Boone County announced on Mar. 21 a job opening for a full-time naturalist position within the Boone County Conservation Board. The role offers a starting salary between $41,000 and $47,000, depending on qualifications and experience, along with standard county benefits and wage increases during the first five years of employment.
The position is important as it supports environmental education and conservation efforts in Boone County. The naturalist will be responsible for planning, developing, coordinating, and presenting educational programs about the environment to schools, youth groups, adults, and the general public. Duties also include creating audiovisual materials and displays related to these programs.
Applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with coursework in natural resources, outdoor recreation, or related fields. Experience in natural resource work or education may substitute for some coursework requirements. Essential skills include knowledge of Iowa’s native plants and animals, resource management practices such as fisheries and forestry, animal handling experience, communication abilities both written and oral, and proficiency with computers for data entry and presentations.
Additional responsibilities involve working within a budget, establishing long-term goals for educational programming, writing grants for fundraising purposes, marketing programs to target groups through various media channels including social media updates, preparing news releases and fliers, as well as maintaining effective relationships with community partners like schools and libraries.
The physical demands of the job require occasional exertion of up to 75 pounds of force along with regular sitting or standing; work can take place both indoors at the Conservation Board Facilities in Don Williams Recreation Area or outdoors under varying weather conditions. A valid Iowa driver’s license is required along with CPR and First Aid certification within one year of employment.
Applications are being accepted online through Boone County’s official channels.
