Jobs & Summer Jobs
Position: Conservation Education and Outreach Roles: Educator/Reptile Keepers,
Organization: Scales Nature Park
Location: near Orillia, Ontario with travel throughout the region. Shared accommodation available.
Scales Nature Park is focused on the conservation of reptiles and amphibians, through education, training, stewardship and research activities. We operate a nature centre in Orillia, Ontario, and do outreach programming throughout the province. We are hiring for several positions related to outreach, community engagement, education, and media.
- Duration: Beginning Summer 2025, duration minimum of 8 weeks with possibility of extension up to 1 year
- Salary: Varies based on position and funding. At or slightly above minimum wage
- Complete job descriptions and application information are available at scalesnaturepark.ca/jobs/.
Reptile Keeper/Educators:
- Perform outreach, on-site and online educational programs about reptiles and amphibians, and other topics, to a variety of audiences
- Provide guided tours of the nature centre for families and other visitors
- Assist with the husbandry of a large live collection of reptiles and amphibians, consisting of approximately 450 individuals of 70+ species, including more Canadian species than any other facility in Canada plus various exotic species
- Clean and sterilize animal enclosures and furnishings as required. Assist with enclosure modification, feeding, and animal enrichment
- Supervise volunteers who are assisting with educational programs and/or animal care tasks
Community Engagement Specialist:
- Assist with the coordination and delivery of community outreach programming, to engage the community in reptile and amphibian conservation and promote the use of the START project Reptile hotline
- Monitor the START Reptile Hotline, answer calls/texts/social media messages, and coordinate effective responses from field teams and community volunteers, as well as responding directly to calls when necessary
- Assist with development of new strategies for community engagement within the target region, including virtual engagement
- Lead the planning and delivery of engagement and education programming at community events such as festivals, tree planting days, fundraising initiatives etc.
Reptile Day Camp Leader:
- Plan and lead structured and unstructured program activities, supervise and play with children ages 7-13, build positive group dynamics, promote inclusiveness, and foster an appreciation of nature
- Plan and lead activities for teens aged 14-16 in a Leader-in-Training program, related to nature, group leadership, etc.
- Provide first aid or emotional support as required, follow procedures and complete required documents.
- Assist with development of day camp group bases and additional interactive structures
Media Specialist:
- Create, edit, and publish multimedia content regarding our conservation projects and operations. Such content will include: articles, websites, images, videos, interactive social media posts, and more.
- Attend education events and other centre events to take photos and videos
- Assist education team in updating signage in the centre consistent with branding guidelines
- Assist in archiving photos
- Update website with content and eventsOrganize and maintain media equipment and tools and archive materials related to media production
- Assist with conducting online programming related to wildlife conservation; using our digital broadcast studio various media equipment (PC, cameras, wireless audio, lights, etc.) and relevant software (Adobe Creative Cloud, OBS, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams)
- Assist with the operations and development of a nature centre and related projects in order to gain firsthand experience related to content creation
Requirements vary for all positions, but all education team staff require:
- Strong oral communication skills (positions require speaking to the public, answering questions, and supervising animal handling)
- Positive attitude and willingness to help people face their fears is essential
- Valid G or G2 driver’s license and good driving record an asset (required for some positions)
- Flexibility regarding scheduling is important
- Comfortable working with animals, including potential animal bites, dispatching feeder animals, caring for insect colonies, and coming into direct contact with animal bodily fluids
- Able to lift up to 23 kg (50 lbs)
- Valid First Aid certification an asset
Accommodations (shared) may be available on-site (quad or double bunk room). Candidates should enjoy working both indoors and outdoors, in a variety of settings. The ability to thrive as part of a close-knit team in challenging situations and a live/work environment is important.
To apply:
Please complete the Google Form found here: Application Questionnaire 2025 At the conclusion of the questionnaire, you will be prompted to upload a resume, cover letter, and references as a single PDF file, 4 pages or less. Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.
Resume review will begin February 3, but applications will continue to be accepted after that.