Still River Connections Crew Leader

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) seeks an individual with experience managing youth volunteers to lead four to six high school students (Connections Crew) in river stewardship work in July and August 2026. The Connections Crew starts work on July 6 and works 20 hrs/week through August 14. This position will start one week prior to the Connections Crew (June 29) to allow for training and fieldwork planning and will continue for at least one week after the Connections Crew completes their experience (August 21) to assist with reporting and other wrap-up activities. With support from HVA’s Environmental Education Coordinator and Ecological Restoration Manager (HVA staff), the Crew Leader will ensure the safety and wellbeing of the Connections Crew, coordinate Connections Crew logistics, and lead the day-to-day work required to install and maintain stream restoration projects in the Still River watershed. The Crew Leader will also use stream restoration projects to develop and deliver environmental education to Connections Crew members, and support Connections Crew outreach to the community about their work. 

To apply: Send a cover letter describing interest and qualifications, resume, and contact information for two job references (if accessible), in a single PDF file with your full name and “Connections Crew Leader” in the title—to Jillian Gunderson (Ecological Restoration Manager) at jgunderson@hvatoday.org. 

Position description: 
The Crew Leader will be responsible for supervising a crew of four to six high school students as they work on and learn from watershed restoration projects in the Still River watershed, which encompasses the City of Danbury and neighboring towns. As a capstone to this summer program, the Crew Leader will help each Connections Crew Member design and present a poster to the community about their experience. 

Watershed restoration projects the Connections Crew will work on may include:

• Raingarden installation and maintenance 
• Invasive plant management 
• Riparian buffer planting and maintenance 
• Public land maintenance, including but not limited to trail upkeep and trash cleanup 

About the Still River Watershed Connections (“Watershed Connections”) program: 

Watershed Connections brings local high-school students to Still River restoration projects identified in the Still River Watershed Management Plan. Through this experience, students learn about stream restoration practices and environmental career opportunities, acquire widely applicable job skills, and develop an understanding of and sense of stewardship for their hometown river. HVA delivers this program in partnership with Danbury Youth Services (DYS), who are the direct employers of Connections Crew members and provide additional job skills training for program participants.

Duties: 

• With support from HVA staff, the Crew Leader is responsible for the following: 
• Ensuring the personal safety of Connections Crew members 
• Modeling and supporting good work habits (personal safety, teamwork, effort, punctuality, completion of timesheets and other paperwork) 
• Coordinating Connections Crew member transportation to project sites, ensuring all necessary tools and supplies are available for planned activities 
• Using restoration projects and time in the field to teach about the Still River and its watershed, and general concepts of watershed management 
• Planning indoor activities for the Connections Crew on days with inclement weather 
• Communicating regularly with HVA and DYS staff 
• Providing guidance to students as they interact with the public through their daily tasks and their end-of-season poster presentations 
• Representing HVA in a professional manner during interactions with parents/guardians, partners, and the public 

Required experience/qualifications: 

• Experience leading groups of teenagers, ideally in outdoor settings 
• Experience working outdoors on environmental restoration, trail maintenance, community gardening, or related field experience 
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution, communication, and organizational skills  
• Valid driver license and access to a reliable vehicle 
• Ability to cover Connections Crew each day they work, including one hour before and one hour after their workday, with the exception of illness or emergencies. 

Desired qualifications: 

• Experience facilitating environmental education activities Familiarity with public outreach using social media and print media  
• Spanish and/or Portuguese fluency 
• First Aid/CPR training (HVA can help qualified applicants obtain this training) 

Position structure: 

The Connections Crew starts work on July 6, 2026 and works 20 hrs/week through August 14. We anticipate the Connections Crew working from 8:00AM – 1:30PM, Monday – Thursday. This position will start prior to the Connections Crew to allow for training and fieldwork planning and will continue for at least one week after the Connections Crew completes their experience to assist with reporting and other wrap-up activities. The Crew Leader must be available each day the Connections Crew is working (barring illness or emergency), including one hour before and at least one hour after their workday. This position is funded as a full-time 8-week position (40 hours/week), for a total of 320 hours, from approximately June 29 – August 21. Aside from the Crew Leader’s obligations noted above, there is some flexibility in scheduling Crew Leader hours, which will be discussed during the hiring process. 

The Crew Leader will be directly supervised by HVA’s Restoration Coordinator. The Crew Leader will spend the majority of their time in the Greater Danbury Area, with most work sites located in Danbury, Brookfield, New Milford, and Bethel, CT. However, the Crew Leader will have workspace and access to a computer at HVA’s office in Cornwall Bridge, CT.  The Crew Leader should expect to spend approximately 75% of their time in the field or working remotely, and 25% of their time at the Cornwall Bridge office. 

Compensation: 

• $20/hour for a maximum of 320 hours 
• Work-related travel using a personal vehicle will be compensated based on federal mileage rate ($.725/mile). 
• Housing may be provided for those coming from outside the area 

To apply: 

Send a cover letter describing interest and qualifications, resume, and contact information for two job references (if accessible), in a single PDF file with your full name and “Connections Crew Leader” in the title—to Jillian Gunderson (Ecological Restoration Manager) at jgunderson@hvatoday.org. 

Position open until filled 

Who we are: 

HVA leads conservation action in communities across the tri-state Housatonic River watershed in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. We restore and protect the Housatonic River and its tributaries, protect strategically important lands, and take action to help ecosystems and communities adapt to climate change across the watershed and beyond. We do this directly or in collaborations with partner agencies and organizations, community and business leaders, and concerned citizens working for a clean and healthy natural environment. Our overarching goal is to achieve a climate-ready Housatonic Watershed by 2040. In addition to our advocacy, issue response and education programs, two major campaigns toward our 2040 goal are underway: Clean, Cold & Connected, aimed at restoring and protecting local streams and the waters they flow to; and Follow the Forest, aimed at protecting a continuous forest corridor through the Housatonic watershed to connect the Appalachian Highlands of eastern New York with the forests of western Massachusetts and Vermont through to Canada. HVA is committed to being fully representative of the watershed’s people and diverse communities in all our work and across our organization. We strive to make our conservation actions equitable and inclusive by enabling participation by all and increasing our understanding of and responsiveness to environmental inequity. Our team is committed to continuously improving equitable representation across our organization and in our work towards a healthy watershed. 

Learn more about HVA at hvatoday.org. 

HVA is an equal opportunity employer. If you have the drive, interest, and skills to succeed in this position, tell us about how you can help, and we will consider your application. HVA provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons and administers personnel policies and practices in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws.