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Seasonal Natural Resources Worker – Dunes
Work for Indiana
Grow your career with the State of Indiana! With more than 50 executive branch agencies, the State of Indiana is a diverse workforce offering employees stimulating and challenging projects across a broad scope of career opportunities. As a State of Indiana employee, you impact the well-being of Indiana’s communities every day.
At the State of Indiana, we don’t just talk about diversity and inclusion – Our goal is to create a welcoming, accessible, and equitable workplace, with a workforce that is representative of the State of Indiana population. As a proud equal opportunity employer, reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process, as well as perform the essential functions of a role.
About Indiana Dunes State Park:
Indiana Dunes consists of 2,182 acres of primitive, beautiful, historic, and unique Hoosier landscape and includes more than three miles of beautiful beach along Lake Michigan’s southern shore. In the early 1900s scientists, recreationists, and nature enthusiasts, recognizing the value and potential of the Indiana dunes area, fought to have the region preserved. As a result, in 1925, the state park was established. Large sand dunes, located along the shoreline, tower nearly 200 feet above Lake Michigan. A wide range of habitats and plant species are found in the park, with vegetation stabilizing some of the sand. These habitats provide homes for many types of plants and animals. The lake also provides a habitat for many aquatic species, as well as a constantly changing fishery.
Salary Information:
The pay for these seasonal positions may vary but traditionally starts at an hourly rate of $12.25.
A Day in the Life:
The Seasonal Natural Resources Workers provide customer service and education to visitors about park features while maintaining the properties natural resources. Seasonal Natural Resources Worker positions and their essential functions are as follows:
• Interpretive Specialists: Educate the public on property-specific nature, history, culture, and park services through memorable experiences.
• Naturalists Aides: Assists with education of the nature center programming, local/common flora and fauna, and local/common animal species. This position may also assist in the care of animals (feeding, watering, and bedding changes) and the general maintenance of the nature center.
• Village Workers (Spring Mill State Park Only): Assists with education of period appropriate trades, techniques and crafts while presenting cultural history. Trades include woodworking, leatherwork, broom making, blacksmith, weaving, and milling.
• Cave Tour Guides (O’Bannon Woods State Park Only): Educate the general public on the natural history of caves. Tour Guides assist with scheduling reservations and collecting tour fees. Further, research may be required on the identification and care of relevant flora and fauna. Tour Guides are expected to maintain boats, equipment, and the registration shed.
• Resource Managements Techs: Assists with the control of invasive plant species natural area restoration trail maintenance, brush and tree removal, signage, timber marking and/or timber stand improvement based on the property.
What You’ll Need for Success:
• High school diploma, GED, or one (1) year of work experience
• May be expected to work afternoons, evenings, weekends, and holidays
• May be required to wear a DNR-provided uniform
• May be required to travel to different properties
• May experience working in potentially inclement weather
• May experience working with DOC work release crews
• May be required to have a valid driver’s license.
• May perform duties in a variety of different environments, including an office environment, field environment, rugged terrain, and various adverse weather conditions (extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, sleet, etc.).
• May work around potentially dangerous heavy equipment (e.g. tractors, disks, mowers, planters, etc.).
Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:
This role may be utilized in a supervisory capacity based on agency needs.
Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:
This seasonal position does not offer benefits and is limited to 180 working days in an eleven (11) month continuous period
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruit, select, develop, and promote employees based on individual ability and job performance. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all people in all aspects of employer-employee relations without discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. We will comply with the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable state and federal laws.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.
The State of Indiana has established a culture that welcomes equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all employees and applicants. We encourage you to apply if you feel have you the transferrable skills to be successful in this position and we look forward to reviewing your application.
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