Outdoor Survival Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Do you love being outside? Are you passionate about mentoring children and helping them build meaningful connections with nature? Piedmont Wildlife Center is seeking Outdoor Camp Counselors to join our team of dedicated educators and nature enthusiasts. Interviews will be scheduled in early August.

About Our Organization: Piedmont Wildlife Center is a Durham-based non-profit organization encouraging conservation and inspiring people to build lifelong connections with nature through immersive outdoor education, citizen science, and wildlife stewardship. We pursue this mission through afterschool, homeschool, and year-round camp programming in the great outdoors. The Center also offers conservation-focused field trips and outreach programs with our Ambassador Animals.

Land Acknowledgement: Our camps operate out of Leigh Farm Park in Durham County and Blackwood Farm Park in Orange County. Both parks are remnants of 19th-century plantations and are on land that was once part of the shared territory of Saponi, Tuscarora, Occaneechi, Cheraw, Eno, Shakori, Catawba, and Lumbee nations. The county parks departments have preserved multiple historic structures in our locations. In addition, we operate camps at Umstead State Park in Wake County which was once a segregated park and indigenous territory. It is imperative that we discuss this history with our staff and campers, amplify the stories of the indigenous and enslaved peoples who cared for the land and continue learning about and examining the parks’ legacy.

Position Summary: Outdoor Camp Counselors lead nature-based day camps for children ages 5–12. Each counselor co-leads a group of up to 15 campers, along with a teen Counselor-in-Training (CIT). The role includes facilitating engaging, hands-on activities that encourage curiosity, environmental awareness, and connection to the natural world.

Counselors create a safe, inclusive, and fun outdoor learning environment while supporting both group dynamics and individual camper needs. Whether your strengths lie in education, outdoor survival skills, ecology, or storytelling, counselors should be passionate about sharing their unique skillset with campers, helping them develop their own connection to nature, and inspiring them to protect the natural world around them.

Required Availability

Day Camp at Leigh Farm Park (8:00-3:30)

• September 21-25, 2026
• September 28 - October 2, 2026
• October 5-9, 2026

Counselors will also have the opportunity to work our homeschool program and single-day camps as a substitute when needed.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead outdoor activities focused on environmental education, nature connection, and exploration
• Ensure camper safety and support positive group dynamics
• Collaborate with your co-counselor to adapt daily plans and meet the needs of all campers
• Communicate with program managers about camper behavior, safety concerns, and program feedback
• Mentor our Counselors-in-Training (ages 13–17)

Required Qualifications:

• At least 18 years of age
• Ability to work all of the dates listed above
• Experience working with children in educational or recreational settings
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills
• Able to hike at least 2 miles with a group
• Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions
• Experience with stories and inquiry-based teaching methods
• Flexibility with changes in programming and scheduling
• Reliable transportation
• Willingness to obtain a First Aid & CPR certification (adult and pediatric). If you are not certified, Piedmont Wildlife Center will provide the certification during staff training.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working toward or holding a degree in education, environmental science, or a related field
• Environmental education experience
• Experience with storytelling, inquiry-based learning, and/or nature mentoring
• Knowledge of local ecology, wildlife tracking, or outdoor survival skills
• Relevant outdoor certifications such as Wilderness First Aid/Responder, Certified Interpretive Guide, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and/or NC Environmental Educator.