Restoration Ecologist

Our Mission in Action

Trees play a vital role in solving some of the most pressing issues facing our communities, our society, and our world today. For 150 years, American Forests has stood boldly at the forefront of the conservation movement, working collaboratively and innovatively to ensure that all people have access to the benefits of trees. As we look ahead to the next 150, continued collective action will be essential to securing a healthy, climate-resilient future for all. To support this work, we are looking for a Senior Manager, Texas Ecology to join our Resilient Forests Team.

What You’ll Do

As a part of the team, you will advance ecological restoration of South Texas’ thornforest ecosystem through skilled management of reforestation sites, identification and reporting of conservation-based restoration outcomes and cross-organizational collaborations. Major responsibilities include:

Ecological Restoration: Site Management and Outreach (40%)

• In coordination with American Forests’ Texas-based staff and federal agency partners, lead efforts to manage restored thornforest sites during the post-plant timeline through execution and oversight of recurrent field-based monitoring, routine maintenance activities, augmentation seeding, treatment interventions and cooperator outreach to control invasive plant and wildlife populations
• Ensure performance of all management tasks in accordance with safety policies (federal, state and organizational), including those designated through field-based SOPs for the use of facilities and equipment safely and respectfully
• Manage strong relations with leaseholders, cooperators and other designated operators on public lands, conservation easements and private lands, including but not limited to representatives of the law enforcement, energy, livestock, farming, outdoorsman and utilities management sectors
• Contracting: develop and execute coordinated efforts in project scoping, bid solicitations, service agreements, quality assurance and invoice payments for supply purchases, post-plant maintenance activities (i.e., mowing, herbicide application, grazing exclusion, etc.) and other functions as required for multiple restoration sites
• In conjunction with state and federal agencies, develop and deliver technical guidance and site management recommendations to private landowners, municipalities and other end-users of thornforest restoration in the Rio Grande Valley

Restoration Outcomes: Ecological Impact Monitoring (30%)

• In coordination with federal agency partners and the Resilient Forests Science Team, develop metrics and monitoring designs to evaluate the ecological impact of thornforest restoration activities in the Rio Grande Valley
• Implement monitoring of restored forest and in-situ wildlife populations, including field sampling (i.e., observer-based and passive methods), data collection and data management
• Implement standardized survivorship monitoring of restoration seedlings at regular intervals
• Generate summary statistics and geospatial analyses using collected data points as needed
• Reporting: provide progress reporting on restoration outcomes at regular intervals for both internal and external queries

Texas Programs: Geospatial Database Management (15%)

• In coordination with AF’s GIS/Data Science branch and agency partners, create and periodically update detailed ArcGIS shapefiles to reflect site boundaries, maintenance/intervention histories and conservation outcomes for multiple thornforest restoration sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley
• Assist Texas Restoration and Community Resilience Teams with translation and procurement of site boundary data, maps and corresponding outcomes as related to restoration projects being conducted at both landscape and local scales

Restoration Science (15%)

• Alongside American Forests’ staff and partners, co-develop planning for geospatial interfaces, research-based analyses and other decision-support tools necessary to advance the restoration of landscape connectivity and related goals within fragmented forest and woodland ecosystems in Texas
• In coordination with the Resilient Forests’ Science Team, develop analyses and draft narrative for inclusion within peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations and other venues for advancing forest restoration science

What We’re Looking For

We don’t expect you to check every single box. If this role excites you, we want to hear from you! We’re interested in your ability to learn, collaborate, and bring fresh perspectives.

• A college degree in Ecology, Wildlife, Forestry, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Agriculture or a related field is required. An advanced degree is preferred
• At least 5 years of experience in a conservation-related program role, with demonstrated leadership in: (1) invasive vegetation management, (2) field-based plant (e.g., line transects, canopy coverage, etc.) and wildlife sampling protocols, (3) federal, state and academic partner relations, (4) private landowner and leaseholder engagement, (5) field-based contract development, supervision and evaluation towards deliverables, and (6) strong proficiency in geospatial analysis and display and statistical coding languages (e.g., ArcGIS applications, ArcPy, R, Python, or similar)
• Demonstrated experience in identifying native and invasive plant species of South Texas. Strong skills in terrestrial bird species ID by sight and sound is also preferred
• Familiarity with passive biodiversity sampling methods (acoustic monitoring, camera traps, eDNA, etc.) preferred
• Strong background in study design and statistical analysis (e.g., occupancy modeling, known fate models, distance sampling, etc.)
• Strong time management, advanced organizational and situational awareness skills in both field and office settings
• Ability to meet recurring deadlines and balance competing priorities
• A valid driver’s license, as frequent travel to work sites is required
• A valid commercial applicator’s herbicide license or the ability to obtain such a license within 90 days of hire

• Reporting and Supervision

The Restoration Ecologist reports to the Director, Texas Reforestation. This position will work closely with other Texas-based team members as well as staff within the Resilient Forests Science Team. Recurring interaction with American Forests’ GIS & Data Science team and external contractors is also expected.

This position has no supervisory requirements at this time.

Working Conditions

This position is based in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley and will require residence in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, or Willacy County. Frequent travel between restoration project sites in the Rio Grande Valley will be required.

For travel between restoration field sites, personal vehicle use will be required with mileage reimbursement made by American Forests.

Work will be performed in a combination of outdoor field (~60%) and office settings (~40%). Exposure to hot, cold, and wet conditions is expected in outdoor areas. Exposure to these conditions along with dense vegetation, thorns, ticks, snakes, and mosquitos is expected at restoration field sites.

Compensation & Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried exempt position. The budget salary range is between $60,000 and $80,000. Our benefits package includes:

Health and Wellness

Work-Life Balance

Financial and Retirement

Medical, Dental, and Vision

Vacation and Sick Leave

401(k) 6% Match

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Holidays

Flexible Spending Accounts

Disability Insurance

Parental Bonding Leave

Cell Phone Reimbursement

Life and AD&D Insurance

Bereavement Leave

Pet Benefits

Military Leave

Our Core Competencies

Attitude - Communication - Organization - Problem-Solving & Creativity - Representing the Organization

About The Program:

Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is an ecological convergence of coastal, desert, and tropical influences amidst a vibrant frontera community of more than 2.5 million residents on the US-Mexico border. The Valley’s native subtropical thornforests are one of the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems in North America with over 300 butterfly species recorded within the 4-county area (for reference this is 60% of the total butterfly species found in the entire US) and similarly, at over 500 bird species, the region’s reputation as a hotspot for avian diversity has been widely acclaimed for generations. Unfortunately, more than 90% of this habitat has been lost in the past century to agricultural and, increasingly, urban development. To stem this loss American Forests has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the past 25 years to replant over 2 million seedlings on national wildlife refuge lands. However, to address the increasing number and complexity of ecosystem threats, our regional conservation focus has evolved to include coalition-building with the establishment of the Thornforest Conservation Partnership (TCP) in 2019, development of a climate-resilience strategy to guide thornforest habitat restoration and joint creation of the Thornforest Conservation Plan, the TCP’s science-based vision for scaling restoration in the Valley.

American Forests’ footprint in South Texas has also recently expanded into turnkey, project-based restoration on public lands, reforestation pipeline development (e.g., seed collection from 30+ species), environmental literacy programming for underserved residents and community forest development with local governments. In consideration for the region’s unique conservation challenges, we believe that innovating at the intersection of these programmatic cornerstones will advance both ecological and community resilience in the Valley for generations to come.

About Us:

American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to large forest landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restoring urban forests and forested landscapes for over 150 years.

American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member.

American Forests is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. Reasonable accommodation may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.

Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+ Encouraged to Apply In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.