Horticulture And Education Specialist

Job Overview

The Horticulture and Education Specialist will be responsible for facilitating a wide variety of educational programs throughout the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center and Conservatory. This position is focused on educating the public on entomology, ecology, horticulture, and conservation as well as horticultural maintenance within the Butterfly center and butterfly greenhouses. The Horticulture and Education Specialist will be working with the Butterfly Keeper and Education Specialist to design and implement programs and Educational activities for butterfly center guests. This position will work with the Conservatory Horticulturalist in landscape installation, plant maintenance, and plant production within the Day Butterfly Center's Conservatory and production greenhouses. All Day Butterfly Center staff are responsible for assisting with the daily tasks of butterfly maintenance and Educational programming when needed. This is a full-time position and scheduling will include at least one weekend a month.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Interact with all guests and all team members, at all times, in a friendly, service-oriented manner.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Callaway Gardens' standards, as required by scheduling that will vary according to the needs of Callaway Gardens' business levels to include some holidays and weekends.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming to include wearing a nametag when working.
• Comply at all times with Callaway standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient operations.
• Keep accurate records to include pesticide application logs.
• Maintain inventory of small tools and supplies, and report needs for materials and equipment to manager.
• Ensure all butterfly horticultural equipment is properly maintained.
• Practice and proper horticultural techniques including planting, watering, weeding, pruning, pest control, fertilization, dead heading, plant production, and plant identification.
• Have a knowledge of and work within our facilities USDA guidelines.
• Educate guests on all aspects of our lepidopterans.
• Facilitate guided tours, Butterflies 101, Butterfly Keeper for a Day, Gardening for Butterflies, and other entomological education programming as well as informal onsite education opportunities such as exhibit and arthropod spotlights. This will include the use of insects/arthropods in educational presentations to a variety of audiences.
• The Butterfly Keeper and Education Specialist will be trained on the content and format of Callaway Gardens structured educational programs and will be expected to present quality programming in all of these formats.
• Assist the Butterfly Center Manager in the development, evaluation and improvement of educational programs and policies.
• Maintain the Day Butterfly Center Educational carts on a weekly basis and implement new educational themes.
• Assist the Butterfly Center Manager in facilitating Summer Family Adventure Programming, as needed.
• Assist in the supervision and training of Education interns and volunteers, as needed.
• Organize, prioritize, and plan tasks and weekly projects with direction from department manager.
• Train others in proper horticultural techniques
• Assist/lead daily tasks of butterfly maintenance and Educational programming including but not limited to daily programs as needed, butterfly center opening/closing procedures, and volunteer trainings.
• Attend all meetings/training as required by supervisor or manager.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor or management.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in education, horticulture, biology or similar subject OR 2 years of relevant experience in informal education. Combination of both a Bachelor's and experience is preferred.
• Must have strong communication skills, especially oral, and a firm command of the English language.
• Must be comfortable interacting with and speaking in front of large groups.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Google Docs and Sheets.
• Must be comfortable and experienced in working with a wide range of audiences.
• Experience with and knowledge of tropical plants and butterfly-related plants is strongly preferred.
• Experience with and knowledge of animals, especially insects, is preferred.
• Must have a valid driver's license.
• Must complete WPS training within 5 days of hire or have a current GA commercial pesticide license.
• Must be computer literate; proficient in or able to learn Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, e-mail programs, and purchasing programs.

Physical Requirements:

• Long hours sometimes required.
• Potentially hard physical labor, occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds; lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects.
• Ability to stand, squat, and/or kneel for long periods of time.
• Ability to work in high temperatures and high humidity on a regular basis.
• Ability to work outdoors in all types of weather.
• Ability to safely operate small tools and lawn and gardening equipment.
• Be able to comfortably handle a wide variety of animals including snakes, spiders, insects, amphibians, etc. on a regular basis.

Critical Thinking Skills:

• Be able to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately.
• Be able to work well in high-pressure situations while maintaining composure and objectivity, including the ability to listen carefully to and resolve guest issues to the satisfaction of the affected guests.
• Be able to identify potential guest issues and then develop methodologies to prevent or limit the impact of those guest issues during the course of guest visits.
• Be able to effectively listen to, understand, and carry out tasks asked by Butterfly Center Manager