Visiting Extension Watershed Outreach Associate, Commercial Agriculture and NREE (Water Quality)

Duties & Responsibilities

• Program Development, Delivery and Evaluation • Responsible for program delivery for the Little Wabash River Watershed Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC 05120114 ) and Embarras River Watershed (HUC 05120112) as outlined in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. • Develop and implement nutrient loss reduction education strategies through educational outreach. • Develop and deliver presentations to identified watersheds and associated stakeholders. • Identify and convene watershed leaders and watershed planning activities to reduce nutrient losses from the identified watersheds. • Facilitate communication with local SWCDs, NRCS, and others as appropriate to assure technical and financial assistance opportunities are known and understood by watershed leaders. • Develop and prioritize watershed planning activities. This may be 319 led or other programs not associated with 319. • Maintain and provide comprehensive technical expertise on Best Management Practices to identified watersheds and associated stakeholders. • Work with the University of Illinois Ag water quality team and other faculty/staff on nutrient strategies for identified watersheds, as well as with the Nutrient Monitoring Council to identify potential monitoring sites to measure water quality improvements and BMP efficiencies. • Use evaluation strategies to report the status of implementation activities, including load reductions achieved. • Evaluate and track BMP adoption rates and current or past watershed planning activities that are not currently tracked by other programs.
• Scholarship
  • Establish professional relationships and participate in campus-based partnerships that tie academic programs and research to complement Extension programming by partnering with Extension Specialists and/or faculty members on research projects as appropriate within the initiatives.
  • Be an active member within a professional society(s) to keep abreast of changes within your discipline, by maintaining working knowledge of all ongoing activities in the watershed that may impact, negatively or positively nutrient losses.
  • Use research and evaluation findings to create innovative programs and make changes to existing programs in order to improve quality.
  • Share principles of evidence-based best practice with peers.
  • Identify funding opportunities, both public and private to meet watershed NLRS goals. Prepare and offer assistance preparing competitive grant proposals to drive nutrient loss BMP adoption.
• Organizational Requirements
  • Comply with all University of Illinois Extension Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity policies and guidelines in all aspects of Extension work; assist unit staff with data collection for Affirmative Action, Gender, and Targeted reports as needed.
  • Perform other duties that contribute to the mission of University of Illinois Extension programming, as assigned.
  • Local, regional, and (limited) statewide travel required; personal transportation required.