Manager of Pocono Lake Ecological Observatory Network (PLEON) at Lacawac Sanctuary

Position Starting Date: August 2024

Description: Lacawac Sanctuary is seeking a full-time Manager to lead the Pocono Lake Ecological Observatory Network, or PLEON, program. This position will entail collecting water quality data on small inland lakes, laboratory analysis of water samples, writing state of the lake reports, supervising undergraduate interns, and communicating with regional lake and property owner’s associations.

Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station and Environmental Education Center is a non-profit nature preserve, field station, and environmental education center located in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lacawac’s properties include over 500 acres containing a pristine 52-acre glacial lake and its watershed, bogs, forests with hiking trails, streams, wetlands, and a Great Camp listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For over 50 years, Lacawac has accomplished its mission of Research, Education, and Preservation by offering a diverse set of natural areas, facilities, and programs for K-12 and post-secondary educators and students, area residents, scientific researchers, and summer visitors to the region.

The Pocono Lake Ecological Observatory Network, or PLEON, program is a main part of Lacawac’s outreach and education to the community. The goal of PLEON is to empower the public to better understand and manage their freshwaters, create a community of scientists, managers, and landowners working to preserve Pennsylvania’s lakes, and collect and communicate ecological data that help inform effective lake stewardship. PLEON includes several initiatives including formal lake monitoring services, a Citizen Science program, Lake School, and cyanobacteria bloom monitoring. The PLEON Manager will join a dedicated staff during an exciting time of growth at Lacawac. In the past 2 years, Lacawac has acquired additional properties and opened a new Environmental Education Center complete with a teaching wet lab. The PLEON program has also grown consistently year-to-year since its inception in 2017.

Responsibilities and Duties: This is a full-time, onsite position based at Lacawac Sanctuary (Lake Ariel, PA). The PLEON Manager will report to and work closely with the Director of Science and Research and will be responsible for implementing all aspects of the PLEON program, including the regional lake monitoring program, the Lake Wallenpaupack Water Quality Monitoring Citizen Science program, the Lake Wallenpaupack Shoreline HABs Monitoring Program, and PLEON’s Lake School. Specific duties include the following:

• Interact directly with regional lake associations to develop lake monitoring agreements, present lake monitoring data, and discussing stewardship best-practices
• Conduct water quality monitoring and sampling on regional lakes
• Conduct quantitative laboratory analysis of water quality parameters including chlorophyll a, total nitrogen, total phosphorus
• Analyze water quality data
• Write end-of-year State of the Lake reports that include written and visual summaries of water quality data, statistical analysis (when appropriate), and implications in a lake stewardship context
• Develop and implement community educational programs focused on lake stewardship
• Lead the Lake Wallenpaupack Citizen Science program, including recruiting and training volunteers, collecting and processing samples, data analysis and presentation
• Work with the Director of Science and Research to organize and implement the PLEON Lake School
• Assist the Director of Science and Research in recruiting and hiring undergraduate interns
• Supervise undergraduate interns in the field and laboratory
• Write grant proposals to acquire funding for PLEON-related programs
• Develop and acquire funding for new initiatives that will grow the PLEON program

Qualifications: A B.S. is required and an M.S. in freshwater ecology, biology, environmental science, or a related field is preferred. The ideal candidate will have a background in freshwater ecology, water quality monitoring, lake stewardship, environmental science, and/or community engagement and will have strong written and oral communication skills. Field experience in lake monitoring, research, and/or stewardship is required and experience with standard laboratory techniques (e.g., pipetting, filtering, acid washing), chlorophyll analysis, and nutrient analysis (total N, total P, dissolved forms of N and P) is highly preferred. A valid driver’s license is required as is permission to work in the United States.

Salary and Benefits: Salary for this position is $45,000-50,000 depending on experience, plus benefits (medical, dental, vision).

Application: Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for three professional references to Dr. Beth Norman (beth.norman@lacawac.org) and contact her with questions. Review of applications will begin on July 12, 2024.

Lacawac Sanctuary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or marital status in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices in accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.