Community Trees Officer

Salary: £36,000- 39,000 per annum, negotiable based on experience
Location: London
Hours: Full Time (5 days / 40 hours per week)
Contract: Permanent

HOW TO APPLY: Mail CV and cover letter to [email protected] by 15 August

About Energy Garden

Energy Garden works across London to transform Overground platforms into vibrant and biodiverse
community gardens for the benefit of local people, commuters and nature.

Since 2016, Energy Garden has developed a network of community gardens and solar project across
London, transforming under-utilised station platforms into vibrant green spaces that improve
biodiversity and enable food growing on transport infrastructure. Our gardens are run by and
for the communities that use the stations, with regular volunteer sessions facilitated by our
dedicated team of engagement officers.

We manage large-scale solar projects on rail depots helps to decarbonise the rail and the sale
of energy from the solar helps to fund the gardens. Collaboration is central to our work and
every station garden is a reflection of the community that lives and travels there. With 2.4
billion passenger journeys on the London Underground and Overground each year, our energy
gardens are seen by millions of people each year and the average station will see 15,000
passenger visits a day.

Our volunteers benefit from access to green space, the ability to connect with fellow community
members, participating in practical gardening design and maintenance activities, as well as
expert sessions on horticulture, biodiversity and energy. Beyond our gardens, we also run
education programmes for local schools (key stages 2 to 5) and a paid AQA accredited training
programme for young Londoners aged 18-24.

While many of the garden have an off-grid solar installation, our activities are primarily
funded by revenues from the sale of energy from our large-scale community solar projects, which
also generate a reasonable financial return for our members and provide the important social
and environmental benefits back to the community.

About the role

As our first Community Trees Officer, you will play an important role in every aspect of the
development and maintenance of our urban ‘Energy Orchards’.

• You will plant trees in existing Energy Gardens and new spaces.
• You will develop and maintain relationships with local community groups, station staff and
  managers use a range of outreach methods to grow and sustain the interest of volunteers.
• You will develop the energy orchards in accordance with an agreed horticultural plan,
  biodiversity plan, community consultation and partner feedback so that the spaces improve the
  health and wellbeing for those visiting the gardens.
• Working as part of a team, you will collaborate with engagement officers, education
  officers, and biodiversity officers to share best practice, deliver tree planting projects and
  integrate tree planting into the existing engagement events, such as our annual summer, harvest
  and winter parties.
• You will create content and tell the story of the collaborative process of creating the
  Energy Orchards to share with our membership.

Your Responsibilities

You will be responsible for:

• Providing arboriculture services to the Energy Garden team and our partners.
• Advising and liaise on all matters relating to the planting, protecting and maintaining of
  trees with the wider energy garden programme.
• Planting 1,000 trees in and around rail spaces over the next 16 months.
• Manage the technical process required, during the planning, development, delivery and
  maintenance process with landowners.
• Liaising with multiple stakeholders on tree programme.
• Engaging local communities to join in design, planting and maintaining of Energy Orchards.
• Holding engagement days for children, youths and other interested peoples.
• Preparing and presenting reports on tree planting and maintenance.
• Over the longer term, building a team of arboriculturists that can engage with people in
  and around the importance of the natural world, weaving tree planting into our existing
  community engagement programmes and enhancing the Energy Garden movement.

Your experience and qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject
• Specialist training, knowledge, and experience in arboriculture
• Knowledge of current planning law and experience of planning enforcement in relation to
  tree protection

Desirable

• Level 4 Arboricultural qualification and a valid and up to date LANTRA Professional Tree
  Inspection Certificate
• At least 2 years’ experience in a similar role
• Ability to interpret legislation, draft technical reports, feasibility studies and
  technical reports within the context of local authority planning system.

Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge of tree related legislation and trees and the law
• Knowledge of tree pests and disease
• Knowledge of the planning process related to trees
• Knowledge and experience of utilising tree survey software, Microsoft Office, GIS, and
  asset management software
• Ability to read and interpret maps and plans and understand related information
• Ability to prepare and present clear written reports and responses fit for the relevant
  audience
• Experience of developing effective partnerships with key stakeholders and external bodies
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Excellent organisational abilities, including the skill to set and deliver targets
• Ability to work alone and on own initiative
• Experience/ability to discuss and resolve issues in a diplomatic way
• Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings as required

Additional desirables

We are seeking individuals who are:

• Energetic and proactive, working with a high degree of autonomy in all weather conditions
• Friendly and collegiate, able to engage and collaborate with people from different
  backgrounds
• Strong communicators, effective at supporting people with the right skills, tools and
  networks
• Team player – comfortable at working in smaller or larger community groups to deliver
  shared goals
• Flexible and organised – can work in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities
• Experienced and knowledgeable about the local area
• Passionate about sustainability and committed, with a strong desire to support local people
  to make lasting change in their borough

How to apply

Email your CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for applying to the job to [email protected] by the deadline of 15 August,
2024.

Disclaimer

You must have the right to live and work in the UK. Non-EU nationals who require a work permit
to take up employment will not be considered.

Energy Garden is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from
suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual
orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and
maternity.

We regret that we will only be able to reply, and give feedback, to short-listed applicants.

Energy Garden HQ, 43 Ebury Bridge Rd, London SW1W 8DX [email protected]

Registered Community Benefit Society #7368