The Education Specialist is essential to the success of HBF’s programs. Primary responsibilities are the staffing and management of the Nature Center including its Animal Ambassadors (mostly amphibians and reptiles) and planning and presenting daily and weekly public programs (PreK-senior citizens). This position is also lead educator for teen and adult programming throughout the year.

The Nature Center is open to visitors 6 days/week during the Summer, with reduced hours late fall through early spring, and hosts daily and weekly public programs for all ages. During the off-season (November – April) the majority of time is spent creating and presenting outreach programs to community organizations (public and private school classes, afterschool programs, preschools, senior centers, Boys and Girls clubs etc.), planning for summer programming, and various other tasks that support the mission of HBF.

Highlands Nature Center

The Highlands Biological Foundation is recruiting four Summer Naturalists to support our summer programming at the Highlands Nature Center. As part of a temperate rainforest at the southern edge of the Appalachians, the Highlands Nature Center is part of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University. During the Summer over 10,000 visitors come to the Highlands Nature Center and the Highlands Botanical Gardens. Through the Nature Center Summer Naturalist and Education staff plan and supervise weeklong Summer Nature Camps, present free daily programs for the public, lead Tuesday evening Nature Nights, and assist with Thursday night lectures. All of these programs take place in the Highlands Nature Center and adjoining 11-acre Highlands Botanical Garden.