorb carbon and water to reduce damage from climate change and extreme weather events.
- Protect people, property and infrastructure from severe flooding and erosion impacts.
- Conserve biodiversity, promote ecological integrity, and help species at-risk recover.
In 2016, FRW received the J.R. Dymond Award from Ontario Nature for our: “Tireless and inspirational role in the creation of Rouge National Park” and “Exceptional work on the ground with stewardship and restoration projects.”
APPLY
To Apply for this Job, Please Send Your Cover Letter and Résumé in One PDF Document to: applytofrw@gmail.com by Sunday March 23rd, 2025.
