Outdoor Adventures - Crane

Opportunity Overview:
CraneOutdoors offers a year-round lineup of exciting outdoor adventures designed to get our visitors outside and enjoying one of The Trustees’ most beautiful properties—the Crane Estate, including Castle Hill, Crane Beach, and the Crane Wildlife Refuge. CraneOutdoors is recruiting volunteers to assist with leading guided kayak and hiking tours. Volunteers will welcome program participants, help guests prepare to hike or kayak, and assist CraneOutdoors Guides in keeping the group together, all while enjoying conversation with participants. With over 2,100 acres of beach, dunes, woodlands, and marsh and a network of miles of trails, we’re going to bet we can provide an unforgettable experience! Come join our team of experienced CraneOutdoors volunteer guides.

 

Volunteer Reports To: CraneOutdoors Program Manager

Responsibilities (may include but are not limited to the following):

• Greet program attendees as they find their way to the adventure starting point
• Communicate effectively with staff and other volunteers
• Help answer questions about The Trustees and benefits of membership
• Adhere to The Trustees safety protocols
• For hikes
  • Hike with the group and provide insight on the Crane Estate properties
  • Bring up the rear on hikes to make sure all guests stay together as a group
• For kayak tours
  • Kayak with the group and provide insight into the Essex River Basin estuary and Crane Estate properties
  • Assist the instructors with duties as assigned (guest check-in/check-out, moving and launching kayaks, landing and beaching kayaks at rest stops, etc)
• Log volunteer hours

Qualifications:
Required:

• Friendly and outgoing nature
• Ability to perform light physical work (lift 50 pounds)
• Ability to participate outdoors in hot and sunny weather for 3.5 hours
• Please Note: A background check is required for this role
• Have excellent communication skills
• Have reliable transportation to the property
• Enjoy working with people
• If volunteering for hiking
  • Ability to hike up to five miles
  • A basic understanding of trail maps and following marked trails
• If volunteering for kayaking tours
  • Kayaking experience, preferably in tidal, saltwater environments
  • Ability to kayak for 2-3 hours
  • Ability to lift and pull kayaks

Desired:

• CPR/First Aid certified
• Ecological knowledge of the salt marsh and river ecosystems
• An understanding of the Crane Estate’s history

Training & Support:

• Ecological and historical background information will be provided
• The volunteer is an assistant and will not be asked to lead the tours or take care of customer concerns or complaints
• Kayak tour volunteers will receive basic rescue skills training as part of a group training session

Learning Opportunities & Other Benefits:

• Gain an intimate understanding of the salt marsh and river ecosystems
• Hone your public relations skills through interactions with the public
• Tone your hiking and/or kayaking muscles!

Time Commitment Needed: At least 3.5 hours per week, 3 months minimum. Hikes are run throughout the year, at a variety of days and times. Kayak tours are being offered at a variety of times of day and evening throughout the week from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. The volunteer is expected to arrive 30 minutes prior to the tour and stay 30 minutes after.
 
For more information Contact the Volunteer Services Team at volunteer@thetrustees.org

To explore other volunteer opportunities, visit our volunteer page at http://volunteer.thetrustees.org/  

More about The Trustees
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for more than 125 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 116 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.  

Inclusive Spaces for All
We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for all. Together, alongside our partners and volunteers we are creating inclusive spaces of community for people of all backgrounds to enjoy and preserving these open spaces for everyone, forever. We are committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, ability, and experience.  

The Trustees is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, military service, application for military service, veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. The Trustees makes reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Covid-19 Volunteer Safety:
The health and safety of Trustees’ volunteers, staff and visitors is our top priority.

• If you are not feeling well, please stay home
• If you have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 or someone displaying symptoms of Covid-19, please stay home
• For our most current Covid-19 updates, please visit our main Trustees site