Salmon River, Eastern Lake Ontario Dunes Stewards Needed to Promote Resources Appreciation Through Public Education

Contact:
Mary Penney, NY Sea Grant, Oswego, 315-312-3042

OSWEGO, NY, January 29, 2008 - Interested in working outside and helping to educate the public about the value of key environmental resources along Eastern Lake Ontario and the Salmon River? Nine college and-or graduate students are needed for the Eastern Lake Ontario Dune Steward and Salmon River Steward programs coordinated by New York Sea Grant in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, The Nature Conservancy and New York State Parks.

Five Eastern Lake Ontario Dune Stewards work from May to Labor Day providing public outreach education programs; patrolling a 17-mile stretch of barrier beach complex that includes beaches, fragile sand dunes, and wetlands areas in Oswego and Jefferson counties; and working on site maintenance and natural habitat restoration. Assignment areas include El Dorado Nature Preserve, Black Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Southwick Beach State Park, Lakeview WMA in Jefferson County, and the Sandy Pond Beach Natural Area, and Deer Creek Marsh WMA in Oswego County.

From May through November, four Salmon River Stewards monitor New York State Department of Environmental Conservation properties in the Oswego County towns of Richland, Orwell, Albion and Redfield. The coverage area includes the river corridor from the upper Redfield Reservoir to Port Ontario on Lake Ontario, the Salmon River Fish Hatchery, NYS Unique Areas such as Salmon River Falls, and NYS forestlands.

“The stewards promote environmentally-sound recreational use of these vital natural resources and encourage willing compliance with guidelines designed to protect the resources. They participate in research and monitoring surveys, and host field walks and programs on a variety of topics of interest to those who enjoy the outdoors,’ says Steward Coordinator Mary Penney of New York Sea Grant, Oswego, NY. “We are encouraging graduate students to see the steward program as an opportunity to conduct research for their degree program.” 

Penney is recruiting applicants with a minimum of two years combined education and experience in environmental education, natural resources management, biology, environmental studies or a related field. Candidates must possess interpersonal and writing skills, a willingness to work weekends and holidays, and enthusiasm for protecting the ecosystem. Dune stewards must be prepared to walk up to 8 miles a day. Dune and river stewards should be able to use a small motorboat and canoe.

Interested applicants may send a cover letter and resume to Mary Penney, New York Sea Grant, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 or email mp357@cornell.edu.