Delaware River Watershed Fellow

Location: Philadelphia, PAFull timeRequisition ID: JR1076Position Summary:The Delaware River Watershed Fellowship is a 12-week, paid summer job opportunity designed to introduce early career professionals from local communities to careers in environmental education, created by the Alliance for Watershed Education. Fellows are hired at one of 20 environmental education centers across the Delaware River Watershed. They will participate in training sessions to help prepare them for a summer of helping people connect with nature and informing their local communities about issues affecting the Delaware River, the source of drinking water for 15 million people living in the region. Audubon Mid-Atlantic, a member of the Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE), is seeking to hire a Fellow from Strawberry Mansion, and other North Philadelphian neighborhoods, to help connect with local community members around protecting the Delaware River and its waterways.More about Discovery Center:The Discovery Center provides a public space for neighbors, Philadelphia Outward Bound School, and Audubon Mid-Atlantic to come together and co-create opportunities for Philadelphians to discover themselves in nature, practice leadership, and work toward a greener city for birds and people. The National Audubon Society and the Philadelphia Outward Bound School joined forces to save and sustain a vital part of our natural heritage in a unique partnership. Their missions converge in the East Park section of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park - just blocks from the neighborhood of Strawberry Mansion - where a century-old, abandoned reservoir has become a unique wildlife sanctuary and an important stopover location for over 100 species of birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway.Essential Dutiesu2022 Assist Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.u2022 Fellows will participate in a 3-day watershed education training, at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (overnight, June 10-12.) u00a0Fellows will help their host Center lead programs and activities, whether in-person or virtually, for community members and visitors to their site.u2022 Fellows will attend in-person meetings with Fellows from other AWE Centers (second week in July there will be regional meetings with TBD locations, and one All-region meeting on July 31 at Berks Nature Center)u2022 With guidance from their supervisor, Fellows will focus their efforts on a specific Capstone Project and present their work at the end-of-program Summit event (August 14).u2022 Fellows will document their progress by completing a short log report every other week.Discovery Center Duties:Depending on the strengths and curiosities of the fellow, they can get involved in some or all of the projects and tasks. Frequency of tasks will vary and fluctuate to prioritize deadlines. Around 70% of their time will be invested towards planning and prep, and 30% will be engaging with the public.u2022 Community Engagement-u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Support our educator with K-5th grade field trips to the Discovery Center.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Support public environmental programs, usually taking place on Saturdays.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Greet visitors who come to Discovery Center and provide resources such as flyers to upcoming events, bird guides, etc.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Gathering content from our trail and underwater cameras for wildlife and reservoir viewing. Can possibly use these videos for educational lessons, our website, or social media.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Filling the seed library when it's low.u2022 Aquatic Surveying-u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Getting in the boat and observing along the reservoir with the DRW and Center team. Noting the presence of birds, amphibians, reptiles, and habitats.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Gathering samples to survey different groups of organisms: sediment samples for microorganisms, and leaf packets for macroinvertebrates.u2022 Trail/Meadow Improvement-u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Assist the Discovery enter team with maintenance, including invasive plant removal, trash clean up, etc. Can also join a volunteer day to help with center projects like removing the fence line and replacing it with wire.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Feather Fun Area Re-Vamp: Help design a few upgrades for the feather fun area to be used by our educators.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Start seeds for future planting and water them in the greenhouse.u00a0u00a0 u00a0u2022 Plant new buds on the trail and in the meadow, maintained by watering.Discovery Center Capstone Project:The future fellow will have the option to choose a capstone project that highlights AWE, AMA, and the neighborhood's goals. They will assist with designing and implementing a green and educational

Created: 2026-03-26