Position Title: Scarborough Marsh Community Engagement Specialist
Job type: Part-time, 6-month position. Extension possible based on funding
Hours: 15-20 hours per week
Salary: $23-$26/hour
Work Arrangement: in-person/remote with flexible scheduling; min 1-2 days/week in-person
Reports To:
Therese Lamperty, Scarborough Land Trust’s Marsh Science and Restoration Director
Laura Zitske, Maine Audubon’s Associate Director of Conservation
About the Scarborough Land Trust
The Scarborough Land Trust (SLT) is a nonprofit conservation organization that was established in 1977 with the mission of conserving land in the town of Scarborough and stewarding that land to maintain healthy ecosystems for the benefit of people and wildlife. SLT is a highly collaborative organization that works with federal, state, municipal, NGO, and private partners as well as community volunteers to carry out its mission. To date, SLT has conserved over 1,800 acres of land and maintains ~18 miles of trails. Additionally, in 2024, SLT began developing a tidal salt marsh program with two main priorities. First, using research and stewardship to conserve and restore the Scarborough Marsh, which is Maine’s largest remaining tidal marsh. Second, to create connection between people and Scarborough Marsh. One way we do this is by facilitating outreach and education on the ecological, cultural, and economic value of tidal salt marshes and the threats they face.
Position Overview
The Scarborough Land Trust (SLT) is the recipient of a NOAA grant to plan the restoration of Scarborough Marsh as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law competitive grants program. A central objective of this Restoration Planning Project is to increase the public’s access to – and understanding of – the ecological, cultural, and economic benefits that the Scarborough Marsh provides. This includes providing education on the current status of Scarborough Marsh, how sea level rise and other threats impact it, and the need for its restoration and protection.
We seek an individual passionate about tidal marsh conservation and outreach to join our team and contribute to the creation and coordination of a variety of education and outreach programming and communications. This project is highly collaborative and is sustained by a
large interdisciplinary team of partners from more than 20 organizations. This position will assist both Therese Lamperty (Marsh Science and Restoration Director, Scarborough Land Trust) and Laura Zitske (Associate Director of Conservation, Maine Audubon) in coordinating this team of partners. This will involve working with multiple committees comprised of participants from a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds. This position emphasizes relationship building to identify how to increase our positive broader impact. In particular, a central goal is to involve and empower groups that are often not well represented in the conservation and restoration space.
Required Qualifications
- Coursework or a degree in environmental education, conservation, science communication, or a related field; and/or 1-2 years’ experience in a related field. Previous experience in environmental education and outreach on topics related to coastal resilience or tidal marsh ecosystems is a plus
- Knowledge of the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on coastal communities and ecosystems
- Cultural competency and commitment to equity and inclusion. Demonstration of this through past outreach experience is preferred
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently and to manage competing priorities and shifting conditions
- Genuine alignment with the mission to enhance coastal resilience by connecting the community to the Scarborough Marsh
- Must be able to meet physical demands of the job, specifically walking occasionally on uneven terrain in the marsh, standing and walking for extended periods during events, and kayaking/paddling out on the marsh
- Must be able to work flexible hours including occasional weekends, early mornings, and evenings for events
Desired Experience – we encourage interested applicants with any number of the desired experiences to apply
- We seek applicants with experience in:
- Creating educational social media content
- Delivering environmental education workshops to a variety of audiences
- Creating educational content for webpages, flyers, posters, and/or signs
- Building authentic relationships with diverse community members
- Land trust/other small nonprofit operations
- Coordinating with individuals across organizations
- Supporting boards or advisory committees, including coordinating meetings and assisting in preparing agendas and other meeting materials
- Writing grant proposals
- Managing grant-funded programs
- Public event planning
- Building new programs, initiating new committees/teams, creating new outreach and education initiatives
Primary Roles and Responsibilities
Media and Public Relations
- Create and maintain website content about the overall marsh restoration project and related topics
- Create social media posts (Instagram, Facebook) that leverage our partner network
- Create occasional newsletters
Coordination of Committees & Meetings
- Work with SLT, Maine Audubon, and other partners to coordinate various committee meetings
Environmental Education and Outreach Programming
- Assist SLT, Maine Audubon, outreach consultants, and a broader Outreach Committee in the design and delivery of educational programming
- Assist in structuring and launching an inaugural community-wide Scarborough event centered on increasing public understanding of the ecological, economic, and cultural values of Scarborough Marsh and the threats it faces
Public Messaging and Science Communication
- Work with our Science and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) and our Outreach Committee to design informational signs and oversee their installation
- Work with STAG and our Outreach Committee to design flyers and other outreach materials
Complete other duties and tasks as assigned; this may include:
- Volunteer coordination
- Locating and pursuing outreach funding opportunities
- Partnership and relationship building
- Budget and timeline management
- Sub-awardee management
- Federal grant reporting and administration
To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume or CV, and contact information for 3 references in a single pdf to Therese Lamperty (tlamperty@scarboroughlandtrust.org). Position open until filled.