Conservation Associate, Adirondacks

Overview

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People, Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Adirondack Conservation Associate position provides hands-on exposure to The Nature Conservancy’s work in the Adirondacks and across New York. The associate will work with our team members and with partners at the CNPE and The Wild Center to develop resources for Indigenous communities having to do with future access, cultural provisioning, and cultural use at Follensby and to ensure public education programs conducted by The Nature Conservancy and The Wild Center at Follensby represent culturally appropriate best practices, and present Indigenous presence and knowledges in authentic and accurate ways. They will also help to create plans for a possible Indigenous Philosophers Camp at Follensby in 2025 or 2026.

The associate will co-lead aspects of field work and research at Follensby that could include ecological assessment, biocultural mapping of the area, identification of culturally important sites, ethnobotanical and/ or archaeological work, and other research, depending on the evolving needs of the project. The associate will also help lead a bioblitz at Follensby, which would supplement previous bioblitz data from the region and would be supported by other experts. The associate will help guide the work of up to two undergraduate interns based at The Wild Center this summer.
Most of the work will be conducted at Follensby Pond or in the Keene Valley office location (or remote home office). The associate may work in variable weather conditions at remote locations.

The successful candidate is expected to work independently as well as with colleagues, partners at the CNPE and The Wild Center, members and donors, volunteers, and the public.

What You’ll Bring:

• AS/Technical or vocational degree in science-related field and 1-year related experience in custodial and ecological land management or similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Enthusiasm for engaging Indigenous rightsholders and experts to increase cultural knowledge and understanding
• Experience researching, analyzing, and synthesizing information
• Experience presenting research findings at meetings under the supervision of senior project staff
• Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including coordinating the work of other professionals and partners
• Experience with communication via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages
• Experience using common software applications such as Word, Excel, and web browsers.

  DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Has completed or is enrolled in a graduate program and/or work experience related to Indigenous studies, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, natural resource management, ecology or similar fields.
• Some knowledge of Indigenous history in the U.S.
• Some knowledge of Upstate New York geographies and Haudenosaunee/ Wabanaki territories, in ways that contribute to the place-specific nature of the work
• Demonstrated interest in conservation issues
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills
• Motivated self-starter, able to work independently with minimal direction

What We Bring:

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

Additional Job Information:

The Nature Conservancy recently came to an historic agreement with New York State creating the Follensby Pond Research Preserve. The agreement recognizes the long-term relationships Indigenous Peoples have with the region and creates unique access for Indigenous Peoples’ cultural practices. Our commitment to Follensby includes honoring the full biological and cultural relationships in this special place, informed by collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and assisted through our partnership with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Center for Native Peoples and the Environment (CNPE).

The 14,700-acre Preserve is situated in Haudenosaunee and Abenaki homelands in Tupper Lake and Harrietstown in the Adirondacks. The Preserve was also the site of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘Philosophers’ Camp’ in 1858, which contributed to the popularization of a spiritual connection to nature in the western world, and to the wilderness preservation philosophy within a budding American conservation movement.

Through our Indigenous Partnerships Program in New York and in partnership with the CNPE, The Nature Conservancy has been co-creating a more honest narrative of Indigenous Peoples’ relationship with Follensby, alongside restoring Indigenous Peoples’ access to and caretaking of their ancestral homelands. This effort aims to give voice to Indigenous perspectives in interpretation, education and stewardship practices at Nature Conservancy preserves and recognizes Traditional Ecological Knowledge as an integral approach to climate resilience.