Open Positions
Education & Outreach Assistant
Permanent, Full-Time 36 hours a week or part-time available
$48,000-58,000*, Depending on Qualifications
And a competitive benefit package
*Based on a full-time FTE, part-time positions pro-rated
Priority application deadline: June 1, 2026
Thurston Conservation District is looking for one to two people who are dynamic, energetic, and creative communicators and thinkers with a strong interest in scientific communication, developing outreach strategies, and adult and youth environmental education work. The Education & Outreach Assistant(s) will join our communications and education team to bring conservation and working lands education to residents of Thurston County. TCD’s adult educational programs and outreach materials cover a wide range of land management and stewardship practices and reach 4,000+ people annually. Our youth education programs, including South Sound GREEN, work closely with schools and other organizations and facilitate 8,000+ student interactions annually. This position(s) will work with both youth and adult education teams at TCD. An ideal candidate will have strong written and verbal communication skills, be highly organized, and be comfortable working in a flexible and at times varied working environment. If you feel you possess some or all the skills and qualifications in this job description please include information in your cover letter about which ones and what parts of the position are most interesting to you. We may hire up to 1.75 FTEs, depending on candidates and their skills and interests.
View the announcement here, including application instructions.
Available Internships
We are committed to doing all we can to make an internship a very rewarding and educational experience. Our interns work closely with staff to complete meaningful and engaging projects that not only contribute to protecting our environment but also look good on a resume!
Student internship opportunities (such as ILCs) are available depending on staff capacity. Contracts are tailored to provide the student with more in-depth experience in a range of focus areas and the opportunity to expand knowledge and skills in areas not provided through traditional education.
Internship positions through the Veterans Conservation Corps and for our Field Crews are paid internship opportunities.
South Sound GREEN Puget Sound Water Quality Educator ’26-27
40 hours/week
Stipend of $1942/month
Available period: September 1, 2026 to July 15, 2027
South Sound GREEN is a watershed youth education program at the Thurston Conservation District in beautiful Western Washington. We focus on connecting students and teachers to their watersheds, fostering environmental stewardship and creating positive experiences in nature.
The Water Quality Educator AmeriCorps Member will support this mission by assisting with numerous field education programs, with topics including water quality, salmon ecology, tree planting, marine science, and more!
Please see the full description and application instruction here.
Community Garden Ambassador Intern – Closed for 2026
6-10 Hours a week
$1,000 Stipend
Can accommodate academic internship or independent study requirements
Must be 18 years old
Garden ambassadors will spend up to two hours per week in each of the three Olympia tiny home village gardens (Franz-Anderson, Quince St., and Plum St.). The ambassador will support garden health through irrigation monitoring, weed and pest management, seasonal and succession planning, compost management and education, and planting/harvest assistance and education. Additionally, the ambassador will attend weekly community meetings to continue garden education, learn about issues, concerns, and needs. A weekly check-in with Community Agriculture Program Coordinator to facilitate THV garden support will be necessary. (6 hours/week)
Garden ambassadors will support other community gardens in Olympia as needed, including sharing information about monthly garden activities, assisting gardeners, and other duties. The garden ambassadors may attend monthly TCD staff meetings, planned TCD workshops and events, and bi-weekly Education and Outreach team meetings as desired and available to learn more about conservation work in the community. Summer garden ambassador may support TCD Education and Outreach at the Thurston County Fair. Garden ambassadors may also help identify communities in need of community garden and/or support that are not part of the existing community garden structure. (4 hours/week)
Find the full position description here.
TO APPLY:
Share a copy of your resume, two references, and any information about why you’re interested in this internship to nwhite@thurstoncd.com. Put YOUR NAME Community Garden Ambassador in the subject line.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: Here at Thurston Conservation District our employees and the people we serve come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Please let us know if you need accommodations to participate in the application process.
We sincerely thank you for your interest in joining the work we do at Thurston Conservation District!
Interested in career opportunities?
Sarah Moorehead
Executive Director
smoorehead@thurstoncd.com
Interested in internship opportunities?
Nora Carman-White
Communications & Education Manager
nwhite@thurstoncd.com
360-999-3727
You can also use our contact form.