06/12/2023
Petrified Forest National Park is looking for instructors with a science background (biology, geology, paleontology, or archaeology) to help lead guided hiking tours in the Petrified Forest National Park. This is an on-call position and they will work with your schedule availability.
See below:
Petrified Forest Museum Association is the official non-profit partner of the Petrified Forest National Park. We operate the educational bookstores in each of the park's visitor centers and our proceeds go back to support the park in many ways, including funding for research, interns, educational and community outreach and other priority park projects.
The Petrified Forest Field Institute (PFFI) is the educational branch of the Museum Association, developed to help visitors learn about and connect deeper with our park through guided hikes and citizen science workshops (fossil digs, paleontology/ geology surveys, archaeological hikes, etc). While most visitors self-guide through the park, custom guided tours allow visitors to hike and tour with a guide, which enhances their experience and understanding of the park. PFFI offers a combination of these scheduled workshops and the ability to reserve a guide anytime (as available) throughout the year for a custom experience, geared to their time and interests.
We're looking for additional instructors to work as on-call guides to lead custom guided tours for the participants who contact us in advance of their park visit. At no time do we expect to be able to call someone in on-the-spot.
Some key factors:
Independent contractor, not a regular employment relationship
On-call situation (custom guided tours are booked in advance and are subject to instructor availability, so 'on-call' may be a little misleading.)
Flat-rate pay for half day and full day excursions (most tours are 3-4 hours) and mileage reimbursement
Instructors have at least a current CPR/ First Aid certification or Wilderness First Responder
Instructors become familiar with the park, trails, backcountry and resources on their own and through accompanying current instructors on tours.
Instructors make on the spot assessments of environmental conditions and participant physical ability levels and modify the experience accordingly.
In the summertime, guided tours or hikes might be requested for any day of the week. In the off-season, they tend to be more on the weekends. However, while the park's visitation peaks in the summer, the field institute tends to be busier in the late Spring and Fall, as temperatures are more favorable.
For a look at what our field institute is doing, visit our website: www.petrifiedforestfieldinstitute.org
I'm happy to discuss details with anyone interested in becoming one of our instructors. Interested persons can contact me via email to [email protected] or call 928-524-6228 ext 239.
Petrified Forest Field Institute (PFFI) is a program of the official nonprofit park partner, the Petrified Forest Museum Association (PFMA). PFFI is proud to offer guided hiking tours exploring a variety of fun and compelling subjects lead by world class guides and field experts.
