Habitat Restoration Field and Office Fellow

Who We Are and What We Do

Save The Bay’s mission is to protect and restore the Bay for people and wildlife. We are the only regional organization that integrates political advocacy, wetland restoration, and education to shape a healthy and resilient region. We are a team of passionate, creative, strategic and collaborative people, dedicated to the urgent work of building Bay Area resilience and hope in the face of the escalating impacts of climate change.

Over two decades, Save The Bay has become a Bay Area leader in the science and practice of habitat restoration, focused on tidal marsh transition zone habitat at landscape-scale for recovery of endangered species, and for ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. We enlist thousands of volunteers annually to restore the shoreline and educate Bay Area students to be the next generation of Bay stewards through hands-on experiential education and online learning.  

Save The Bay’s Fellowship Program is a highly regarded and professional program delivering critical support to staff to ensure a thriving and healthy San Francisco Bay. Fellows actively contribute to the organization and receive hands-on experience and individual mentorship as team members of Save The Bay’s talented and passionate staff. This program is an excellent opportunity for professional development and offers insight into a non-profit career.

Position Summary

Save The Bay’s Habitat Restoration Field and Office Fellows receive valuable exposure to skills in restoration ecology and community engagement. Restoration Fellows will gain experience in Save The Bay’s habitat restoration practices. Depending on the season and restoration contracts, these practices may include native plant propagation, invasive species removal, native seed collection, biodiversity monitoring and outdoor education. Fellows will become knowledgeable in the native flora and fauna as they travel around different restoration sites around the Bay.  The Fellow also gains experience in environmental education and program design, helping our staff create content and lead programming for our Bay Discovery programs. In addition to fieldwork, the Fellow will spend significant time managing the team’s restoration project records and entering data from those records into SalesForce.

What environmental issues/problems will the work address?  

Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, Habitat Restoration, Environmental Justice.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist restoration specialists out in the field: performing biodiversity monitoring, planting native plants and weeding invasive species at sites inaccessible to the public. 
• Help with plant propagation tasks at Save The Bay’s nurseries, including seed sowing, transplanting, divisions, fertilization, culling, and nursery maintenance. 
• Project record data entry into Salesforce weekly for monitoring and reporting our work. 
• Support staff in co-teaching environmental education programming for students from around the Bay Area.  
• Help Education Program Coordinator develop environmental education materials for use in the field and online.   
• General administrative duties as assigned  
• Independent project relevant to conservation issue at Save The Bay  as negotiated with the Education Program Coordinator

Qualifications and Experience

• Interest in San Francisco Bay environmental issues and enthusiasm for Save The Bay’s mission and programs. 
• Minimum commitment of at least 20 hours per week for 6-12 months  
• Active participation and adherence to COVID-19 guidelines 
• Ability and interest in working in the field with variable weather conditions. 
• Strong writing, communication, and organizational skills 
• Completion of at least two years of undergraduate education or relevant experience  
• Knowledge of basic html, web-based tools, and software programs 
• Ability to complete tasks independently and work well on a team. 
• Ability to lift 40lbs repeatedly for specific field and nursery tasks. 
• Clean background check 

Position Logistics

• Fellows must have access to a car they can use to drive to work sites around the Bay (Oakland, Hayward, Palo Alto, and Redwood City). Commute times may be up to three hours throughout the day. Fellows will be reimbursed for all transportation from their home to the work sites. Drive time from your home to the site and back is considered part of your workday. Sometimes it will be possible to carpool with staff using work trucks (parked in Oakland garage). 
• Current driver’s license is required. 
• Clean background check is required. 
• Must be available to work Tuesdays. Must be available to work two out of three days Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Location

4 hours per week will be remote work, conducted from your home office. 16 hours per week will be in the field. Save The Bay has work sites around the Bay (Oakland, Hayward, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park) and the fellow will have the opportunity to work at all these sites.

Reports To

Education Program Coordinator

Compensation and Benefits

Fellowships are temporary positions that require a commitment of 6 months and can be extended up to 12 months total. These are part-time (20 hours/week) positions and are compensated at $20/hour, Part-Time (20 hours/week). In addition to a Home Office Stipend of $500 for furniture, supplies and equipment, a Field Gear Stipend of $200, and a monthly $75 stipend to ensure adequate internet service, a travel reimbursement covering up to 100 miles of travel to fieldwork sites per day will be provided for field days. Access to a Save The Bay work truck and/or carpooling arrangements may be available depending on location and scheduling.

Work Environment and Values

We welcome people of all cultural backgrounds, gender expression and sexual orientation to apply and thrive with our growing team. Save The Bay is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit a diverse workforce and provide an equitable, and inclusive workplace for all. We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to apply.

Covid-19 Policy

All new hires must be fully vaccinated prior to their start of employment unless they are pre-qualified by HR for exemption.

Hiring Timeline

The priority deadline for applications is July 20, 2025

Preferred start date is August 26, 2025

How To Apply

This position is open until filled. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@savesfbay.org. Please make sure to include the position title Habitat Restoration Field And Office Fellow in the subject line. In the body of the email, please share where you found this job listing.