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Social ServiceISCO 5113

Environmental education officer

An environmental education officer is a person who teaches people about the environment: running sessions, lectures and guided walks and preparing materials on conservation.

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Rate 5 of the 14 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

manage volunteers

identify plants characteristics

animate in the outdoors

educate people about nature

provide training in sustainable tourism development and management

About environmental education officer

The work happens where the audience is. The officer visits schools and businesses to give talks, guides groups around a site — nature trails, a park, a botanical garden — and runs outdoor sessions. They identify plants and their properties. Many gardens employ an environmental education officer to guide school trips.

The officer also prepares publications, worksheets, signage and websites, and delivers training, including training in sustainable tourism development and management. Drawing on ecology and environmental pedagogy, they match content to the age of the audience.

The third group of duties concerns activity in the field. The officer helps run conservation projects and volunteering, manages outdoor resources, monitors interventions in the field and teaches safety, including fire safety. The work calls for knowledge of ecology and environmental pedagogy, plant identification and leading outdoor activities. Employers include parks, gardens, education centres and conservation organisations.

Key Work Functions

Core areas of responsibility for a environmental education officer.

1

Design and deliver educational programmes

  • Create curriculum-aligned environmental lessons for school groups of different age levels
  • Develop interactive workshops on topics such as biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable practices
  • Adapt teaching methods based on audience feedback and learning outcomes assessment
2

Lead outdoor activities and guided walks

  • Conduct guided nature walks identifying plants, animals, and ecological features
  • Implement safety protocols and risk management during outdoor activities
  • Educate participants about fire safety, wildlife respect, and environmental ethics in outdoor settings
  • Monitor ecological conditions and document observations for conservation planning
3

Create educational resources and digital materials

  • Develop printed guides, fact sheets, and infographics on environmental topics
  • Design and maintain websites and social media content promoting environmental conservation
  • Produce videos, podcasts, and multimedia content for online educational platforms
4

Coordinate volunteer activities and conservation projects

  • Recruit, train, and manage volunteers for habitat restoration and species monitoring projects
  • Plan and execute community conservation initiatives such as tree planting, invasive species removal
  • Track project outcomes and maintain records of volunteer contributions and environmental impact
5

Provide training and advisory services

  • Deliver training courses on sustainable tourism development and environmental management
  • Advise businesses and organizations on nature conservation strategies and environmental best practices
  • Consult with gardens, parks, and protected areas on interpretation programmes and visitor engagement

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (14)

biologybiologyTissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.ecologyecologyThe study of how organisms interact and their relation to the ambient environment.manage volunteersmanage volunteersCoordinate a staff of volunteers. Manage their tasks, recruitment, programmes and budgets.identify plants characteristicsidentify plants characteristicsIdentify and classify crop characteristics. Be able to recognise different types of bulbs by name, graded sizes, field markings and stock markings.animate in the outdoorsanimate in the outdoorsIndependently animate groups in the outdoors, adapting your practice to keep the group animated and motivated.educate people about natureeducate people about natureSpeak to a variety of audiences about e.g. information, concepts, theories and/or activities related to nature and its conservation. Produce written information. This information may be presented in a...provide training in sustainable tourism development and managementprovide training in sustainable tourism development and managementDeliver training and capacity building for staff working in the tourism industry to inform them about best practices in developing and managing tourist destinations and packages, while ensuring a mini...manage outdoor resourcesmanage outdoor resourcesRecognise and relate meteorology to topography; apply the principal of ‘Leave no trace'.educate the public about wildlifeeducate the public about wildlifeSpeak with groups of adults and children to teach them how to enjoy the forest without harming it or themselves. Speak in schools or with specific youth groups if called upon. Develop and teach progra...implement risk management for outdoorsimplement risk management for outdoorsDevise and demonstrate the application of responsible and safe practices for the outdoor sector.educate public on fire safetyeducate public on fire safetyDevelop and execute educational and promotional plans to educate the public on fire prevention knowledge and methods, fire safety such as the ability to identify hazards and the use of fire safety equ...monitor interventions in the outdoorsmonitor interventions in the outdoorsMonitor, demonstrate and explain the use of equipment according to the operational guidelines issued by manufacturers.ecopedagogyecopedagogyAn educational approach that promotes environmental awareness by integrating ecological and sustainability principles into teaching. It aims to increase social responsibility and end socio-environment...advise on nature conservationadvise on nature conservationProvide information and suggested actions relating to the conservation of nature.
Optional (11) — show
aquatic ecologyaquatic ecologyAquatic ecology is the study of aquatic organisms, how they interact, where they live, and what they do.ecological principlesecological principlesThe understanding of how an ecosystem functions and its relationship to environmental planning and design.fish biologyfish biologyThe study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.molecular biologymolecular biologyThe interactions between the various systems of a cell, the interactions between the different types of genetic material and how these interactions are regulated.animal biologyanimal biologyThe structure, evolution and classification of animals and how they interact with their ecosystems.forest ecologyforest ecologyThe ecosystems existing in a forest, starting from bacteria to trees and soil types.train staff to reduce food wastetrain staff to reduce food wasteEstablish new trainings and staff development provisions to support staff knowledge in food waste prevention and food recycling practices. Ensure that staff understands methods of and tools for food r...analyse ecological dataanalyse ecological dataAnalyse and interpret ecological and biological data, using specialist software programs.conduct ecological researchconduct ecological researchConduct ecological and biological research in a field, under controlled conditions and using scientific methods and equipment.conduct ecological surveysconduct ecological surveysConduct field surveys to collect information about the numbers and distribution of organisms.botanybotanyThe taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

conservation scientist6 shared essential skillsassistant outdoor animator4 shared essential skillsnature conservation officer4 shared essential skillsoutdoor activities coordinator4 shared essential skillsoutdoor animator4 shared essential skillsspecialised outdoor animator4 shared essential skillsactivity leader3 shared essential skillscurator of horticulture3 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an environmental education officer do?

Environmental education officers are responsible for promoting environmental conservation and development. They visit schools and businesses to give talks, they produce educational resources and websites, they lead guided nature walks, they provide relevant training courses, and they help with volunteer activities and conservation projects. Many gardens employ an environmental education officer to offer guidance during school visits.

What skills does an environmental education officer need?

An environmental education officer needs 14 essential skills, including biology, ecology, manage volunteers, identify plants characteristics, animate in the outdoors.

Will AI replace environmental education officer jobs?

The AI disruption score for environmental education officer is 7/100 (very low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: identify plants characteristics, analyse ecological data, biology. Most resilient: manage outdoor resources, animate in the outdoors, educate the public about wildlife.

Quick Facts

SectorSocial Service
ISCO GroupPersonal service workers
Essential Skills14

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