Community Forestry Coordinator

Western Reserve Land Conservancy has an immediate opening for a Community Forestry Coordinator. This position reports to the Manager of Community Forestry and will be located at the Thriving Communities office in Cleveland, Ohio.

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $41,000 to $50,000 annually, commensurate with experience, and the position is eligible for benefits.

BACKGROUND

Western Reserve Land Conservancy provides people with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration. Headquartered in Moreland Hills, Ohio, we are a non-profit organization, the largest land conservancy in Ohio and nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. Serving an area of 29 counties from the Pennsylvania line to the Sandusky Bay, the Land Conservancy has permanently conserved more acreage than Cleveland Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park combined. We work with private and public landowners, farming families, neighborhood development corporations, corporations, county park systems, local residents and many more to help create communities nourished by vibrant natural lands, working farms and healthy cities. Thriving Communities, our urban revitalization program, is nationally recognized for thought leadership on removing blight; creating land banks statewide to find productive uses for vacant properties; and revitalizing communities through greening strategies. Our mission is funded through a combination of program revenue, government grants, and philanthropic gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations.

The mission of Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s Reforest Our City Program is to increase Cleveland’s tree canopy by growing trees, advocating for mature trees and empowering residents and volunteers. Since its inception in 2015, Reforest Our City has planted and given away 15,000 trees in the City of Cleveland.

Position Summary

The Community Forestry Coordinator (CFC) will support the Reforest Our City (ROC) program through community engagement, stewardship, and field operations support. Reporting to the Manager of Community Forestry, the CFC will lead volunteer and resident engagement for tree plantings, adoptions, and workshops, manage administrative tasks for Tree Stewards Training, and support programmatic communications as needed. The CFC will also coordinate and participate in the care of ROC program trees. The CFC position requires working outside during the field season, sometimes in inclement or uncomfortable weather conditions. The CFC will be part of a team that is passionate about urban trees, conservation, and environmental justice in Cleveland’s neighborhoods.

You will get to:

• Coordinate and lead the Tree Steward volunteer program including workshops and recruitment
• Develop programming for continuing education and ongoing engagement of Tree Steward volunteers
• Develop and carry out community outreach plans for neighborhood tree plantings and tree adoptions
• Coordinate the distribution of free trees to recipients who applied for them using our environmental justice framework
• Coordinate ROC communication materials including bi-monthly Treemail electronic newsletter, social media posts, Year in Review publication and updates for Land Conservancy staff weekly newsletter
• Track and maintain ROC volunteer hours and engagements in our database
• Support ROC grant writing and administration
• Make ROC events successful by:
• Sending out ROC calendar updates
• Sending out pre- and post-event information to registered attendees
• Staffing event registration table and leading all post-event reporting
• Ensuring volunteers have a positive experience at tree planting events
• Take care of young trees in the city by:
• Assisting seasonal crew members and volunteers while performing tree maintenance including watering, mulching, weeding and trash removal
• Providing leadership and technical support during plantings, ensuring all trees, tools and supplies are present and all trees are planted in accordance with the ROC standards of care
  

Your impact will be:

• Growing Cleveland’s urban canopy to provide the benefits of trees to neighborhoods
• Expanding Cleveland resident’s understanding of the benefits of trees through our Tree Steward training program and outreach activities
• Delivering free trees for residents to plant on private property
  
  
  

You will need:

• Enthusiasm for trees and for working in Cleveland’s neighborhoods
• A passion for environmental justice
• Experience getting people involved in your cause
• Experience training others and working with volunteers
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Flexibility to attend and facilitate weekend and evening programming
• To welcome working outside, sometimes in inclement or uncomfortable weather conditions and to lift, push and pull 60 pounds
• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in urban forestry/arboriculture
• 4-year college degree
• Experience using graphic design/marketing software and platforms
  
  
  

Western Reserve Land Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to hiring staff members who represent the rich diversity of our community. At the Land Conservancy, all employees and applicants for employment are judged on their merits. The Land Conservancy is committed to providing an environment free of illegal discrimination of any kind, and does not base any employment decisions on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, religion, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other protected category under federal and state laws.