Sassafras River Association
General Membership Meeting
6:00 PM Thursday May 17th, Galena Fire Hall
Career Opportunities
Sassafras RIVERKEEPER®
The Sassafras River Association is 501 (c) (3) watershed organization advocating for and protecting the Sassafras River, one of the five tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® is an Advocate/Scientist, serving as the eyes and ears of the River. The Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® is responsible for the development and implementation of an advocacy program to prevent pollution and habitat degradation in the Sassafras River and its watershed. The Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® advances the Sassafras Watershed Action Plan, ensuring the implementation of restoration efforts. The Sassafras River Association is a proud member of Waterkeeper Alliance. The Sassafras RIVERKEEPER® ensures compliance with Waterkeeper’s Quality Standards.
• Serve as a full-time public advocate for the Sassafras River and its watershed, observing, documenting and reporting environmentally-harmful activities, and taking appropriate follow-up action, including initiating enforcement action when necessary.
• Develop and implement programs that provide an on-the-River and in-the-watershed presence to investigate pollution sources and monitor environmental conditions.
• Expand and diversify the constituency for healthy rivers by raising public awareness of River issues and providing training for citizen advocates.
• Produce and host River Radio, monthly radio program on WCTR AM 1530
• Review and comment on activities with the potential to impact the health of the River and watershed.
• Seek stronger laws and regulations to protect the River and watershed
• Provide technical support for advocacy and monitoring efforts being implemented by strategic partner organizations.
• Act as spokesperson for the Sassafras River Association at public hearings, media events, public speaking engagements, and in developing partnerships with other community organizations.
• Advocate regularly and vigorously before State and local government agencies on behalf of the health of the Sassafras River to improve water quality and quality of life.
• With Executive Director, advocate for the Sassafras Watershed Action Plan implementation and funding.
• Ensure that environmental laws are enforced within the watershed.
• Ensure that the Waterkeeper Alliance’s thirteen Quality Standards are met, with the support of the SRA Executive Director and Board.
• Write and develop outreach materials (newsletters, brochures, presentations, website & press release.)
• Collaborate with the Science Committee in developing and implementing water quality monitoring programs, including quality assurance, supervising volunteers and interns, data collection, management, and analysis.
• Participate in volunteer recruitment and management.
• Assist in planning and coordination of meetings, field days, workshops, and other events.
• Opportunity to participate in restoration activities, dependent upon skill set.
• Bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental science, hydrology, natural resource management, public policy or related field. Masters degree preferred. Experience can substitute for education requirements.
• Minimum two years professional experience in an advocacy role.
• Excellent writing and speaking skills; ability to communicate to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, GIS, Adobe and other basic computer applications.
Knowledge and Abilities:
• Experience in public advocacy, preferably with experience developing and managing environmental campaigns.
• Experience in grassroots organizing and volunteer management.
• Experience which demonstrates an understanding of political and legislative processes.
• The ability to conduct rigorous investigations of pollution problems.
• Knowledge of and experience in interpreting Federal and Maryland State environmental laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of water resources management.
• Skill in communicating difficult technical issues to lay audiences, including both elected officials and the general public.
• Ability to argue convincingly for controversial positions.
• Demonstrated skill in advocating before State and local government agencies on behalf of environmental issues.
To Apply:
Please send cover letter, resume and writing sample to executivedirector@sassafrasriver.org. Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 15th. Please include RIVERKEEPER® in subject line. No phone calls please. All applications will be carefully considered. Only eligible candidates will be contacted.
Stewardship Assistant
Georgetown, MD., April 12, 2012 – The Sassafras River Association will be a host organization for Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteer program. The Conservation Corps Volunteer will work as a member of the SRA staff for a one year period beginning in the Fall of 2012 and will work closely with the Sassafras Riverkeeper, Agricultural Outreach Coordinator, and Watershed Coordinator. The Stewardship Assistant’s responsibilities include:
• Weekly water quality monitoring from March-October by boat on the tidal River (testing for dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, pH, conductivity, temperature, secchi depth).
• Assist with other scientific/monitoring work led by Riverkeeper including bacteria monitoring, phytoplankton monitoring, SAV surveys, and shoreline assessment for potential riprap removal or living shoreline restoration.
• Coordinate volunteers participating with Sassafras Samplers “citizen scientist” project involving non-tidal monitoring once per month (testing for dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, pH, conductivity, temperature, turbidity). Organize Sassafras Samplers training events, recruit new volunteers, and assist samplers with monthly testing.
• Participate in development of annual Sassafras Report Card, developing skills with; GIS to create watershed map and tributary health scores, water quality data analysis and protocols, Adobe Professional level software for publication design.
• Lead environmental education events for area youth – working with Riverkeeper to use Project WILD/WET activities for Galena Elementary students, boy/girl scouts, and other local area groups.
• Work closely with Watershed Coordinator to help organize and execute outreach activities, such as soil testing workshops, rain barrel workshops, and Sassafest. Sassafest River Jam is SRA’s annual river awareness day, held annually in July.
• Lead “Project Clean Stream,” held annually in April, to clean up trash from streams in Sassafras Watershed. Develop trash clean-up program to involve more volunteers throughout the year.
• Develop annual Fall Sassafras River Clean-up event.
• Contributing to content of our monthly email “Update,” SRA’s member newsletter and sending out periodic emails to our members promoting events or projects.
• Participate in monitoring and testing activities for two vertical flow treatment wetlands, both being designed, built and managed by SRA.
• Assist Ag Outreach Coordinator with promotion of SRA’s poultry litter subsurfer, one of only three such pieces of farm equipment in use (two others are housed at University of DE and University of MD). This is an exciting opportunity to learn about this new technology and help SRA promote, implement and test the subsurfer.