We are currently hiring this position:
Green Crew Trainee
Classification and Time: Part-time, temporary and non-exempt
Hourly Rate: $18.00
Benefits: This position offers paid sick leave and certain paid holidays
Hours: 24 hours per week. 4 shifts Tuesday – Saturday
Reports To: Green Crew Manager
Start Date: Thursday, March 12, 2020
About Friends of the Urban Forest
Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and neighborhood groups to plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens in San Francisco. By making San Francisco greener, FUF supports the health and livability of the urban environment. Since 1981, FUF has planted more than 60,000 trees, totaling almost half of the city’s street tree canopy.
Position Summary
The Friends of the Urban Forest Green Crew Trainee is a job training program and workforce development program that hires participants with minimal work history and trains them in arboriculture and urban forestry. Participants work in all FUF field programs, including tree planting, tree care, sidewalk landscaping and community outreach. This is a temporary part-time position that includes some evenings and weekends. This 6-month long training program consists of 4 months of job training in all of FUF’s urban greening efforts, followed by 2 months of program specialization where Trainees can choose one of FUF’s programs to explore more deeply as a way to prepare themselves for a potential career in the green job market. The position involves both office and field work including computer work, heavy lifting (40 lbs.) and driving a FUF vehicle (if candidate possesses a valid California license and approved MVR). The Green Crew Trainee works closely with FUF Field Staff, property owners, the public, and FUF volunteers and reports to the Green Crew Manager.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Details and Responsibilities
Provides general support and assistance for all FUF programs and staff, including:
- Loads and unloads trees and plants under the supervision of Planting Managers at headquarters and in the field.
- Plants trees and installs protective hardware surrounding newly established trees.
- Mulches and waters trees during planting with our Replacement and Community Planting programs.
- Prepares soil for planting and plants greenery as a part of the Sidewalk Landscape Projects.
- Conducts 2-month surveys for sidewalk gardens and trees planted including performing necessary tree care at that time (may include re-tying, re-staking and sometimes replanting).
- Cuts cross-braces for Planting programs using a table saw.
- Structurally prunes trees as part of FUF Tree Care program in accordance with ISA guidelines for training young trees.
- Collects accurate and detailed data on trees pruned during Scheduled and Emergency Tree Care.
- Participates in regular seminars and field workshops organized through FUF to learn more about tree care and planting.
- Waters and maintains trees, materials and plants in inventory tree yard and repairs irrigation as needed.
- Maintains materials and plants in inventory and reports issues with irrigation.
- Maintains tools in clean working order.
- Maintains FUF vehicles and shed in clean and organized working order.
- Participates in outreach informing the public about FUF programs and services through tabling at community events.
- Canvasses neighborhoods to drum up support for FUF Community Plantings and provides detailed reports to supervisor based on work completed.
- Participates in office culture of Environmental Stewardship through cultural activities including but not limited to: limiting waste, properly disposing of waste in sorted bins, and picking up trash in the field and at FUF headquarters.
- **If not already licensed** Works towards obtaining a CA State Issued Driver’s license.
- **If licensed** Drives FUF trucks respectfully and safely to job sites throughout San Francisco.
- Updates database with Tree Care and other data.
- Works with other staff on special projects and day to day operations.
- Responds to phone calls and emails from the clients and the general public.
Requirements
- Interest in arboriculture, horticulture or landscaping.
- Willingness to work outdoors in inclement weather.
- Ability to get to office headquarters in the Presidio and meeting onsite in San Francisco
- Provide a Department of Justice record check and fingerprinting per California Penal Code section 11105.3 to be able to work with minors in the Youth Tree Care Program.
Work Environment
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outdoor weather and working conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Office workspace and cubicle assignments change from time-to-time and employees should not have any expectation that any assignment is permanent.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, and crawling. The employee must frequently lift and move items over 40 pounds, and load tools and planting materials into and out of vehicles.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Contact
If interested and qualified, please forward cover letter and resume to: sam@fuf.net.
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