Maple Sugar Maker at National Audubon Society in Huntington, Vermont
Posted in Other about 4 hours ago.
Job Description:
Huntington, VT
Part time
JR526
Position Summary:
The Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont provides conservation education for schools, families, adults, teachers, and the public. The Center also offers a summer day camp program for children ages 3 to 12. Audubon education programs provide people with direct experiences in nature. Our programs are outdoors, science-based, interactive, and lead participants to take action to help protect birds, and their habitats. The Center conducts research in the form of avian monitoring and is a bird-friendly land management, demonstration site for the public. We have a working, traditional maple sugaring operation that produces between 75-100 gallons of syrup each year. Thousands of people visit the Center’s sugaring operation annually to learn about our wood-fired, bird-friendly process of maple sugaring.
The Maple Sugar Maker will work with Audubon staff to ensure a safe and successful operation of the 600-tap maple sugaring operation at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont. Audubon uses buckets to gather sap to highlight the traditional gathering method. Specifically, responsible for preparing the sugarhouse for the season, including setting up the arch, evaporator pan and all other sugaring facilities to ensure the production of maple syrup will take place with the first sap run. The Maple Sugar Maker will keep the sugarhouse in a clen, presentable condition both inside and out at all times. The Maple Sugar Maker will work with volunteers and the Maple Sugaring Assistants on a regular basis to coordinate the gathering of sap. They must be available and willing to answer questions and demonstrate the maple sugaring process to students, teachers, and other visitors to the Center. Responsible for the timely breakdown, cleaning and closing of the sugarhouse at the end of the season. This position will start mid-February and will end in mid-April.
Compensation:
$17.00-$20.00 / hour
Essential Functions
Assist Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.
Work directly with the Maple Sugaring Assistants to run the day-to-day sugaring operations at the Center. Responsible for developing an efficient system for sap gathering, wood stacking and boiling for the duration of the sugaring season.
Help to distribute buckets in the sugarbush prior to tapping day. Work with the sugaring assistants to scatter buckets and lids at the bases of healthy, maple trees prior to tapping day in late February. Responsible for keeping an accurate record of all areas of the sugarbush tapped.
Assist with the tapping of the sugarbush. Responsible for helping to coordinate and participate in tapping of the sugarbush. May be responsible for leading a group of volunteers and giving clear instructions on how to tap a tree.
Set-up and safety check of the sugarhouse prior to the first boil. Responsible for cleaning the pans, stacking and splitting of firewood, wiping down of counters and other surfaces, repairing any equipment that may need it, general cleaning and setting up of the evaporator. Safety checks of all equipment and the sugarhouse will be completed prior to the first boil. Any safety concerns must be reported to the Center Director immediately. The Maple Sugar Maker will maintain the sugarhouse in a clean, safe, and presentable manner for the season.
Determine when the sap will be gathered and coordinate the gathering effort. Responsible for regularly communicating with the Maple Sugaring Assistants to discuss the sap gathering schedule. The Maple Sugar Maker will notify the sugaring assistants and any volunteers 24 hours in advance (when possible) to inform when the sap will need to be gathered.
Bucket gathering, bucket washing and sugarhouse clean-up. Responsible, along with Maple Sugaring Assistants, for the pulling of taps and buckets from the trees; washing, drying, and neatly stacking the buckets in the sugarhouse; and thoroughly cleaning the pans and flipping them up-side down for safe storage. All sugaring tools will be cleaned and accounted for and the sugarhouse must be closed for the season and left in a clean, safe and presentable fashion both inside and out.
Work with volunteers, students, and visitors to the Center. The Maple Sugar Maker will work with volunteers on a regular basis during the sugaring season on various aspects of the sugaring process. School groups and other visitors to the Center (of all ages) visit the sugarhouse on a regular basis throughout the season. The Maple Sugar Maker is responsible for the safety and well-being of all visitors to the sugarhouse and is responsible for answering questions and demonstrating the maple sugaring process to the public as well as organized groups.
Work at our Sugar-on-Snow Events. The Maple Sugar Maker will work in the sugarhouse during our two, community-wide Sugar-on-Snow Events on Vermont’s Maple Open House weekend in March (March 22-23). Responsible for demonstrating the sugaring process and will be available to answer questions throughout the day.
Tractor care and maintenance. Responsible for safe and responsible operation of Audubon’s tractor as well as routinely ensuring all fluids (diesel, oil, hydraulic) are at proper levels.
Perform all record keeping related to maintenance of sugaring supplies and the production of maple syrup. Responsible for tracking all syrup produced by date, time, grade and # of gallons canned after each boil. Sugaring tools/materials need to be accounted for at the end of the season and a list of new materials that will be needed for the following season will need to be completed.
Shut down the Sugarhouse at the end of the season. Responsible for cleaning and disassembling the sugarhouse equipment, including the evaporator, sap storage tanks, and all other sugaring tools at the end of the season with help from the Maple Sugaring Assistants.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Experience
At least two years of maple sugaring experience, boiling experience highly preferred.
Holds a valid driver’s license.
Must have a flexible schedule and be able to work beginning mid-February through mid-April.
Enjoys interacting with the public and has a friendly demeanor.
Willingness to work outdoors in all types of weather, including rain, sleet, snow etc.
Must possess the necessary motivational and physical skills to work doing hard labor for several hours at a time.
Self-motivated, detailed-oriented with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Must be knowledgeable about, and committed to, the Audubon mission and the conservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.
Must be comfortable using hand and power tools as well as the sugaring equipment.
Ability and willingness to drive a tractor with an attached trailer. Able to attach a trailer to a tractor.
Able to shovel, chop ice and stack firewood.
Able to lift, reach, climb, push, pull, carry, and smile even while gathering sap in foul, cold weather.
This job requires a great deal of physical strength and the ability to lift more than 50 lbs. at a time on a regular basis. Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.
Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
EEO Statement
The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.
Accessibility Statement
The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.
Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action.
Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization.
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