Outdoor Ambassador

Who We Are:

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is the Massachusetts' premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees’ preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households. We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org.

Posting Information:

Hourly Rate: $16 - $18

Hours per week: 25

Job Classification: Part-Time, Seasonal, Nonexempt

Job Location Type: Onsite

Duration: June 29 – August 15

Location: Boston, MA

What You’ll Do:

Your Impact:

Join a motivated team of twelve youth for a seven-week paid program taking place across Boston’s blue and green spaces! As an Outdoor Ambassador, this position comes with the opportunity to learn environmental stewardship while kayaking across the Neponset, visiting the Boston Harbor Islands, and conducting community outreach on food access with our Mobile Markets program.  

The Role:

The Trustees Outdoor Ambassadors program is a work/learn opportunity for young people aged 15 to 18 years old. As an Ambassador, you will learn about the mission of The Trustees as well as the Boston Urban Resiliency Initiative, and how it relates to their neighborhoods and communities. Ambassadors also learn about the work being done in East Boston and across the city on urban resiliency issues such as climate resilience, green infrastructure, and public access. The Ambassadors will engage with The Trustees Boston Urban Resiliency Initiative’s work in East Boston, and work to gather ideas and input from the community, with a focus on Boston youth, to inform the project’s future progress. Each summer the Ambassadors also collaborate with other local conservation-focused and environmental organizations and programs in Greater Boston, as well as completing a variety of job-readiness and other enrichment sessions. The variety of organizations and agencies with whom the Outdoor Ambassadors interact exposes the youth to a variety of potential career paths. Youth who take part in this program will develop critical job skills including teamwork, collaboration, leadership, responsibility, community outreach, civic engagement, and how to interpret and share information on local climate change impacts with their community. 

Specifically, you’ll:

• Participate in group discussions, teambuilding, job readiness trainings and leadership development activities. 
• Learn about the work being done across the city on urban resiliency issues such as climate resilience, green infrastructure, and public access. 
• Learn about the Trustees Boston Urban Resiliency Initiative. 
• Engage with the Boston community through surveys and events to support The Trustees Boston Urban Resiliency community outreach process. 
• Complete stewardship projects such as tree planting, removal of non-native species, urban restoration, and trash cleanups.  
• Participate in field trips such as kayaking, visiting the Boston Harbor Islands, and an overnight stay at Crane Beach.  
• Develop critical job skills including: teamwork, collaboration, leadership, responsibility, community outreach, civic engagement, and interpreting and sharing information on climate change impacts.  
• Expand knowledge of potential career paths. 

This is a part-time, seasonal, nonexempt, 25-hour per week position for youth ages 15 - 18 from June 30 – August 15 reporting directly to the Community Engagement Coordinator.

What You’ll Need:

Skills and Experience:

• Must be age 15 – 18.  
• Interest in primarily working outdoors and learning about how climate change, open space, and Boston Harbor affect the community around you.  
• Positive attitude, team-player. 
• Desire to make a difference in your community.  
• Comfortable working outside for 4-5 hours at a time, including gardening, trash clean up, etc. 
• Due to the nature of this program environmental justice communities and communities surrounding East Boston, City of Boston, Chelsea, and Revere residents are highly preferred. 
• Availability on Saturdays as part of the program schedule.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Current authorization to work in the United States – a candidate must have such authorization by the first day of employment.
• A satisfactory criminal background (CORI) check.

Don’t quite have all the skills and experience listed above? We still want to hear from you! Research shows that historically marginalized groups are less likely to apply if they do not meet every single requirement. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage you to apply even if you are missing some of the skills and experience above.

Questions? Contact our People team at [email protected]

Your Benefits:

• Sick Time: 40 hours of paid sick time upfront. 

• Reciprocity: Employees have access to free and discounted admission and membership to more than 50 nearby museums and cultural institutions.   

• Discounts: Enjoy free entry to all Trustees properties, discount event tickets, and discounted merchandise at our stores and on stays at our inns.  

Equal Opportunity and Diversity:

The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual preferences, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with varying abilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission.

The Trustees’ commitment to advancing the organization’s vision for this work may be found here: Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment. To request reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected].