Naturalists, Nature Interpreters, Wilderness Guides

Hiring: Naturalists & Guides
Company: Great Bear Lodge
Other positions: Great Bear Lodge Jobs

Location: Remote fly-in Lodge, departing from Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. Candidates from anywhere in Canada are welcome to apply.
Housing: Room and board provided at the lodge (see below)

Great Bear Lodge is seeking highly motivated naturalist/guide(s) to lead wildlife viewing tours in the Great Bear Rainforest on the central coast of British Columbia. Our primary species of interest is grizzly bears.

Job Description: Lead science-oriented grizzly bear viewing tours in areas of high bear density on foot, by boat, or in vehicles with a major emphasis on safety and natural history interpretation. A second major assignment is to present structured natural history slide or multi-media presentations on various aspects of this ecosystem. Additional duties may occasionally include: working in the lodge assisting the chef, cleaning and general maintenance of lodge. Great Bear Lodge provides industry competitive salaries. Period of employment will run from early May into October with possible lodge-sitting opportunities in November.

Minimum Position requirements:

1. University degree in Biological Sciences or Natural History Interpretation. Degree in progress may be acceptable in special circumstances. Extensive eco-tourism guiding experience with grizzly bears or other wildlife may be acceptable as an alternative to a degree.
2. Strong interpersonal skills, clean professional appearance and dress.
3. Ability to work cheerfully and independently in a remote field setting for long periods of time, working and living very closely with other staff members and guests.
4. Birding/wildlife identification experience/aptitude.
5. Good sense of humour and a passion for wildlife and people.
6. Driven to provide excellent customer service and exceed customer expectations on a daily basis.
7. Wilderness First Responder or equivalent First aid training.

Highly Desirable additional qualifications:

1. Work experience or training in natural history interpretation/science teaching.
2. Experience operating and maintaining small rowboats and outboard motors.
3. Previous experience working around grizzly bears
4. We would prefer a full season commitment however if you have previous grizzly bear guiding experience, we will consider shorter work commitments.

Desirable additional qualifications:

1. General carpentry and maintenance skills.
2. Wildlife photography expertise
3. Working verbal ability in any of the following languages: German, Italian, French, or Spanish. (In order of importance)

Additionally Successful Candidates will:

1. Have a great passion for learning, wildlife, and teaching to people of diverse social backgrounds and languages.
2. Be self-starters with a strong work ethic.
3. Be independent and respectful of other staff work obligations and personal space.
4. Savor life in a remote wilderness setting with limited access to communication or traditional social life besides limited Internet use while at the lodge.

Background:

Great Bear Lodge (greatbeartours.com) has been providing, since 1999, quality wildlife viewing experiences with a strong emphasis on natural history interpretation, minimum ecological impact, and spending an enjoyable day in the field. We operate in Smith Inlet approximately 50 miles north of Port Hardy, BC, in the traditional territory of the Gwa’sala-Nakwaxda’xw Nation. We are fortunate to work in a relatively intact ecosystem and our goal is to share this special place with guests from all over the world in a sustainable manner. The wildlife call this place home, we are merely guests in their valley.

Great Bear Lodge is a founding member of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC (bearviewing.ca), and all guides are certified as CBVA guides.

Realities:

• Work schedule is 18 days on at the lodge, 6 days off in “town”. Room and board provided at the lodge.
• Port Hardy is the town, which is small by most standards, and 3 hours north of Campbell River.
• You may be expected to share a room under unusual circumstances at the Lodge though generally a room to yourself.
• We work in a rainforest. It can rain daily for two weeks. You’ll need proper clothing and attitude to keep smiling. It can also be sunny for two weeks.
• This is a relatively small floating facility, think of living on a large boat.
• Natural history interpretation can be very repetitive, but each day is different and each activity must be fresh and new.
• Selected candidates will be required to read a significant reading list and will undergo an extensive training program in the field. They will also need to secure appropriate radio and boat licenses, etc.

Application Procedure:

Please email a cover letter and resume with 3 references. At least 2 of them should be work related and all must have both e-mail addresses and phone contact numbers. Email materials to me, Tom Rivest at tom@greatbeartours.com as soon as possible. Position remains open until filled. Please no phone calls, FAX, or regular mail. All emails will be acknowledged and selected applicants will be contacted by email and phone for interviews by phone or in person.

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