Big Cypress Volunteer Opportunity

Big Cypress Volunteer Opportunity

Environmental Education Assistant
Education and Outreach Programs

Big Cypress National Preserve is seeking volunteers from the local area to
work one to four days per week from mid October to mid April assisting in
the Preserve’s Environmental Education and Outreach Programs.

Volunteers are needed to work with the S.W.A.M.P. (Swamp Water and Me
Program) a curriculum based program with 6th grade students and their
teachers from Collier County public and private schools. Volunteers assist
the Education Rangers with group management and safety of 12-15 students
during field trips to the preserve. This involves hiking into a cypress
strand, prairie and pineland with the students and helping them with field
experiments, data collection and other activities such as radio telemetry,
dip netting and water quality testing. While the hiking is not long in
distance it can be physically demanding as it involves walking through knee
to thigh deep water, heat and humidity, mosquitoes, long periods of
standing and uneven footing. A normal Environmental Education day is from
9:30 – 3:30.

Volunteers also assist staff with housekeeping duties of the education
center, preparations for the arrival of the students, maintenance of
equipment and supplies, cleaning and restocking backpacks and field gear
and trail maintenance. On days that no field trips are scheduled the
volunteers may assist with special events, festivals, teacher workshops,
special projects or requested interpretive outreach programs. These
outreach programs may include wet walks, canoe trips, bike trips and
boardwalk tours.

The duty station is the Environmental Education Center located on Birdon
Road, which will require personal vehicles to be driven the 2.5 miles from
hwy 41along a gravel road to the education center. Volunteers will use a
government vehicle to get to special events and outreach programs.

Volunteers must enjoy working outside, have experience working with
children, knowledge of natural science, good communication skills,
flexibility, good physical condition and most of all have enthusiasm!

How to Apply: Send resume including references to: Lisa Andrews,
Outreach/Education Specialist, Big Cypress National Preserve 33100 Tamiami
Trail E., Ochopee, FL 34141; call Lisa 239-695-1164; or e-mail
lisa_andrews@nps.gov

For more details on the preserve visit the Big Cypress National Preserve
Web site www.nps.gov/bicy