Stewardship Technician

Stewardship Technician
Full-time, salaried, 40 hours per week in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Join Our Team!
Are you passionate about making a positive impact on the environment? Do you enjoy working with people, spending time outdoors, and contributing to a meaningful mission? If you are detail-oriented, organized, and collaborative, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

About Us
Mississippi Valley Conservancy is dedicated to conserving native habitats and farmlands in the Driftless Area to benefit current and future generations. In response to rapid climate change, we help landowners and communities protect their land while restoring biodiversity and resilience. We work with private landowners through conservation easements and manage public nature preserves, promoting outdoor recreation that enhances physical and mental well-being.

position Overview
Mississippi Valley Conservancy is seeking an experienced, self-motivated individual to assist with implementing land management projects on nature preserves and the stewardship of conservation easement properties. Habitat management projects may include invasive species control, prescribed burning, timber stand improvement, boundary posting, site monitoring, and more.  The stewardship technician will be responsible for coordinating with volunteers and collaborating with private landowners in monitoring  conservation easements and prepare reports in compliance with Land Trust Alliance standards and practices. This position will work directly with landowners to advise on habitat improvement, agricultural conservation practices, and other aspects of conservation. A strong work ethic, interpersonal communication skills, problem-solving skills, strong attention to detail, excellent record keeping, and the ability to integrate science into conservation planning are required. Duties in this position will be split between Land Management (65%), Land Protection (25%), and program related recordkeeping (10%) with approximately 75% of the time spent outdoors. The successful candidate will join a team of passionate individuals dedicated to permanent land protection, habitat restoration, and public outreach.

Reports to: Land Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Professionally represent Mississippi Valley Conservancy in all work capacities
• Implement land management field work including; invasive species control, prescribed burning (prairie, woodland, and wetland), timber stand improvement, boundary posting, brush removal, equipment operation, and equipment maintenance to Conservancy standards
• Supervise interns, seasonal employees, and volunteers
• Serve in a leadership role in prescribed burning
• Assist with the conservation easement and fee lands annual monitoring program, including completing monitoring visits for the Conservancy’s portfolio of 140+ conservation easements and 27 owned lands
• Assist with the completion of conservation easement baseline documentation reports, current conditions reports, and property report updates
• Complete administrative tasks including record keeping, grant reporting, filing, and time tracking
• Ensure project documentation is thorough and in accordance with Land Trust Alliance accreditation standards and practices, grant funder requirements, and Conservancy policy
• Utilize GPS to find survey markers, photopoints, boundaries and other features in the field
• Utilize ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Field Maps

Qualifications and Skills
Required

• Bachelor’s degree or higher degree in natural resources, planning, or related field
• Minimum of two years professional experience in natural resources, land protection, land management, habitat restoration, and/or conservation
• Basic chainsaw certification and a minimum of one year of regular chainsaw use and maintenance
• Maintain wildland firefighter Type 2 certification and the ability to pass arduous level work capacity test within the first 6 months of employment
• Basic knowledge of the species, habitats, landscapes, and people of southwestern Wisconsin
• Physical ability to traverse 500+ acre sites on foot, through steep, rugged terrain in a timely manner in remote areas all four seasons of the year and be comfortable hiking alone
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, work independently, and cooperate as a supportive team member of the Conservancy staff
• Highly motivated, flexible, and detail-oriented with the ability to demonstrate accountability and address personal knowledge gaps
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and record-keeping experience
• Ability to travel frequently among the nine counties in our service area and occasionally beyond the service area (organizational vehicle available). Overnight travel may be required occasionally throughout the year
• Valid driver’s license and dependable vehicle

Preferred

• Experience with conservation easement monitoring and/or baseline documentation
• Additional fire certifications including S-290, S-390 and/or others
• Proficiency with small engine repair and troubleshooting

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range $45,000 to $55,000 based on experience and specific expertise
• Full-time, exempt position, working 40 hours per week. The Conservancy is committed to keeping the workload aligned with the true hours worked and respecting the space needed to take personal time to care for your well-being
• Benefits include:
• In the first year, 10 days of vacation (increases with years of employment), 12 days medical leave per year, 5 days of personal leave, and 12 paid holidays.
• Medical insurance, and 4 percent of annual salary match contribution to a retirement plan
• After 12 months of employment, employees are eligible for up to 60 days of parental/adoptive/medical leave with 30 days paid
• Opportunities for continuing education through professional workshops and conferences
• An organizational culture that seeks, integrates, and nurtures self-direction, collaboration, diversity, equity and inclusion with all employees