EMPLOYMENT
Looking for a change of pace? We are currently looking to fill a few roles on our full-time crew!

Positions We're Hiring For:
Click on the job roles listed below to read each full job description.
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General Crew Member
This isn't your typical job; it's a lifestyle! You’ll be rolling down the river (the Mississippi River and its tributaries), doing hands-on work throughout river cleanups, tree plantings, and more!
Being an LL&W crew member means living on a barge with around 10 other river rats! Our crew members are fully immersed in their duties, which vary from day to day. We have lots of fun while getting hard work done! See below for more details
- Must be willing to show up early and leave late.
- Must also enjoy frozen pizza and other free groceries.
- Must love people and dogs.
- Must “laugh” at the boss’s jokes.
We’ll totally have your back on that last one! Actually, we have to admit, he is pretty funny, but let’s just keep that between us, mmmmk?
Your room and board are covered while living on the barge (~9 months, give or take) as part of your employment package. This is communal, barge living which means you’ll have a private bedroom, shared his and hers bathrooms, and a full galley for shared dining.
As we remove trash from America’s rivers, we passionately live our mission every day, and we're in it for the long haul. Whatever it takes!
Essential Duties Include (But Are Not Limited To):
- Living on our barge (which travels to different locations throughout the country) for up to nine (9) months out of the year (employment is year-round).
- Arranging necessary purchases through the Facilities Manager within budgetary limitations.
- Confidently and safely operating and driving a 30 ft jon boat full of either garbage or volunteers (on-the-job training provided if you don’t already possess this skill).
- Confidently and safely driving long and short distances in LL&W work vehicles with 30 ft. trailers attached (on-the-job training provided).
- Assisting in organizing, facilitating and participating in river clean-ups
- Working in high-intensity weather and with large groups of volunteers who need direction.
Other duties for this position may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Barge rigging
- Barge decking
- Helping with daily tasks and errands
- General maintenance on operations
- Miscellaneous duties
- Travel
- Heavy lifting
*On-the-job training provided. You bring the personality, work ethic and eagerness and we’ll show you the ropes!
Preferable Characteristics:
- A quick learner who is willing to roll with the punches of a fast-paced, cleanup season from roughly March-November (employment throughout the year).
- Prepared to work outside in the elements and often get down and dirty while rocking a badass lifejacket and boots.
- Possesses spontaneity, charisma, a love for adventure and care for the environment.
- Be prepared to suddenly have the most fulfilling and exciting job around with co-workers who will become family.
- You should be able to show up with a smile and cheerful demeanor no matter what the day may bring. The best in this business are workaholics with a touch of OCD and a side of snappy punchlines.
Requirements:
- Must be a good roommate as you'll be joining our floating house of around 10 river rats. No drunks, drama queens, know-it-alls or primadonnas allowed.
- Must be 21 or older with a valid driver’s license.
ICYMI:
We realize this should go without saying but you’d be surprised how often we are asked. This is NOT a remote job. Quite the opposite, very present and hands-on. Come get environmental with us!
We are a fun-loving group of river rats and this is a vital role to our organization. We’ve removed over 13 million pounds of garbage from America’s rivers, which is our reactive way to take care of a real problem.
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Education Coordinator / Crew Member
Living Lands & Waters is seeking two highly dedicated and enthusiastic full-time educators to join our team and play a pivotal role in advancing our adventurous mission. As an integral part of our organization, you will embark on a remarkable journey down the Mississippi River and its tributaries, serving as a traveling teacher aboard our unique floating classroom, where you will have the opportunity to educate students from grades 6-12.
In addition to your role as an educator, you will become an esteemed member of the Living Lands & Waters crew, living aboard a barge alongside approximately 10 crew members for a significant portion of the year. During your employment, which encompasses around 6 months of communal barge living, you will be provided with comfortable accommodations, including a private bedroom, shared his and hers bathrooms, and access to a full galley for communal dining.
At Living Lands & Waters, we are fervently committed to removing trash from America's rivers and instilling environmental awareness in young minds. With unwavering passion, we embrace our mission each day and remain steadfast in our dedication. We are seeking individuals who share our determination to make a lasting impact, no matter the challenges we face.
As the Education Coordinator, your primary responsibility will be to oversee the development, coordination, and implementation of all educational programs offered by Living Lands & Waters. Your role will encompass teaching students in three key areas: fostering an awareness and appreciation of our nation's riverways, expanding knowledge of river ecosystems, and nurturing a commitment to the conservation, preservation, and protection of our natural environments.
Key responsibilities of the position include:
- Living on our barge for up to nine (9) months each year, as we traverse different locations throughout the country (employment is year-round).
- Ensuring the development, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of all educational programs provided.
- Engaging with schools and managing event scheduling.
- Designing, preparing, organizing, and evaluating curricula.
- Coordinating and hosting student educational workshops aboard our FLOATING CLASSROOM, as well as other Living Lands & Waters locations, including outdoor spaces.
- Delivering engaging and interactive hands-on lab activities to educate students.
- Collaborating with the Facilities Manager to make necessary purchases within budgetary limitations.
- Educating students on a variety of topics, including stewardship, water quality, careers, waste reduction, and more, with a primary focus on safeguarding our rivers and waterways both locally and globally.
- Confidently and safely operating and driving a 30 ft jon boat, transporting garbage or volunteers (on-the-job training provided if required).
- Confidently and safely driving long and short distances in Living Lands & Waters work vehicles with 30 ft. trailers attached (on-the-job training provided).
- Assisting in organizing, facilitating, and participating in river clean-ups.
- Working in challenging weather conditions and leading large groups of volunteers who require guidance.
- Additional duties may include barge rigging, barge decking, supporting daily tasks and errands, general maintenance operations, miscellaneous responsibilities, travel, and heavy lifting.
- On-the-job training will be provided, and we encourage individuals with the right attitude, work ethic, and eagerness to learn to join our team.
Desired characteristics for this role include being a quick learner who can adapt to the fast-paced nature of our cleanup season from roughly March to November (employment is year-round). You must be prepared to work outdoors in various weather conditions, unafraid to get hands-on and dirty while wearing necessary safety gear such as a life jacket and boots. We value spontaneity, charisma, a love for adventure, and a deep care for the environment. As part of our team, you can expect to form lasting bonds with your co-workers, who will become like family.
Requirements for this position include:
- Bachelor's degree in environmental education, science, or a related field (strongly preferred but not required).
- Comfort with technology and proficiency in its usage is necessary.
- Additionally, applicants must be 21 years of age or older with a valid driver's license.
To clarify, this is not a remote position; instead, it offers a highly immersive and hands-on experience. We are an organization fueled by passion and driven by the desire to make a difference. To date, we have successfully removed over 13 million pounds of garbage from America's rivers, addressing the problem at its source. As an Education Coordinator, you will actively engage and educate junior high and high school students, empowering them to prevent such issues before they arise.
Join us on this thrilling journey as we make a positive impact on our environment while embarking on the most fulfilling and exciting job you'll ever have. At Living Lands & Waters, you'll find a vibrant and fun-loving group of adventure-seekers, and your role will be essential to the success of our organization.
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Videographer / Crew Member
Are you looking for a job you'll talk about for the rest of your life? This isn't your typical job; it's an adventure! You’ll be rolling down the river (the Mississippi River and its tributaries), shooting photo/video, creating content, and helping to tell the story of Living Lands & Waters!
THE PHOTO/VIDEO SIDE OF THINGS
Responsibilities:
- Video Production: Conceptualize, plan, shoot, and edit video content, including documentaries, promotional videos, educational materials, and social media content, that effectively communicate the organization's mission and activities.
- Storytelling: Develop compelling narratives that inspire and engage viewers, showcasing the impact of our river cleanups, restoration projects, educational workshops, and community outreach initiatives.
- Field Production: Travel to various locations to capture video footage, conduct interviews, and document events, river cleanups, and other activities related to Living Lands & Waters.
- Editing and Post-Production: Edit and enhance video footage, applying appropriate transitions, graphics, effects, and sound design to create visually stunning and engaging videos. Ensure videos are optimized for various platforms and formats.
- Equipment Management: Maintain and organize LL&W’s video equipment, including cameras, drone, lighting, audio devices, and accessories, ensuring they are in proper working condition for shoots.
- Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the Marketing and Communications team to align video content with organizational objectives and messaging.
- Creative Development: Stay up to date with current video production trends, techniques, and technology advancements to bring fresh ideas and innovation to our video content.
- Archiving and Asset Management: Organize and manage a library of video assets, ensuring easy accessibility and efficient retrieval for future use.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in videography, film production, or a related field.
- Proven work experience as a videographer, showcasing a strong portfolio of video production projects.
- Experience in documentary filmmaking, promotional videos, and social media content creation is highly desirable.
Technical Skills:
- Proficiency in operating professional video cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, and audio devices.
- Proficiency in video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or similar tools.
- Experience and qualification in drone operation is a plus.
- Knowledge of color grading, motion graphics, and visual effects is a plus.
Creative Abilities:
- Strong storytelling and narrative development skills to create impactful video content.
- Ability to capture dynamic shots, utilize different shooting techniques, and adapt to various shooting conditions.
- Understanding of composition, lighting, and sound design principles to deliver high-quality video content.
Organizational Skills:
- Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize and multitask effectively.
- Detail-oriented approach to video editing and post-production, ensuring accuracy and consistency in the final deliverables.
- Strong organizational skills to maintain an organized video library and asset management system.
Teamwork and Communication:
- Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team and effectively communicate ideas and concepts.
- Excellent interpersonal skills to conduct interviews and interact with team members, volunteers, and stakeholders.
As well as a passion for the environment and outdoors!
THE CREW SIDE OF THINGS
In addition to being a traveling videographer, you’ll be an LL&W crew member, which means living on a barge with around 10 other river rats! Our crew members are fully immersed in their duties, which vary from day to day. We have lots of fun while getting hard work done!
Your room and board are covered while living on the barge (6-9 months, give or take) as part of your employment package. This is communal, barge living which means you’ll have a private bedroom, shared his and hers bathrooms and a full galley for shared dining.
We also cover all work-related travel expenses.
Crew Member Essential Duties Include (But Are Not Limited To):
- Living on our barge (which travels to different locations throughout the country) for up to nine (9) months out of the year (employment is year-round).
- Confidently and safely operating and driving a 30 ft jon boat full of either garbage or volunteers (on-the-job training provided if you don’t already possess this skill).
- Confidently and safely driving long and short distances in LL&W work vehicles with 30 ft. trailers attached (on-the-job training provided).
- Assisting in organizing, facilitating and participating in river clean-ups
- Working in high-intensity weather and with large groups of volunteers who need direction.
*On-the-job training provided. You bring the personality, work ethic and eagerness and we’ll show you the ropes!
Preferable Characteristics:
- A quick learner who is willing to roll with the punches of a fast-paced, cleanup season from roughly March-November (employment throughout the year).
- Prepared to work outside in the elements and often get down and dirty while rocking a badass lifejacket and boots.
- Possesses spontaneity, charisma, a love for adventure and care for the environment.
- Be prepared to suddenly have the most fulfilling and exciting job around with co-workers who will become family.
- You should be able to show up with a smile and cheerful demeanor no matter what the day may bring. The best in this business are workaholics with a touch of OCD and a side of snappy punchlines.
ICYMI:
We realize this should go without saying but you’d be surprised how often we are asked. This is NOT a remote job. Quite the opposite, very present and hands-on.
We are a fun-loving group of river rats and this is a vital role to our organization. We’ve removed over 13 million pounds of garbage from America’s rivers, which is our reactive way to take care of a real problem. The proactive side of that is engaging and educating our sponsors, supporters, and the general public in preventing the problem before it happens! That’s where you come in!
How To Apply for the Job that You'll Talk About for the Rest of Your Life!
How to apply: Please fill out the form below with your information, resume, and a fun video telling us a little bit about yourself, your experience, and why you'd be a good fit to join this crazy river rat crew!
If you are not able to upload your video in the form below please send your video to callie@livinglandsandwaters.org.
We look forward to hearing from - and hopefully working with - you!
*Qualified applicants must be at least 21 years of age with a valid driver’s license and possess the following: strong work ethic, sense of humor, passion for the environment, good social skills, ability to work as part of a team, flexibility, motivation to be a self-starter, lover of dogs and frozen pizza. Computer and/or mechanic skills are a plus. Barge-based jobs mean living on the water for up to 9 months of the year with 10+ humans and 2+ dogs.