Education Technician

Serves as bear safety education lead for the District in coordination with Zone Wildlife Biologist and Blackrock District Ranger to help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. Individual may assist with bear safety/bear spray use trainings for Resort and outfitter/guide employees.

Grizzly bears frequent meadows along the Togwotee Scenic Highway corridor that attract large crowds. Education is important to deliver in these scenarios to help prevent potential dangerous human/bear encounters due to people getting too close to grizzly bears and bear cubs. The District has a variety of infrastructure including food storage boxes, bear poles, and a wide variety of signage at campgrounds, trailheads, and dispersed campsites throughout the Ranger District front country and backcountry. This signage and infrastructure requires maintenance, inventory, and evaluation of adequacy/needed changes or updates, and consistency across types of sites. Ambassador would also be responsible for assisting with signing of temporary area closures for public safety in instances such as a bear claiming a carcass near a developed area, campsite, trail, etc. and communicating human-bear safety concerns with Forest colleagues and partner agencies as appropriate.

·      Proactively patrol and initiate public contacts and educational outreach focused on reducing bear conflict; promoting food storage, Bear Aware, and responsible wildlife-viewing best practices.

·      Respond to calls and Provide roadside bear education, presence and signage in collaboration with WGF/WYDOT and Togwotee Mountain Lodge Staff to prevent unsafe behavior

·      Facilitating bear safety training sessions for local outfitters and lodges in collaboration with WYGF.

·      Helping inventory, maintain/repair existing bear boxes and signage in campgrounds/trailheads/dispersed camping sites throughout the District

·      Responding to situations across the District where we may need to provide safety signage such as a bear on a carcass.

·      Additional outreach/education to the “in-holding” areas on Buffalo Valley to promote good behavior with grills, bird feeders, trash storage, etc.

·      Work independently around potentially dangerous wildlife

·      Records own volunteer hours and accomplishments.

·      Provide Forest visitors with information about bear ecology, behavior, and conservation, bear safety, and ethical wildlife viewing standards

·      Record Bear observations and behavior including the use of scopes, binoculars, and interpreting bear sign.

·      Interpret bear behavior and ecology for visitors and answering questions

·      Deliver powerpoint and oral bear safety presentations

·      Documenting human behavior related to bear encounters and providing these details in written fashion to US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers or position supervisors

·      Keeping daily records of grizzly bear, black bear, and other wildlife observations

·      May remove roadkill or assist WDOT or WGFD win removing roadkill

·      Demonstrate a courteous, customer service attuite with visitors and colleagues

·      Follow U.S. Forest Service procedures and policies

·      Follow US Forest Service social media policy

·      As an agency representative, support and explain agency policy and objectives

·      Wear the provided identifying uniform

·      Ambassador will carry, at a minimum, a radio, bear spray, maps and a cell phone.

·      Operate a government motor vehicle safely

·      Provide supervisors with recommendations for improving the operation as necessary.