Urban Naturalist

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) is an environmental and community nonprofit with a mission to help people and nature thrive. We partner with neighborhoods, local government, universities, community groups, and businesses to achieve our vision of an Indianapolis that is loved, cared for, and ecologically rich. We work with thousands of volunteers each year to plant trees and native landscapes, organize litter cleanups, develop, and support community placemaking, restore habitat, and employ youth.

KIB helps people and nature thrive most effectively when we reflect the diversity of perspectives, voices, and abilities found throughout our city. The principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are essential to our work – from supporting biodiversity in nature to engaging communities. KIB is an equal opportunity employer that encourages applicants – regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status – to create a team that benefits from a broad range of backgrounds and thinking.

Purpose:

KIB’s Urban Naturalist (UN) Program exists as a professional development opportunity for college students with an interest in pursuing future careers in an environmentally related field or industry. The UN Team performs a variety of outdoor work geared towards the improvement of environmental and social conditions within the city of Indianapolis, while also participating in weekly enrichment activities with the purpose of exposing the UN team members to a variety of different environmental careers. The Urban Naturalists function as one of KIB’s primary boots-on-the-ground maintenance teams as well as helping accomplish cross-programmatic tasks.

Duties, Functions, and Responsibilities:

Field Work

• Work as a member of a seven-person team of college students in maintaining multiple horticultural projects across the city, including high visibility native landscapes and green stormwater infrastructure, with the goal of naturalizing, preserving, and maintaining healthy urban ecosystems.
• Water, weed, and pick up trash in stormwater planters and rain gardens to maintain functional green infrastructure.
• Maintain and establish healthy native landscapes throughout Indianapolis by watering, weeding, and monitoring for invasive species.
• Restore riparian habitat by removing invasive species from previously unmaintained areas as well as maintaining sites where previous restoration work has occurred. Maintenance will include monitoring as well as treatment of invasive species using a backpack sprayer.
• Perform tree maintenance work on 6-18’ tall trees, including structurally pruning and mulching, installing, and removing stakes and trunk guards, and collecting accurate monitoring data.
• Assist in other KIB programs, including but not limited to; Lilly Global Day of Service, Great Indy Cleanups, and other corporate days of service.
• Other duties as assigned.

Intra-Department Collaboration

• Participate in collaborative professional development opportunities between the UN team and KIB’s Youth Tree Team high school employees to perform a variety of maintenance tasks together while creating relationships and providing valuable college and career insight to KIB’s high school employees.
• Assist with intra-department or organization-wide efforts as needed. This may include helping to lead volunteers with tree planting, habitat restoration, or GreenSpace implementation projects.
• Assist KIB’s Community Forestry staff with unloading tree deliveries and perform mulch and tree drop offs as capacity allows.

Professional Development

• Attend and actively participate in education, training, and enrichment opportunities for the UN Team Members.
• Network with a wide array of environmental professionals both virtually and in person.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience or willingness to learn and perform all basic horticultural maintenance practices.
• Experience or willingness to learn safety practices and appropriate/required PPE use.
• Assist with other KIB programs, including leading projects on the Lilly Global Day of Service, the Great Indy Cleanup, and other large volunteer-corporate days of service events.

Requirements:

• Physically able to lift heavy items (up to 50 lbs.) consistently throughout a regular workday.
• Comfort walking, standing for long hours, and withstanding working outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Valid driver’s license with six (6) points or fewer.
• Ability or willingness to learn how to:
• Pull a 20-25’ long trailer behind a full-sized pickup truck.
• Operate large machinery, including but not limited to skid steers, excavators, and forklifts.
• Use a variety of small power landscape tools: chainsaw, brush cutter, etc.

Education:

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a university or be a recent graduate (graduating within 1 year of applying).

Characteristics of a Strong Candidate:

• Possess an interest in gaining knowledge of Indiana native plants and invasive species and motivated in working outdoors.
• Passion for learning and helping others to do the same.
• Ability to use good judgment in decisions that help the health and safety of the team.
• Possess an interest in environmental topics and willingness to engage with the community.
• Exhibit KIB’s Cultural Values of Teamwork, Accountability, Excellence, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Balance, and Joy.