New York City Soil & Water Conservation District seeks a qualified individual as an Event Coordinator  to plan, organize and manage the NYC Envirothon 2024.

Full RFQ can be viewed here. 

Brief Overview of the NYC Envirothon
The NYC Envirothon is an outdoor environmental science competition for high school student teams in New York City.  Winning teams from each of the five boroughs will compete at the State level competition. The State winner competes at the international competition. 

The NYC Envirothon is open to teams of between 4 and 5 students from all schools serving grades 9 through 12 in New York City: public, private, charter, parochial and other religious schools are eligible to send a team. Students must be in grade 9 through 12. 

Students are tested for their knowledge in aquatics, forestry, wildlife, soils, and a current event topic. The 2024 current event topic is “renewal energy for a sustainable future.”  In addition, students will develop a presentation addressing a hypothetical environmental issue and argue their cases in front of a panel of judges. 

Organization’s Background
New York City Soil & Water Conservation District (the District) is a political subdivision of the New York State government, created by the state Soil & Water Conservation Law.  The mission of the District is to conserve, preserve and protect natural resources; improve water and soil quality; prevent soil erosion and sedimentation; and promote the health, safety and general welfare of New York City. The District is the organizer of the NYC Envirothon, through partnerships with local and citywide organizations. 

In addition to the NYC Envirothon, the District offers programming in three broad areas: Environmental Education, Stormwater Management and Urban Soils Institute.  For more information, please visit our website at www.soilandwater.nyc.

Event Coordinator Scope of Work
Planning for the NYC Envirothon 2024 will begin in early October.  The event will be held on a Friday (exact date TBD) in April 2024. The event usually runs from 9AM to 3PM but the hours are subject to change depending on the venue. 

Tasks in this scope of work need not all be conducted during business hours. However, certain tasks will require the Contractor to be available during the business hours on weekdays. The Contractor may choose to work in the District offices. 

The tasks involved are as follows:

Task 1. Venue coordination

• Select two potential dates in April for the event in consultation with the District Executive Director
• Research potential sites for the event
• Solicit partnership from potential site hosts
• Secure the venue and facilitate any necessary agreement between the site host and the District with assistance from the District Executive Director
• Coordinate logistics with the site host
• Conduct a site visit and develop an event layout
• Order lunch and arrange for delivery
• Order tents, tables and other equipment necessary for the day of the event

Task 2. Team recruitment

• Organize and update the database of schools and teachers
• Create outreach materials
• Perform outreach to teachers via digital media and other means
• Respond to teacher inquiries and maintain regular communication with teachers
• Ensure team members are selected and names are submitted

• Distribute the NYC Envirothon Resource Guide 
• Plan and host Envirothon training (one Saturday workshop in March)

Task 3. Team Transportation

• Assess transportation needs of the registered teams
• Create the best pick up location for teams in need of transportation
• Reserve buses for the day of the event 

Task 4. Station Masters & Test Preparation

• Identify and recruit station masters
• Facilitate the development of tests for each category
• Ensure delivery of tests and answers in a secure manner
• Maintain regular communication with station masters

Task 6. Event Day Management 

• Be on site at least two hours before the event start time
• Coordinate receipt of tables, tents and other equipment delivery
• Set up the event site according to the plan developed in consultation with the site host
• Ensure sufficient volunteers are available to assist with the event 

Budget
A total of $7,000 is available for the Consultant’s fee, exclusive of equipment, materials, supplies, travel and other expenses directly related to the NYC Envirothon 2024.  

Desired Qualifications 
The listed qualifications are not requirements. Applicants who may not meet all the below are encouraged to apply. 

• A college degree from an accredited college or university.  An Associate Degree is acceptable. 
• At least one college-level course work in environmental science or related field, or work experience in the field of environmental science, environmental education or environmental management
• Basic knowledge of New York City’s natural resources is preferred but not required
• Event organizing experience is a plus
• Organizational skills
• Good communication skills (both written and verbal)
• A good collaborator

Format for Application Submission
Application format
Cover letter (one to two pages)
Cover letter should include (please be succinct): 

• Why you are interested in the NYC Envirothon 2024;
• What makes you qualified;
• Any past projects that corroborate your qualifications; and
• Acknowledgement of the budget available for the scope of work. 

    Resume
Resume must include at least one reference who can be contacted.

Application Closing Date
Submit your application by 9:00 AM, Monday September 18, 2023.  Proposals must be submitted via email with the above two documents as one single PDF (if you cannot combine them into one document, you may email them as two separate PDFs). 

Proposals should be submitted to: 
Shino Tanikawa
Executive Director
NYC Soil & Water Conservation District
shino@soilandwater.nyc

No unsolicited phone calls! Please email the Executive Director with any questions. 

Earlier this week, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that revealed that the dire impacts and threats of climate change are happening at a much quicker rate than previously thought. As a second major hurricane barrels down in the Southeast United States this season, and countless international climate disasters are in the news every week, climate change is becoming more urgent, especially for coastal cities like New York.

Replacing our concrete surfaces for more green infrastructure and natural systems is a great way to address climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. Vegetation throughout our cities take in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, as well as other air pollutants. Green roofs and street trees are also proven to reduce heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer, reducing our demand for fossil fuel energy. In terms of adaptation, soft shorelines with layers of vegetation help block wind and wave energy, protecting communities along the coast. These green infrastructure systems are often less costly and much less resource-intensive than their grey infrastructure alternatives (such as stormwater tanks and metal bulkheads).
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If recent climate change news has you thinking about ways to reduce your carbon footprint, such as using less electricity and driving less, also consider adding green infrastructure to your home and advocating in your community for more street trees and vegetated swales. If you own your home or a business, check out our green infrastructure guide for private property owners. 

NYC Soil & Water Conservation District is seeking an IT consultant for a CSO public outreach project.  The Request for Proposal is found here. 

We believe this project is perfect for a graduate student with IT knowledge. 

The project partners are Riverkeeper and the SWIM Coalition.  

Join the NYC Soil & Water Conservation District on Wednesday October 3rd for our annual Green Infrastructure tour. This year, for the first time, we're going to Hoboken and touring by bicycle! Hoboken has small streets and great bicycle infrastructure, so touring by bike is an ideal way to see sites throughout the city! For those that do not wish to bike, you have the option to join us by van, but seats are very limited. We will meet at 8:45am (at the World Financial Center Ferry Terminal for cyclists, at the NYC Soil & Water Conservation District for the van), and will finish by 5pm.

Tour stops include:

• City Hall: City Hall in Hoboken has several stormwater demonstrations throughout the building, including cisterns, rain gardens, permeable pavement and a green roof model. We'll join sustainability staff of the City of Hoboken to learn about the demonstrations and what Hoboken is doing to manage stormwater with green infrastructure.
• A Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO): We'll meet NJ Future and the North Hudson Sewerage Authority on the waterfront at a CSO outfall to learn about how CSOs impact Hoboken. We'll also get an outfall screen cleaning demonstration, discuss CSO permits, and learn about their live CSO Advisory System.
• Stevens Institute:  Recent Tedx Talk superstar Dr. Elizabeth Fassman-Beck will show us the stormwater projects Stevens Institute is building and studying, including flow-through planters and green roof modules. 
• A green roof and farm on an old factory building: Bijou Properties is committed to sustainable building and has many developments in Hoboken. We'll join a Bijou Properties representative to see a former Hostess Factory that now features a green roof and farm and is home to New York Sports Club, CVS and Chase Bank.
• A resiliency park: the City of Hoboken has built the Southwest Resiliency Park to combine flood mitigation green infrastructure and passive recreational space. Some features of the park include a bioswale bumpout, permeable pavers and a rain garden. We'll be joined again by City of Hoboken staff for this final stop on our tour.

Tickets are $5 and include lunch! Get your tickets at:
greeninfrastructuretour2018.brownpapertickets.com