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Do asphalt-covered school grounds make you cringe? Be part of a dedicated team transforming them into vibrant, green spaces for play and learning! In partnership with the York Region District School Board, York Catholic District School Board and The Regional Municipality of York, Evergreen is seeking a School Ground Design Consultant.

This independent contractor role provides design consultation and greening support to school communities across York region. We are looking for a landscape architect, landscape designer, or horticulturist with hands-on experience in designing and implementing nature-rich outdoor spaces. The ideal candidate will have a strong focus on tree planting to enhance shade and increase canopy cover.

About Us: 

Evergreen is a national non-profit transforming public spaces in our cities to build a healthier future for people and our planet. 
 
With over 30 years of championing urban sustainability, we see the potential of our cities to solve some of the biggest issues facing our time and believe that our public spaces are the key to unlocking it. We see beyond the spaces that exist today and imagine them transformed into places where people and nature thrive. And we see a future where everyone can live a healthy life on a healthy planet.

About the Role:  

The School Ground Design Consultant plays a pivotal role in transforming school grounds across York Region into vibrant, sustainable outdoor spaces for play and learning. You will collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders, including school board facilities staff, school administrators, teachers, students, the Regional Municipality of York, and contractors, to plan, design, and implement exciting school ground greening projects. 

In this role, you will provide on-site design consultations and follow-up reports, and develop design concepts and tree planting plans, ensuring everything aligns with both environmental and educational goals. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing and executing successful greening projects that meet client needs, budgets, and schedules, while ensuring long-term sustainability.

This position requires expertise in participatory design processes, as you'll be working closely with multiple stakeholders. The School Ground Design Consultant will also need to be adept at communicating effectively, using sound judgment, and problem-solving to create innovative and practical design solutions. Above all, you’ll be passionate about co-creating outdoor spaces that foster resilience, creativity, and diversity for children. As a strategic and visionary design professional, you’ll help Evergreen continue to lead the way in school greening, inspiring both innovation and sustainability.

Key Responsibilities: 

Expert Design Assistance 

• Provide expert guidance to school staff on greening and tree planting projects to enhance outdoor play, learning, and shade canopy coverage on school grounds.

Participatory Design 

• Assist in designing outdoor school grounds, including site analysis, tree identification, and conceptual design. 
• Collaborate with school board staff and stakeholders to conduct consultations and community outreach for greening projects.  
• Facilitate a participatory design process with teachers and students, advising on design, tree planting, implementation, and maintenance. 
• Develop preliminary and final conceptual designs (AutoCAD or equivalent), planting plans with native species, and project costing and phasing. Support greening plan implementation by managing logistics and timelines and overseeing installation. 
• Conduct site visits as needed, including post-installation inspections and correspondence with contractors to ensure design specifications are met. 
• Support board-wide greening initiatives, including approvals, installation guidelines, and design standards. 

Landscape Maintenance, Arboriculture and Horticulture Expertise 

• Tree maintenance, and tree care planning
• Materials and best practices 

Management of Special Projects & Grants 

• Provide leadership and guidance for schools that have been identified for Evergreen donor directed projects and/or additional funding provided by York Region. 
• Assist schools with applications for grant funding available through school boards or outside partners. 

Reporting 

• Write reports as necessary for the school boards and Evergreen, including photo documentation and communications for each school site. 

Marketing and Communications 

• Light touch editing and design of marketing and outreach materials, e.g. guidelines, flyers, handouts, banners, display materials 
• Provide content on tree planting, protection, care and maintenance for printed materials 

Program Support 

• Administration Support in development, monitoring and revision of annual work plans

Additional Support Services 

• Additional landscape architectural services as agreed between the School Ground Design Consultant and Evergreen, such as, but not limited to, design guidelines, tendering process, and maintenance planning.

About You:

You excel in the following areas:  

• Attention to detail. Recognize that details matter. Work systematically to ensure important details do not slip through the cracks.   
• Communication. Speak, listen and write in a clear, confident, respectful, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques. 
• Customer-focus. Anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of others in a way that meets or exceeds their expectations. 
• Flexibility/adaptability. Manage ambiguity well. Adapt to changing priorities and conditions in an agile way, responding quickly and effectively. React to change with curiosity and excitement.
• Planning/Organization/Project Management. Determine strategies to move the drive projects forward, set goals and focus on priorities, create/implement action plans/budgets, document, evaluate, learn. 

You have the following qualifications: 

• A post-secondary degree in landscape architecture, landscape design, horticulture, or arboriculture, with experience in engaging a variety of stakeholders in a collaborative design process.  
• At least three years’ experience in designing and implementing greening projects including tree and shrub plantings, storm water infiltration, gardens, shade and seating. 
• Experienced in the design of children’s play and learning landscapes using CSA and AODA design standards and principles. 
• Experience in tree identification, tree planting and installation techniques, protection and maintenance, and inspection of tree plantings.  
• Understanding of soils and the impact on the survival and growth habit of different types of tree species. 
• Areas of specialization in daycare design, storm water management, urban agriculture, native plants or universal design an asset
• Proficient with AutoCAD and MS Office.
• Able to work independently with the support of and direction from a head office team.
• Maintain Commercial Liability Insurance and Errors and Omissions Insurance. 
• Driver’s license and access to car. 
• Contribute to positive workplace culture and great internal communication
• Model Evergreen’s core values of sustainability, innovation and connection

Additional Information:  

Reporting Relationships: 

• Supervised by: Senior Designer Climate Ready & Child-Friendly Public Spaces
• Cooperate with: School Board Facilities staff, (York Catholic DSB Maintenance, Energy and Environmental Services and York Region DSB Plant Services), York Region staff, Forestry.   

Working Conditions: 

• Location: The Regional Municipality of York, supporting York Catholic District School Board and York Region District School Board
• Remote-Work environment with on the ground presence as required 
• Regular office hours (flexible), with occasional evenings and/or weekends required 
• Travel required for visits to schools  

 Contract:

• Independent one-year contract with the possibility for renewal.
• Approximately 8-16 hours a week. 
• Hourly rate: $50.00 per hour. 

Application Deadline: April 21, 2025.

Please note we will be screening applications as they are received. This posting may be closed earlier than the application deadline if a successful candidate is found before the closing date.