Field Trip outdoor woodlands / pond dipping guide/interpreter

There is a quiet calling that begins not in an office, but beneath the whispering canopy of leaves, where the workday unfolds in step with the rhythms of the land. The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas are inviting a guide—someone who understands that a forest is not merely a place, but a living community—to help others encounter its stories along woodland trails and / or within the still, reflective waters of the West Swale wetlands.

Here, your “workspace” is a mosaic of trembling aspen, prairie grassland meadows, and wetland edges alive with movement. With each group of students, the forest reveals itself differently. You might pause beside a delicate spider web strung between branches, trace the small crescents of leaf-nibbles left by unseen insects, or kneel to observe the quiet industry at the entrance of an ant colony. Overhead, the forest speaks in other ways—through the hollowed craftsmanship of woodpeckers, the woven architecture of bird nests, or the scattered clues of fur and feather that hint at lives just out of sight. In these moments, students begin to see as naturalists do: noticing patterns of leaves, the geometry of stems, the textures, scents, and subtle variations that distinguish one species from another.

A short distance away, the wetlands offer a different kind of classroom—one that shimmers and shifts with life at every scale. Through pond dipping and guided exploration, older students encounter a world often overlooked: the gentle coil of a marsh ramshorn snail, the intricate case of a caddisfly larva, the flicker of damselflies, or the sudden appearance of a garter snake moving between water and grass. Here, learning becomes an act of discovery. Students ask questions, gather observations, and begin to understand how water, soil, plants, and animals are bound together in delicate balance.

Your day begins with the arrival of a bus filled with anticipation. You welcome young learners not just onto a trail, but into a relationship—with place, with curiosity, and with the living systems that sustain us. Another group follows in the afternoon, each bringing new questions, new energy, and new opportunities for wonder.

And then there are the small, enduring moments: the hush that falls when a chickadee lands close enough to be gently fed, the sudden recognition in a student’s eyes when something unfamiliar becomes known. These are the moments that linger.

At day’s end, you leave with the understanding that something meaningful has taken root—that through simple acts of attention and care, you have helped cultivate not only knowledge, but a sense of belonging within the natural world.

This role is for someone who feels at ease among trees and trails, who carries both curiosity and patience, and who finds joy in guiding others toward discovery. Because in the end, the forest teaches us that to know a place deeply is to care for it—and to share that knowing is to shape the stewards of tomorrow.