Naturalist

Join our great team that manages Georgia's only backcountry inn! We are now accepting applications for a staff naturalist to start late summer 2024. This is for a full time, year round, live onsite position. Enjoy this unique opportunity to live and work in a wilderness setting in the lovely Blue Ridge mountains of North Georgia on the doorstep of the Appalachian Trail.

Housing and Meals | Competitive Pay and Benefits | Beautiful Setting |

Fun Place to Work and Play | Advancement Opportunities

The Hike Inn is a sustainably designed, LEED certified, Georgia State Park facility nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Chattahoochee National Forest near the Appalachian Trail. Located five miles by trail above Amicalola Falls State Park, all guests hike in traversing rolling forested ridges, clear streams, and open mountain vistas. 

Open year-round, the Hike Inn offers distinctive guest experiences in a beautiful backcountry wilderness setting. After a few hours immersed in nature, hikers are welcomed with a friendly smile and provided comfortable lodging in an enchanting setting. Simple bunk rooms with fresh linens, hot showers, delicious home-cooked meals, a fun community atmosphere, and engaging educational programs provide satisfying touches of comfort and inspiration.

Guests are offered an interesting facility tour focusing on the history and sustainability initiatives of the inn before being served a hearty dinner presented family-style. After dinner evening programs offer a deeper exploration into various subjects from thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail to the flora and fauna of the region. The community room is a guest favorite, providing a fun place to play board games, do jigsaw puzzles, play music, and connect with others. During clear weather, star gazing in the night sky and watching the sunrise over the mountains offer beautiful moments of quiet reflection. A nourishing, hot breakfast sets up folks for another great day outside on the trail. Changes in weather and seasons offer adventure and beauty.

The Hike Inn’s mission is to protect Georgia’s natural resources through education and recreation. Serving as a beloved wilderness retreat and learning resource center for 25 years, a visit to the Hike Inn inspires a love for hiking, nature and environmental stewardship. It is a special opportunity for guests to slow down, unplug, connect with nature, family and friends, learn something new, and refresh their spirits.

The Hike Inn is well-known for providing exceptional guest services with welcoming Southern hospitality and offering quality environmental education programs. We are looking for a passionate ‘people’ person with a friendly, positive attitude who enjoys helping others and a supportive team player with strong interpersonal and communication skills. If you enjoy people, are conservation minded, appreciate contributing your passion and skills to further an important mission, and value working and living in a remote area surrounded by beautiful nature, this position may be for you. The Hike Inn is a special place where a small team of dedicated people work hard, have fun and love what we do. We share a common interest in hiking, enjoying and protecting the outdoors, and contributing to the Hike Inn mission. Our great staff is the key to our guests having a positive experience.

To learn more about the Hike Inn, visit the website at www.hike-inn.com

NATURALIST POSITION SUMMARY:

The Hike Inn is seeking a passionate individual to conduct quality environmental education programming and support overall general operations and guest services. Inspiring connection to nature and conservation, Hike Inn naturalists have an important role in fostering environmental knowledge and support for sustainability to our guests.

The Hike Inn Outside School program hosts school and youth groups for overnight educational trips to the Inn. On the hike, the students may learn about the history of the Appalachian Trail and public lands, Leave No Trace principles, natural history and ecological processes of the Southern Appalachian forests. At the Inn, the students participate with hands on learning of green building and sustainability practices, focusing on solar energy, both photovoltaic and solar thermal; energy efficiency; water conservation with composting toilets, rainwater catchment and native garden design; soil conservation with vermiculture and bin composting; and participation with our infamous Zero Food Waste tradition during meals.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct all around guest services; support overall general operations and staff; provide quality educational programs.
• Operate the front desk welcoming and assisting guests; conduct merchandise sales and organize inventory; perform general office duties; generate daily reports.
• Provide a helping hand as needed to kitchen, housekeeping and maintenance staff, as well as Friends of Hike Inn volunteers.
• Present an interactive, educational facility tour offered daily for guests.
• Develop a few engaging presentations for the evening program offered nightly for guests.
• Coordinate planning and logistics for educational groups; develop or adapt curriculum.
• Evaluate education programming: review evaluations from guests, students and teachers; propose new ideas to further improve programming and implementation process.
• Prepare a monthly newsletter; write, edit and publish content; coordinate tasks with the team. Generate social media content on Instagram and Facebook.
• Project time includes maintenance of the compost bins and native pollinator gardens.
• Perform additional functions assigned at the discretion of the Executive Director and Managers.