BUTTERFLY EDUCATOR

Job Description

Butterfly Educators are responsible for facilitating an educational guest experience and executing daily operating procedures in the butterfly exhibit. They will engage guests using live plant material, educational props, and native or tropical butterflies. Butterfly Educators will cover topics such as life cycles, habitat, adaptations, and the importance of pollinators through formal and informal programs. They provide exceptional customer service for guests of all ages and abilities while ensuring exhibit rules and guidelines are followed. This position assists with volunteer communication, butterfly care and release, and daily operating procedures to maintain compliance with USDA containment policies

About Us

Mission
We connect people to plants by inspiring communities to explore and conserve nature.
Vision
We are a Virginia garden of international significance leading in horticultural and educational excellence. We cultivate experiences that enhance each person’s relationship with the natural world.

Values
Responsibility, Innovation, Integrity, Hospitality and Inspiration

Founded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a nonprofit garden located in Richmond, Virginia’s Lakeside neighborhood. The Garden encompasses 82 acres, four lakes, 5,500 unique taxa of plants within 15 distinct outdoor gardens, 11 major buildings including a conservatory and greenhouse, plus an 80-acre branch site, the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve. Annually, Lewis Ginter engages over 17,000 students in innovative and exciting education programs. This cadre of identified learners is just a fraction of the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the Garden. In recent years, the Garden has been honored with inclusion in several top ten lists for botanical gardens in North America.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees. We support the diversity and inclusion policy adopted by The American Public Gardens Association: to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected, and appreciated.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Presents informal programs, engages guests in one-on-one conversations, and connects guests with more information and resources.
• Warmly welcomes guests of all ages and abilities while reviewing and enforcing “butterfly etiquette” with school groups, camps, and general Garden guests.
• Staffs the entry/exit vestibules, as needed, to ensure compliance with USDA requirements.
• Assists with the care and safe handling of the pupae and adult butterflies, including record keeping for emergence data.
• Implements protocols and operating procedures to maintain a high level of sanitation in the exhibit and working spaces.
• Learns and follows protocols, regulations, and standards to ensure compliance with the USDA APHIS PPQ permit.
• Assists with communication with volunteers working in the exhibit and the entry/exit vestibule.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Student or graduate in education, environmental science, botany, biology, entomology, horticulture, museum studies, or a related field.
• Experience as an educator, preferably in informal learning environments.
• Experience with customer service, in either a paid or volunteer position, or in a context outside traditional employment.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with fellow staff and volunteers.
• Other combinations of education/experience appropriate to the job will be considered.

Skills and Abilities
• Demonstrated knowledge of informal education, natural sciences, environmental science, museum studies, and/or the natural world.
• Communicates effectively with people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
• Models positive and respectful interactions with plants, animals, and people.
• Comfortable with handling insects, including dispatching specimens that may emerge malformed or diseased.
• Reliable, responsible, and self-motivated with excellent time management skills.
• Well-organized and detail-oriented, able to work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Working knowledge of computers and basic Microsoft Office Suite skills.
• Able to work varied hours outside the traditional work week, including weekends, evenings, holidays and special events like GardenFest.
• Proficiency in conversational Spanish a plus.

Additional Information

Physical Demands / Working Conditions
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds intermittently
• Must be able to work in temperature extremes, including high temperatures and high humidity.
• Must be able to bend, squat, kneel, stand and walk for extended periods of time

Note: Duties described above, other duties and physical demands have been identified as essential.

Each employee of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• Must comply with provisions of the current Employee Handbook, all published personnel policies and the requirements of their individual job descriptions.
• Must conduct herself or himself and perform all duties in a manner consistent with a public garden serving multigenerational and multicultural individuals and families, and in accordance with directed practices and procedures.
• Must be aware of surroundings and vigilant to threats to the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff or to the security of their property, ensuring that all concerns are reported promptly.
• Must report all mishaps, injuries, and incidents immediately and ultimately in writing to supervisor(s) and to Human Resources.
• Must ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Must perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Note: This position is represented by International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, to discuss the specific needs of your group, please reach out to 804-359-4058.

Application Instructions

Please submit a cover letter and resume to hr@lewisginter.org