Environmental Educator

An environmental educator may spend his/her day providing visitor services by explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs, and complaints, and providing information about a park and surrounding areas. Other times an environmental educator may prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features or conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions. Environmental educators also may prepare informational brochures and write newspaper articles. An environmental educator may work outside in a natural setting or indoors at a museum, aquarium, zoo, or at a school. Many environmental educators are seasonal positions with variable hours including those during evenings and weekends.

An environmental educator must have a solid background in biology, ecology, geology or another natural resource field but also have training in education theory and practice and communication.

Because environmental educators are always working with the public, they must be comfortable with and enjoy interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. They must also know their science and how to take technical scientific information and re-word it for a general audience. Specifically, they must have both good written and verbal communication skills.  Finally, environmental educators must be creative. A good educator uses a variety of methods – written materials, visual displays, interactive games, costumes, storytelling and artifacts – to present their information.

Although some positions do not require a specific degree, most environmental educators have an Associates or Bachelor’s degree in park management, communications, or another natural resource field.

A number of non-profit organizations offer experience and training in environmental education. 

The Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education offers certification for Environmental Educators and the National Center for Interpretation offers certified interpretive guide training workshops. Both certifications can be included on your resume and help give you a leg-up on your competition for environmental educator positions. Paid summer internships are also available at non-profit organizations such as The Greenway Foundation, which provide teaching experience working with elementary students, paid professional development workshops, and valuable job-readiness skills.

No data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is available for environmental educators, however pay is generally commensurate with education and experience.