Naturalists At Large - Employee Application

Employee Application

The NAL Employee Application can be found in PDF form here (You may need to download and install the Acrobat PDF Reader). Return it to, or contact:

Naturalists at Large
PO Box 3517
Ventura, CA 93006

Phone: 805-642-2692
Fax: 805-642-2843

E-Mail: staffing@naturalists-at-large.com

OUTDOOR EDUCATOR POSITIONS

Naturalists at Large is an outdoor education company working with independent and public schools to provide educational and group building experiences for grades 4 through 12.

Programs include 1- to 6-day outdoor learning sites or lodge-based trips in the mountains, valleys, islands and coastal regions of California. We provide ski and backpack programs in Sequoia National Park; canoe trips along the lower Colorado River; kayaking, snorkeling and island ecology on Catalina Island; rock climbing at Joshua Tree National Park, in addition to numerous programs at sites in the Sierras, the deserts, and the coastal redwoods of California.

Employment is seasonal from September through June. Contact us if you're interested in working for Naturalists at Large and we'll discuss entry level compensation for Lodge-Based and Outdoor Learning Center trips. Each trip begins 24 hours before the students arrive. This gives naturalists an opportunity to fully prepare themselves for the program. Because we realize the importance of a well-prepared staff, this preparation day is part of your salary compensation.

In addition to compensation, food and lodging are provided during every program.

New employee orientation takes place for autumn programs in late August and for spring programs in mid April.

Responsibilities

— Conduct group building and natural history programs for grades 4-12.
— Facilitate a comfortable and safe experience for students by providing physical assistance and moral support.
— Be an assertive leader and enthusiastic role model.
— Teach natural history and environmental education. Teach a variety of outdoor skills such as canoeing, cross-country skiing, backpacking, and/or wilderness travel techniques formally and by example.
— Assist specialists (rock climbing instructors, ropes facilitators, kayaking instructors and snorkeling instructors) with student instruction.

Qualifications

-Experience working with youth in an outdoor setting.
-Significant personal outdoor experience.
-Enthusiastic self-starter capable of working with minimal supervision.
-Demonstrated leadership / facilitator skills.
-Academic background in environmental education, the natural sciences, outdoor recreation or related field.
-Familiarity with NAL program areas is desirable.
-Current Basic First Aid and CPR. (Wilderness First Responder training is desirable.) Please submit certification copies with application. Please Note: On-line certifications are not acceptable.

Applications

Applications are accepted continuously.

Review for the Fall season begins in late May.

Review for the Spring season begins in January.

WHO WE ARE

Naturalists at Large is a leading environmental education group in California. We have provided outdoor education programs for thousands of students from over 100 of California's independent and public schools. We introduce students to California's diverse landscapes using 30 sites throughout the state.

We pride ourselves on our ability to design 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 lifetime skills to be at ease in the outdoors and to understand the ecosystems of the West: mountains, deserts, and seashores.

We work with schools to help identify their outdoor education goals and then tailor programs to meet their specific needs. Our staff works with each client every step of the way. We prepare educational materials specific to each program, make presentations to the students and faculty, and provide all the support services necessary to make every program a success.

THE NATURALISTS AT LARGE TRADITION

Naturalists at Large was founded by Richard Stowell, a former independent school administrator, to fill a void he realized existed in available outdoor education programs. Existing providers offered only "packaged" programs, where schools had to fit themselves into a pre-defined, inflexible program. Naturalists at Large does not offer "one-size-fits-all" programs, but instead works with schools to design a program that meets their own outdoor education goals.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Naturalists at Large believes that no one can truly appreciate the outdoors unless they are comfortable. All participants in Naturalists at Large outdoor education programs learn the important art of being comfortable in the outdoors, while having fun.

The necessary skills are numerous, but the skills and techniques that give us the ability to truly enjoy the wilderness are only the foundation. Learning to be comfortable while cross-country skiing in Sequoia National Park or rock-climbing in Joshua Tree National Park provides students with a unique opportunity to discover harmony with the natural world, and memories that will last a lifetime.

In addition to outdoor skills, our programs build cooperation, self-confidence, and leadership skills. Outdoor settings foster cooperation with one another, while challenge and responsibility promote self-confidence.

We recognize that the students are not self-selected, but are usually required to participate by their schools. Our outdoor goals are designed to be appropriate and specific to each student's age and background.

SAFETY

Our philosophy of comfortable outdoor experiences is the cornerstone of our risk management program. Our instructors are all certified in First Aid and CPR, and each site has specific emergency plans.
The most effective part of our safety program is prevention: instructors provide ongoing instruction prior to, and during, each activity and throughout all programs.

Teaching students to be aware of potential hazards, and to handle them as a group, helps to ensure an enriching and safe experience for all of us.

SENSE OF PLACE

All Naturalists at Large outdoor programs offer something more than a passing acquaintance with the lands we visit. Our instructor's contagious enthusiasm leave participants with a "sense of place" and appreciation for these unique and irreplaceable resources. All programs stress minimum impact wilderness travel, respect for the land, and its fragile nature.

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Naturalists at Large instructors come from many backgrounds including the traditional classroom, outdoor education, commercial guiding (e.g. whitewater rafting, climbing guides), adjudicated youth programs along with domestic and international adventure travel companies.
All of our naturalists have experience working with children and adults in outdoor settings and have made a commitment to outdoor education.

WHY WORK FOR NATURALISTS AT LARGE?

NAL provides Outdoor Education experiences for public and private schools throughout the school year.

If you worked for Naturalists at Large ...

... you could work at a variety of sites; we use over 30 throughout California: Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Salt Point, Point Reyes, Morro Bay, Pinnacles, Lower Colorado River, Catalina Island, Coastal Redwoods, Santa Monica Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Big Basin, Death Valley and Mono Lake — to name a few.

... you could work with a variety of ages; we work with 4th through 12th grade.

... you could instruct in a variety of activities: ropes courses, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, snorkeling, backpacking, and cross-country skiing.

... you could teach environmental sciences: ecology, botany, zoology, geology, and/or astronomy.

... you could be the instructor for groups of 12 to 14 students.

... you could work with a great staff.

... you could work 1- to 6-day programs.

... you could work 1 to 30 programs a year.

... you could work in specialist positions like rock climbing, ropes courses, kayaking, snorkeling and waterfront.

... you could receive special training. NAL provides additional training for ropes courses, Catalina Island, the Colorado River, outdoor commissary, rock climbing/anchor training, program coordinating, backpacking and natural history.

By working with NAL you could work in great places with great people, teaching a variety of lessons to a wide range of young people.
With this kind of programming and site diversity you continually learn, recreate and educate. You get all this and competitive pay.

We look forward to hearing from you.