Wetland Conservation Intern

Position Overview

Ontario Nature is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated individual for the position of Wetland Conservation Intern for an 8-month contract starting in July, 2024. The Wetland Conservation Intern will support research, communications and outreach on wetland conservation with a primary focus on identifying and promoting policies and practices that will enhance wetland protection while raising awareness of the biodiversity and climate change mitigation benefits of wetlands. They will work closely with the Conservation Planning Coordinator and the communications team who will provide guidance and mentorship.  

The ideal candidate has strong communications skills and a keen interest in biodiversity conservation. The ability to work well as part of a small team, as well as independently, is required.

About Ontario Nature

Ontario Nature is a charitable conservation organization that protects wild species and wild spaces across Ontario through conservation, education and public engagement. We represent over 150 member groups and more than 30,000 individual members and supporters throughout the province. To learn more about Ontario Nature, visit: ontarionature.org. 

Why Work with Ontario Nature

• Flexible work hours and location, in accordance with our Remote Work Policy 
• Strong organizational values with commitment to upholding them at all levels of the organization
• Progressive workspace and membership perks at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto 
• 2 paid personal leave days, 1 paid sick day per month and 4 paid days off in addition to statutory holidays during our office closure in late December
• Fulfilling, purpose-driven work, alongside 30 passionate and committed colleagues 
• An ongoing commitment to create an inclusive and equitable environment for employees, volunteers, members, and supporters 
• Opportunities for advancement, skill development and cross-sectoral collaboration 
• Support for taking initiative and pursuing aligned personal interest projects 
• Team building and social opportunities

Principal Responsibilities

• Assist with online research and the preparation of a report about municipal and Conservation Authority policies and practices in Ontario that could serve as best practice examples to conserve wetlands. 
• Develop online communications materials (e.g., blogs, social media posts, infographics, e-newsletters) to promote the report and raise awareness of the biodiversity, climate and economic benefits of wetland conservation.
• Assist with the preparation and delivery of interactive online sessions for community groups and municipal staff and leaders to present and discuss the report.
• Support collaborations with other environmental organizations and community groups working on wetland policy and conservation issues.
• Assist with responses to inquiries and requests for information about wetland conservation.
• Contribute to team discussions about communications strategies and raising broader public awareness of and support for wetland conservation.

Qualifications

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Interest in and familiarity with environmental policy.
• Excellent research skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. 
• Experience communicating with diverse audiences, on-and off-line.
• Ability to work well independently and within a small team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to the conservation and protection of Ontario’s wild species and wild spaces.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Must meet requirements for ECO Canada:
  • Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  • Valid Social Insurance Number and be legally entitled to work in Canada.
  • Between 15 and 30 years of age.
  • Post-secondary graduate.

Desirable Assets

• Experience with visual communications and design, including with the Canva graphic design platform.
• Working knowledge of ArcGIS.
• Experience working or volunteering for the non-profit sector.

Anticipated Start Date: July 2, 2024

Type of Position: 8-month contract, full-time

Compensation: $21.00/hour

Location: This position is based out of Ontario Nature’s Head Office – 720 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON. This position can work remotely within Ontario in accordance with our operational Remote Work Policy, however the selected candidate must be willing to work from the head office occasionally for team meetings and as requested.

To Apply 

• Include your resume, cover letter and three references in one PDF document, addressing your qualifications and experience
• Include “Wetland Conservation Intern” in the subject line
• Email your application to jobs@ontarionature.org
• Deadline for applications: May 22, 2024

Although Ontario Nature appreciates the efforts of all those who apply for this position, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No unsolicited emails or phone calls please. 

Ontario Nature is committed to employment equity, diversity and accessibility. Requests for disability-related accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process, and applicants should make their requirements known when contacted.  

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Indigenous Community Liaison – Southern Ontario

Location: Remote, anywhere in Ontario (must be willing and able to travel within the southern portion of Ontario [roughly south of Dokis First Nation or North Bay])

Contract length: Ends March 31, 2025

Wage: $23 – 25/hr, 4 days/week

Conditions: Willing to work occasional evenings and weekends, as required (see more detail below)

Deadline: Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

POSITION SUMMARY

Plenty Canada is seeking a candidate for an Indigenous Community Liaison position. The Indigenous Community Liaison will coordinate project deliverables for the ‘Two-Eyed Seeing approach to sharing knowledge of breeding birds in Ontario’ project (see more information about the project at the end of this document). This initiative was developed by Plenty Canada in partnership with Ontario Nature and with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada to help identify the needs and goals of Indigenous communities in terms of protection of breeding birds and culturally significant birds, and to support Indigenous communities to lead initiatives that will advance these goals. The project is collaborating with the 3rd Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (“Atlas-3”), which is a five-year Ontario-wide survey of breeding birds conducted by largely by volunteers.

This position will sometimes require you to undertake activities outside of your normal working days and/or normal office hours, which may include extended trips or other circumstances when more intensive work is needed. Working longer than usual hours will normally be compensated by scheduled time-off in lieu, to be discussed in advance with your supervisor.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Liaise with Nations/communities connected to the partnership members to gauge interest, identify the needs and goals of Nations/communities in terms of protection and recovery of breeding birds and culturally significant birds
• Develop new connections with Nations/communities/Knowledge Holders who may be interested in the project
• Coordinate breeding bird surveying activities with Indigenous communities in Ontario (including remote locations), according to the needs of the community, providing resources, building connections and collaborative activities with Atlas-3 participants when appropriate
• Coordinate a yearly gathering/workshop, as well as smaller meetings as needed, with interested Nations/communities/Knowledge Holders and Atlas-3 participants, to facilitate knowledge-sharing and co-development of breeding bird surveying and training approaches
• Gather and record information developed during the workshops and collaborative surveys to support a learning process to explore how the atlas survey protocols and approaches could be adapted to ensure that future bird research is informed by Indigenous Ways of Knowing
• Participate in regular meetings with the partnership members (collaboration, updates, feedback, input, etc.)
• Support the development of communication materials, proposals and reports
• Keep accurate records of communications and activities undertaken
• Lead the development of a report and presentation to help inform others on how to engage in similar monitoring work with a Two-Eyed Seeing approach (at the end of the project)
• Collaborate with the Northern Ontario Indigenous Community Liaison on all of the previous responsibilities, where appropriate

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Experience working with Indigenous Nations and communities along with a commitment to work in a relational way.
• Some experience with bird surveying, avian research, recreational birding, other biological surveys, or other related work an asset.
• Ability to build productive working relationships with internal and external teams including various organizations, communities, and Knowledge Holders.
• Ability to work remotely, communicate effectively with a wide range of people and organizations, develop plans and monitor progress, and provide accurate and timely reporting.
• Educational background in Indigenous Knowledge Systems and/or Western Environmental Sciences or Social Sciences.
• A self-starter who’s not afraid to ask for guidance.
• Strong written/verbal/relational communication skills.
• Demonstrated adaptability, professionalism, attention to detail, collaboration, teamwork, self-direction, and initiative.
• Strong coordination, problem solving, organizing, planning skills.
• Experience with facilitating group discussions an asset.
• Experience with funding applications/fundraising and/or willingness to learn.
• Previous experience with not-for-profit work and knowledge an asset.
• Driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle an asset.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, please send your Resume and Cover Letter with this position’s title in the subject line of your email to jobs@plentycanada.com.

We thank all applicants for their interest, but will only be contacting those selected for interviews.

Preference for hiring a candidate of Indigenous ancestry, however, we welcome applications from anyone who is eligible.

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT AND PARTNERSHIP

The purpose of this project is to identify the needs and goals of Indigenous communities in terms of protection and recovery of breeding birds and culturally significant birds and to support Indigenous communities to lead initiatives that will advance these goals. The third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (Atlas-3) is a five-year project (started in January 2021) that is recording evidence of breeding birds, and their habitat, across Ontario. Through our partnership, we will enable and support collaborative initiatives between Atlas-3 committees/participants and Indigenous communities to conduct breeding bird surveys, contribute to Atlas-3 and its goals of monitoring bird populations as indicators of environmental health, and inform future breeding bird atlas projects.

Workshops and meetings will be used to co-develop bird survey and training approaches that meet the needs of each participating community.

Key objectives/activities include:

1. Building partnerships between Indigenous communities and the Atlas-3 committees/participants.
2. Sharing the existing atlas project in ways that are most beneficial to communities (e.g., to respond to land use proposals and environmental assessments, support conservation initiatives, provide training opportunities for youth, monitor culturally significant species, and protect species at risk).
3. Supporting a learning process to explore how the atlas surveying protocols and approaches could be adapted to ensure that future bird research is informed by Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
4. Helping to ensure that Indigenous law and protocols are followed when Atlas-3 participants are conducting bird surveys across traditional territories and reserve lands.

The collaborative relationship between the project partners (Plenty Canada and Ontario Nature) will strive to create and operate respecting an “ethical space of engagement” (Ermine, 2007). Ethical space is an approach to dialogue for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to meaningfully interact with one another in mutual respect of our distinct worldviews and knowledge systems, in order to collaborate, co-create solutions, and achieve common ground. It reflects the historic way of engagement between Indigenous Peoples and settler society at the signing of the first treaties, which were founded in mutual respect and co-existence. The responsibility is on us all to re-create this shared space, which in some cases has been forgotten and undermined over the last 150 years (One With Nature, 2018). For the proposed project, the partners will adopt a shared governance model that incorporates Indigenous methodologies of governance, and includes opening and closing in ceremony. All key decisions about project design, implementation, expenditures, and evaluations will be made jointly and by consensus through the lens of Two-Eyed Seeing.

The project itself will also operate within a framework of ethical space, following the model developed during the initial phase of the Pathway to Canada Target 1 process. In practice, this means we are focusing on building our shared knowledge of breeding birds and culturally significant birds by creating an environment where a) knowledge systems may interact with mutual respect, kindness and generosity, b) no single knowledge system is given more weight or legitimacy than another, c) flexibility is maintained, and d) participation is not construed as consultation or accommodation under existing or previous provincial or federal legislation or policies.

Read more about the project here: plentycanada.com/two-eyed-seeing-bird-knowledge.

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