Habitat Restoration Nursery Fellow

Who We Are and What We Do

Save The Bay’s mission is to protect and restore the Bay for people and wildlife. We are the only regional organization that integrates political advocacy, wetland restoration, and education to shape a healthy and resilient region. We are a team of passionate, creative, strategic and collaborative people, dedicated to the urgent work of building Bay Area resilience and hope in the face of the escalating impacts of climate change.

Over two decades, Save The Bay has become a Bay Area leader in the science and practice of habitat restoration, focused on tidal marsh transition zone habitat at landscape-scale for recovery of endangered species, and for ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. We enlist thousands of volunteers annually to restore the shoreline and educate Bay Area students to be the next generation of Bay stewards through hands-on experiential education and online learning.

Save The Bay’s Fellowship Program is a highly regarded and professional program delivering critical support to staff to ensure a thriving and healthy San Francisco Bay. Fellows actively contribute to the organization and receive hands-on experience and individual mentorship as team members of Save The Bay’s talented and passionate staff. This program is an excellent opportunity for professional development and offers insight into a non-profit sector career.

Position Summary

Save The Bay’s Habitat Restoration Nursery Fellowship provides valuable exposure to skills in native plant nursery management and restoration ecology. It is a valuable and well-rounded first step into basic skills in horticulture, vegetation management, sanitation practices, and environmental field work. The Habitat Restoration Nursery Fellow primarily works in our native plant nurseries, gaining experience in propagating transition zone native species, seed and division collection, and integrated pest management. They also assist the Habitat Restoration Team at our restoration sites around the bay with invasive removal, monitoring, and out planting.

Reports To

Native Plant Nursery Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the Nursery Manager and Restoration Nursery Specialist in plant propagation tasks at Save The Bay’s 2 propagation sites (Palo Alto, and Oakland), including seed sowing, transplanting, divisions, pruning, and culling.
• Assist in nursery maintenance projects, including, but not limited to, construction, irrigation, weeding, and organization.
• Join staff-only workdays. Projects include site maintenance, out-planting, native seed and division collection, invasive species removal, and monitoring.
• Assist Nursery Manager and Restoration Nursery Specialist in facilitating our community-based volunteer programs at our restoration sites and native plant nurseries.
• Participate in seed collection; clean and weigh seed collections and update seed collection inventory
• Regular data entry into Salesforce for monitoring and reporting nursery work.
• Ability to drive to nursery and restoration sites in Oakland, Mountain View, Hayward, and Palo Alto.

Qualifications and Experience

• Interest in plant species native to the Bay Area and/or in nursery operations
• Interest and experience in vegetation management
• Interest in San Francisco Bay environmental issues and enthusiasm for Save The Bay’s mission and programs
• Minimum commitment of approximately 20-24 hours a week for 6 months with possibility of extension up to 12 months
• Interest in leading diverse populations in nursery and habitat restoration activities
• Enthusiasm and desire to engage in DEIA work (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Accessibility) as it relates to Habitat Restoration
• Ability to complete administrative and computer-related tasks remotely
• Detail-oriented, with strong communication and organizational skills
• Ability to complete tasks independently and work well in a team
• Flexibility with changing schedules and plans, responsive to several channels of communication (texting, phone, email)
• Ability to work in the field in inclement weather conditions
• Ability to lift at least 40lbs, work in physically active environment
• Current driver’s license is required
• Provide background check

Driving requirements

• Fellows must have access to a car they can use to drive to work sites around the Bay (Oakland, Mountain View, and Palo Alto). Commute times may be up to three hours throughout a day but are considered part of the 8.5-hour workday.
• Current California driver’s license and clean driving record required.
• Clean background check is required.
• Must be available to work Tuesdays. Must be available to work two out of three days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Availability to work occasional Saturdays to support weekend programs.

Position Logistics

Location: The Nursery Fellow position will work primarily out of the nursery spaces in Palo Alto and Oakland. Commute times to and from these sites are included as a part of the workday, and gas mileage is reimbursed for personal vehicle use. Save The Bay’s office is based in Oakland, CA, where we have monthly all-staff meetings on first Tuesdays of the month. Sometimes, it will be possible to carpool with staff using work trucks (parked in Oakland or San Francisco garages).

Compensation and Benefits:Fellowships are temporary non-exempt positions that require a commitment of 6 months and can be extended up to 12 months total. These are part-time (20-24 hours/week) positions and are compensated at $20/hour. We offer a stipend for working remotely and funds for home office workstation equipment and furniture, a field gear stipend, and travel reimbursement covering up to 100 miles of travel to fieldwork sites per workday. Access to a Save The Bay work truck and/or carpooling arrangements may be available depending on location and scheduling.

Work Environment: Save The Bay is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people of all racial backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, gender expression and sexual orientation to apply. We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, People of Color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those with historically under-resourced identities to apply.

How To Apply: This position is open until filled. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@savesfbay.org. Please make sure to include the position title –Habitat Restoration Nursery Fellow– in the subject line. In the body of the email, please share where you found this job listing.

Hiring Timeline: The priority deadline for applications is November 27th, 2026

We will review resumes and conduct interviews throughout November/December.

Finalists will be invited to submit three references.

We would like to make an offer to a candidate by Mid/ Late December and have the candidate start in Early January.