Conservation Outreach Coordinator

Organization: Urban Roots is a Saint Paul organization whose mission is to cultivate and empower youth through nature,  healthy food, and community. Urban Roots focuses its programs on the East Side of Saint Paul, MN and our vision is a world where all communities have unlimited access to nature and healthy food.  We place the tools of personal and community development in the hands of young people and families.

Over the past 55 years, Urban Roots has provided a range of community development services in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and southern Minnesota, including architecture, urban planning, economic development, and organizational development—with a common thread of empowerment, engagement, and innovation. Since 1996, we’ve operated our food and environmental programs on the East Side of Saint Paul, engaging thousands of under-resourced youth ages 14-24 in education, training, and work projects that provide service to the community, develop young leaders, and improve health and the environment. We offer three programs to engage and support youth in paid internships and educational opportunities— Market Garden, Cook Fresh, and Conservation.

Position Summary: The Conservation Outreach Coordinator works closely with the Conservation Director and the rest of the conservation program team to help engage the community in programming spawning from the conservation program’s work. A main component of the position is helping to facilitate the annual giveaway of over 150 trees to community members to improve urban tree canopy coverage in St. Paul. This is a full time, exempt position. 

Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8-4, with occasional adjustments for evening or weekend events. 

Compensation:   

• Starting at $20.23/hr ($42,078/yr) depending on qualifications
• This is a hybrid position where employees can work from home and from the office (dependent on work schedule)
• Paid holiday, vacation and sick time.
• Health insurance and retirement savings plan with employer contribution to both.
• Professional development opportunities.

Essential Functions: 

• Coordinate Community Tree Planting Program
  • Work with Conservation Program Director to select and source tree species to raise in the Rivoli Bluffs Gravel Bed. 
  • Conduct outreach in the community to find interested participants. Facilitate the delivery and maintenance of trees to residents. 
• Lead community-based education events within the scope of the Conservation program
  • Volunteer events
  • Field trips
  • Community events
  • Tabling
• Administrative duties around Urban Roots contract work (native plantings). 
• Attend youth shifts
  • Participate in youth shifts, get to know the youth and understand Urban Roots programming in order to best tell our story. 

Required qualifications

• 2 years of experience or education around in forestry, natural resources, or similar work
• Valid driver’s license with a proven history of safe driving. Experience driving transit vans and driving with trailers is preferred
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Availability to work early mornings and weekends during the growing season
• Commitment to Urban Roots values, which include collaboration, inclusion, stewardship, experiential learning, continuous improvement, transparency, diversity, social justice and equity, and fun

Preferred qualifications

• Experience and passion for organizing and facilitating community based outreach events
• Knowledge of youth development best practices

• Self-motivation, team-orientation, creativity and organization
• Experience working with community partners in collaborative efforts and programs
• Excitement to work outside
• Multilingual (Spanish, Hmong, Karen, Somali) 
• CPR/First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain certification

Employment is conditioned on the successful completion of a background check to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Urban Roots is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build a staff reflective of our values of equity and inclusion with regard to race, culture, ethnicity, class religion, physical ability, age,  gender, gender identity and sexual orientation. Urban Roots is committed to fostering the leadership of people of color, women, Native and indigenous communities, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and others living in marginalized communities. 

To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references to David Woods at Dwoods@urbanrootsmn.org. Please include “Conservation Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line. No phone calls please.