Temporary Conservation Worker II (Agriculture)

Starting Hourly Rate: $18.68

Work Schedule: Typical work hours are 8am-4:30pm Monday through Friday with occasional weekends and evenings required. Position is 10 months in duration. 

Nature of Work: Manually remove invasive plant species from natural areas. Assist with prescribed ecological burns. Monitor progress of restoration and ecological stewardship activities. Maintain and construct tails. Collect, process, and sow seed from native plants. Keep accurate, detailed records of work performed. Apply herbicide for the control of invasive plant species. Help lead and supervise volunteer workdays.

Required Qualifications:

• Must have a valid Driver's License
• MDOT Medical Card
• MDARD Commercial Pesticide Applicator license (Category 6) required by start of employment

  • The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development has reciprocal agreements, for certification status only, with Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Pesticide applicators who are residents of these states may obtain Michigan certification credentials by:

    • Applying for reciprocity on their application
    • Submitting the prescribed fee with a completed application to the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
• Must obtain CPR/AED and First Aid certification within 30 days of employment. The City offers CPR/AED and First Aid classes, which are free to Parks employees. Please note, your certification must be from an organization that has been approved by the Bureau of Community and Health Systems, Child Care Licensing Division.
  Please see link for list of approved organizations. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Completion of at least 2 years of college work in natural resources or equivalent field
• Knowledge of native and non-native flora, common invasive species and their control methods
• Ability to perform strenuous manual labor outdoors, operate chainsaws, brush blades, and other power tools
• Good interpersonal skills, suitable for working with volunteers and the public at large
• Ability to work with minimal direct field supervision
• Basic computer skills

Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that may be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Positions in this class typically require: driving, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, grasping, feeling, talking, hiking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

The work includes hiking long distances in and out of a park carrying heavy tools.

The work often involves the ability to perform routine moderate lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs. including regularly moving heavy logs off the trail and carrying 5 gallons of water on incumbent's back during burn season. Work may be performed off the trail on uneven terrain. In addition, the work will require seasonal exposure to extreme (both hot and cold) weather conditions, including snow and ice and working in adverse weather conditions.

See job description