Wilder Kent Education Officer – Wilding Projects

Globally and nationally wildlife is in steep decline. We appear to be reaching critical tipping points around the loss of biodiversity as well as around climate change, both being interlinked. Human society cannot prosper without wildlife and healthy ecosystems. 

Kent’s wildlife needs to be restored to much higher levels. We can no longer allow common things to become rare. We can only do this by restoring large-scale habitat from degraded land. Doing this will contribute to solving global problems. But we won’t be able to do this unless we publicly aspire to a higher level of impact and show that we can deliver this. 

The Job: 

The Wilder Kent Education Officer – Wilding Projects is an innovative and exciting role at the forefront of working with communities in learning, understanding and caring for their local environment and landscapes. You will encourage and support educators and community groups to tackle the climate and environment emergency through taking local actions which have a global impact. This role crosses the work of two dynamic departments (Wilder Education & Lifelong Learning and Wilder People & Places) which aim to maximise the impact of our work for conservation.

You will work on some of the most cutting-edge wilding projects in the UK, in particular, the Wilder Blean project. The Wilder Blean project has introduced wild European bison into West Blean & Thornden Woods and is working to restore natural processes to this woodland. The project works extensively with local communities, schools, councils, businesses and more to ensure the wants and needs of the local community are included within the project. There is a considerable scope for a greater education provision linked to the Wilder Blean project that this role will develop. Beyond the Wilder Blean project there are considerable wilding projects in the pipeline at Kent Wildlife Trust. This role will help the project teams include education within these key cornerstone projects. Further information can be found about the Wilder Blean project here: https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/wilderblean

You will apply a community organising approach to all your education and engagement work and support the implementation of a community organising approach across the Trust. Through this approach we will build a network of community members, contacts, partners, stakeholders and community groups who we will empower to take action to achieve common goals, develop leadership skills and form relationships with other community members. We will help increase the knowledge and skills of individuals and enable them to initiate and take the lead on climate and nature-based activities in their area.

You: 

You are someone who is highly personable, passionate and organised. You are equally comfortable building relationships in communities as you are engaging with local politicians. You are committed to supporting community powered change and facilitating local people to empower themselves to act for nature.

Kent Wildlife Trust Group undertakes criminal records checks to ensure that employees and volunteers aged 16 or over are suitable to work or volunteer in roles that have contact with children, young people and adults at risk. Each role is checked using the DBS Eligibility Tool prior to recruitment. Roles are rechecked prior to duties changing and a different level of check may be needed or new check altogether undertaken. Appointment is dependent upon a satisfactory DBS check.

Kent Wildlife Trust is the leading wildlife charity for Kent and Medway, supported by its members and staffed by committed professionals.  Join our team and help us create a Wilder Kent! In return we will inspire you, listen to you, value you, treat you equally and fairly, look after your health and wellbeing and encourage flexibility from day one, enabling you to draw on these benefits to be a better, happier and more productive you.

The Kent Wildlife Trust Group is Wild About Inclusion. To us, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better.  

It also means cultivating inclusive workspaces that are free from discrimination, where differences are celebrated, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature!

Contact details:

For an application pack please visit our website: www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/jobs

If you wish to discuss this post, please telephone Lee Mason-Baldwin on 01622 662012.