High School Ecological Gardener

High School Ecological Gardener (Full Time): 

Reporting: This is a full-time, 12-month, hourly position with benefits that reports to the Lead Gardener.

Hourly rate: $25 p/hour to $31 p/hour, DOE 
Schedule This position has some weekend and after hours responsibilities

Bishop O’Dowd High School is seeking a passionate Ecological Gardener to help care for and grow our four-acre Living Lab — an outdoor classroom dedicated to sustainability, ecological restoration, and student learning. This full-time role combines hands-on gardening and land stewardship with opportunities to support environmental education and community engagement in a collaborative, mission-driven school community. 

High School Ecological Gardener Job Summary

Living Lab Care - 70% of Responsibilities 

Under the direction of the Lead Gardener, assist with care-taking of the grounds and infrastructure of the Living Lab, a four-acre (and growing) garden and outdoor classroom. The Living Lab is a dynamic model of environmental restoration, ecological agriculture, and sustainable systems, with the mission to inspire and engage students and community members to become stewards of the natural world and leaders in a sustainable future. Responsibilities of this position include the following: 

• Collaborate weekly with Creation Care Team to plan and prioritize maintenance that supports the mission and educational and community engagement programming.




• Record and manage tasks via the Living Lab Project Procedures: Checklist and Proposals.




• Follow safety guidelines, routines, and procedures as outlined by the school to create a safe and efficient work flow.




• Maintain the Living Lab, under guidance of Lead Gardener and in consultation with other members of Creation Care Team. This may include some or all of the following critical tasks/processes are critical to maintaining the lab (in the appropriate seasons):

  
  
  
  

  • Maintaining the irrigation systems, health of ecosystems (including pond), native planting, and trails

  
  

  • Managing compost and worm bin systems

  
  

  • Assisting the other gardeners periodically with the edible garden, orchard, and domestic animals

  
  

  • Managing/controlling invasive species and fungi using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques within the guidelines of the CA Healthy Schools Act

  
  

  • Managing vegetation for fire safety, removing dead material, etc. 

  
  

  • Pruning  

  
  

  • Hardscaping projects (i.e building retaining walls, installing french drains, etc)

  
  

Educational & Community Engagement Programs - 25% of Responsibilities 

Provide Occasional and Limited  Support as a Living Lab Garden Educator for small groups of students while leading them in an outdoor garden activity.the following curricular and co-curricular educational programs: 

• Lessons in the Lab: O’Dowd Curriculum (i.e. science and religion classes) and providing gardening/ecological education for small groups of students while leading them in an outdoor garden activity

Serve as support for the planning and execution related to the following programs and efforts:

• Curricular and Co-Curricular Educational Programs




• Community Engagement Programs




• Living Lab Volunteer Service Opportunities: Weekend Service Days, weekday service before, during and after school




• Annual Gatherings: i.e. Fall Festival, Earth Week

Other Roles and Responsibilities  5% of responsibilities

• Attend weekly Living Lab meetings and maintain appropriate documentation as required




• Other duties as assigned by the Living Lab Manager or Director of Justice and Kinship




• Maintain records of how time is spent to inform future planning




• Attend monthly all-staff meetings and other all school gatherings as required for Creation Care Team members

High School Ecological Gardener Job Prerequisites:

• 3 years experience working in gardening, landscaping, 




• Experience with some ecosystems based gardening practices (i.e. permaculture, soil conservation, water conservation, habitat and biodiversity improvement, and Integrated Pest Management). 




• Experience/interest working with high school students




• Experience/interest in Sustainability and Ecological practices




• Experience working as part of a team




• Experience caring for native plants




• Able to communicate clearly in written form




• Able to use Google docs and spreadsheets




• Available to work 5 hours on one Saturday per month




• Have a current driver’s license

High School Ecological Gardener Physical Requirements

• Able to lift 50 lbs




• Able to spend all day outside, walking up and down a hill




• Experience with multiple valve irrigation systems 




• Experience with hardscape building, including retaining walls (preferred)




• Experience with landscape planning (preferred)




• Experience driving a trailer (preferred)

A successful High School Ecological Gardener candidate will:

• Bring a spirit of adaptability, flexibility, and collegiality to an ever-changing landscape




• Communicate effectively orally and in writing




• Articulate and skillfully promote equity and justice work as well as anti-biased teaching and learning




• Be self-aware and able to build on others’ ideas, capitalize on others’ strengths, and effectively share responsibility




• Demonstrate a drive to learn and constantly seek ways to improve professional skills and implement best practices




• Initiate, fully participate in, and foster strong collegial and student relationships across diverse backgrounds




• Support the Catholic mission and charism of the school




• Work with pride and enthusiasm as a member of the O’Dowd community

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification.  They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Additionally, all personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, salary requirements and three references through our recruitment portal.

Pre-employment background screening is required for all positions. For more information on Bishop O’Dowd High School, please see our website at: http://bishopodowd.org.

Bishop O’Dowd High School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment policies and procedures. It follows the Diocese of Oakland's policies prohibiting illegal harassment, retaliation or discrimination. However, as a Roman Catholic high school with a stated mission, goals and objectives that clearly reflect the teachings and educational philosophy of the Diocese of Oakland, Bishop O’Dowd High School reserves the right to require all current and prospective employees to commit to carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner that clearly and unconditionally demonstrates support of and respect for the school’s mission and Catholic identity. Persons who in good conscience are unable to agree to this commitment should not seek or accept employment at Bishop O’Dowd High School.

As a faith-based institution, we reserve the right to use religion as a criterion in hiring decisions, as permitted by law, as it relates to performing essential job duties.