Title: Sanctuary Steward
Hours Per Week: 25 – 32
Pay: $16/hour during trial period (first 90 days), then $18/hr
Start Date: September 2020
Carolina Memorial Sanctuary is one of nine certified conservation burial grounds in the US (the first in NC) and we are looking for a caring, compassionate, and hard working Sanctuary Steward to join our team. If you want to be of service to your community, work primarily outside, and enjoy physical labor – this job may be perfect for you. Someone who has experience working on the land with native plants and understands land conservation principles is important. Must be comfortable and interested in working with death and dying.
We employ two Sanctuary Stewards as part of the Land Team so you will be working in coordination with another Steward. The Land Team is managed by Shaun Moore, a conservation and land management expert who meets with the team weekly to assign tasks and ensure that the Land Management Plan is being followed. In addition to land restoration and maintenance, Sanctuary Stewards are responsible for digging and caring for graves and attending and assisting with burials. All projects of Carolina Memorial Sanctuary are directed and guided by Caroline Yongue, Director, and Cassie Barrett, Operations Manager; tasks will be delegated by both parties and Caroline Yongue serves as the ultimate decision maker on all matters, even land related.
Carolina Memorial Sanctuary is an all-faiths non-profit project of Anattasati Magga, a Soto Zen Buddhist organization in Asheville. Learn more about the Sanctuary.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please review this page carefully and be sure you have the skill set and interest to carry out the tasks and have the required background and experience. As part of the application process, there are a set of questions at the very bottom of the page to fill out and a button for you to attach your resume.
Main Responsibilities
LAND
Land Care:
- Care for plants (plant, water, prune, etc. as needed)
- Remove invasive plants (to include safe use of herbicides)
- Assist with new plantings
- Mulch
- Assist with bush hogging/controlled burning as needed
- Appropriately care for the land based on the season
Trails/Roads:
- Mow
- Weedeat
- Keep free from overgrowth
- Assist with trail maintenance (ex: graveling as needed)
- Remove fallen trees
Benches:
- Keep clean and maintain
Sanctuary Security:
- Ensure everything on the land is protected and safe
GRAVES + BURIALS
Grave Digging
- Act as lead grave digger and lead process from start to finish
- lead grave digger role will switch between the two land Stewards
- graves are dug by hand on an as-need basis, regardless of weather
- Coordinate with on-call gravediggers to assist with digging
- See to safety and best practices
Grave Markers
- Assist guests with picking our their marker
- Coordinate with stone engraver as needed
- Help guests with marker placement
Grave Maintenance
- Help re-establish plants after a burial
- Keep graves lightly manicured
- Help create (sometimes temporary) footpaths/access to graves (per guest visits)
- Shuttle guests to gravesite for visits
Burials
- Prepare gravesite for burial
- Help facilitate burials
- Post-burial clean up
EQUIPMENT + BUILDING MAINTENANCE
Equipment
- Keep tools clean
- Keep supplies/tools organized
- Keep equipment in good working condition and schedule or do repairs as needed
- Wash equipment regularly and keep clean
- Equipment Includes:
- Golf Carts
- Kubota Tractor
- Gasoline Equipment: Lawn mower, weed wacker, brush hog, etc.
- Riding Mower
Buildings/Structures
- Maintain bridge
- Keep buildings in good repair
- Keep buildings clean and organized
- Buildings Include:
- Shipping container
- Hoop House
- Red Shed
- Porta Potty
- Future Garage/Office
Waste Management
- Manage the trash + recycling
- Porta Potty: Maintain and keep clean
Needed Skills + Prior Experience
- Knowledge of native plants and their care
- Invasive plant management experience
- Accustomed to physical labor, with the ability to lift heavy weight
- Previous experience working outside in the elements
- Professional or repeated experience using:
- Weed wacker
- Lawn mower
- Basic carpentry
- Problem solving
Additional Helpful Skills
- Knowledge of land conservation
- Natural calling to work in death/dying
- Advanced Carpentry
- Ability to drive a tractor
- Herbicide application
- Tree removal
- Landscaping
- Building dry stack stone walls
Characteristics of Team Members
- Perseverance
- Compassion
- Attention to detail
- Follow Through
- Expanded awareness
- Integrity
- Morality
- Self-discipline
- Willingness to learn
- Capacity for work
- Mentally
- Physically
- Emotionally (when dealing with death and dying)
- Efficient
- Responsibility
- Self-Directed/Organized
- Self-Awareness/Mindfulness
Application
If you are interested, please complete the questions below and be sure to attach your resume. We will be following up with qualified candidates to schedule interviews.
