Location: Pendola Center

Position: Summer Camp Naturalist

Classification: Non-Exempt

Schedule: Seasonal June 22 – August 6, 2008

Reports to: Pendola Center Director or Coordinator

Job Summary: Provide an outdoor experience for all campers that increases appreciation and understanding of our role in the environment, improves our ability to be good stewards, and encourages us understand our moral obligation to protect all God’s creatures.

Essential Elements:

• Ability to communicate and work with campers and provide necessary instruction to campers.
• Ability to observe camp behavior, assess its appropriateness, enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures and apply appropriate behavior management techniques.
• Visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental and other hazards related to the activities.
• Possess strength and endurance required to maintain constant 24 hour supervision of campers.
• Ability to hike 5 miles of uneven terrain.

General Responsibilities:

• To teach and coordinate the nature program, providing activities that lead to a quality camp program.
  • Coordinate the nature program with other camp activities.
  • Create weekly plans that will increase campers’ comfort level in the outdoors, appropriate to age, ability and interest.
  • Ability to identify hazards that could have an impact on an activity.
  • Use a variety of resources and outdoor education programs to provide a varied program.
  • Orient staff during pre-camp training in skills that they will assist with throughout the summer, completing skill verifications as required.
  • Assess camper’s progress.  Assist campers to progress to a more advanced levels.
  • Conduct an end of the season inventory, storing and keeping equipment in good condition.
  • Evaluate current season and make suggestions for the following season.

• To fulfill other staff administrative roles
  • Prepare for and actively participate in staff training, meetings, and supervisory conferences.
  • Set a good example for campers and others, including cleanliness, punctuality, sharing clean-up chores, sportsmanship and table manners.
  • Follow all camp rules and regulations pertaining to smoking, use of alcoholic beverages and use of drugs.
  • Manage personal time off in accordance with camp policy.
  • Main good public relations with campers’ parents and visiting public.
  • As a part of the program team, plan and carry out “all camp” activities, evening activities, Party Day, campfires and afternoon scheduling.
  • Carry out/assist in leading additional activities as requested.
  • These are not the only duties to be performed. Some duties may be reassigned and other duties may be assigned as required.

• Desired  Qualifications:
  • Either be (1) a faithful Catholic in good standing with the Church, or (2) a non-Catholic who understands that Camp Pendola is operated as part of the youth ministry of the Diocese of Sacramento, and that he or she will therefore be expected to conduct public activities and relationships in a manner that is compatible with the teachings and missions of the Catholic Church. Whether Catholic or not, the employee must be able (and will be expected) to comply with diocesan standards of conduct that incorporate Catholic religious perspective on issues of conduct and morality.
  • Desire and ability to work with children outdoors
  • Ability to live and work in a team context.
  • Training or experience in outdoor or environmental education.
  • Good character, integrity, and adaptability
  • Enthusiasm, sense of humor, patience, and self-control and self motivation
  • Lifeguard, First Aid and C.P.R. for the Professional Rescuer Certification, Wilderness First Aid
  • College student or equivalent, or at least 18 years of age.