Street Tree Project Coordinator

OPIRG McMaster is seeking a Street Tree Project Co-ordinator

Building on two successful projects during the summers 2013-2014, OPIRG McMaster is looking to apply lessons learned to expand our reach into more Hamilton Neighbourhoods where additional street trees would benefit residents’ experience of air quality.

Air quality studies conducted by Dr. Dennis Corr, Engineering Physics at McMaster University, found high concentrations of air borne pollutants in the lower city, including High pm 10 and High pm 2.5, High nitrogen dioxide and a mortality rate up to 8% higher than average.

OPIRG McMaster arranged support for the project to address localized air pollution with the ward councillors with the support of the city’s Street Trees program.

Currently, city street trees are made available upon request to home-owners. Street trees are proven to contribute to improving local air quality, as well as adding to improved property values and other health benefits.

The Street Tree Project changes the onus by actively targeting a neighbourhood to provide a more active and comprehensive planting – we would continue to sign up home-owners and take the requests as a bundle to the city.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• The student position would focus on implementing a door to door canvas, utilizing a small group of volunteers from McMaster and the larger community to make homeowners aware of the street tree program and the potential to add a tree to their property.
• The student would be responsible for recruiting, orienting and supervising volunteers in the field and for compiling the street tree request information.
• The student will be expected to develop outreach capacity by targeting neighbourhood hubs in areas of the lower city and offering to train volunteers from the neighbourhoods to carry out door to door campaigns.
• The student would also be required to seek partners in the community and from McMaster and make recommendations for further action.
• The student would be required to keep a web blog of activities, run the street tree social media (twitter), to prepare (if required) a handbill and checklists for homeowners/volunteers as needed, and to write a final report detailing the advantages and disadvantages encountered in pursuing the project objectives.

Details of the Position

Hourly Rate of Pay: $13.50
Hours Per Week: 30
Employment Start Date: May 4, 2015
Employment End Date: July 3, 2015
Work Schedule: Monday – Friday
Application Deadline: Noon, Wednesday, April 22, 2015 (updated)

Applications require a cover letter and resume and should be submitted to opirg@mcmaster.ca

Please note, to be eligible for Canada Summer Jobs, students must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
• have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act3; and,
• be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.