Field Assistant Posting: North American Red Squirrels in the Yukon
Position Description and Duties: We are looking for an intern to assist with fieldwork on resource availability and caching behaviour in a population of North American red squirrels. The intern will assist a graduate student (Andrea Wishart, PhD student) to observe squirrel behaviour, demarcate squirrel territories, quantify resources (white spruce cones) and assist with data entry and verification. Tasks will include regular live-trapping and handling of squirrels, collaring. All procedures have ethical approval through the participant universities. Anticipated start date is June 1, 2018 and preference will be given to those who can start then or as soon as possible thereafter. End date is September 30, 2018. The intern must be comfortable working independently in the forest as necessary (radios are provided).
All fieldwork is carried out in the spectacular Kluane region of southwestern Yukon, Canada, at sites along the Alaska Highway between the Ruby Mountains and the St Elias Mountains (some of the tallest mountains in the country), ~2.5 hours driving from Whitehorse. The intern will directly interact with other researchers at the field station working on a diversity of species (Canada lynx and snowshoe hares), as well as a diversity of red squirrel researchers from across 5 universities involved with the Kluane Red Squirrel Project.
Skills required: The successful candidate will have previous fieldwork experience in a similar work environment. Good organizational, multi-tasking and communication skills are essential. The successful applicant will also have experience in data entry. Successful applicants will need to be able to cope under these field conditions, enjoy the outdoors, be up-beat, positive, responsible and work well as a member of their own team, as well as other users of the area (i.e., other researchers). Evidence of these abilities (gained, for example, through previous involvement on field projects or extended back-packing trips.
Terms of Employment: Salary is not provided as part of these positions. Accommodation and food are provided. Volunteers are required to provide for their own travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Travel between Saskatoon and the field station is provided.
International applicants: We welcome applications from all individuals. If applicants are not Canadians or permanent residents, there is the opportunity to enter Canada and complete the internship as a Visiting Research Student. To be eligible for this program, you must be an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or be in between degrees (e.g., following graduation from a bachelor’s degree and looking to pursue graduate school). As part of this program, applicants will be registered at the U of S in a non-credit activity and it is expected that you will gain a demonstrable educational benefit from being involved. We are particularly interested in applicants who wish to use this opportunity to pursue an independent research project. Applicants are eligible for this program for a maximum of 6 months per 12 month period. Application forms and information are available at http://grad.usask.ca/admissions/alternate-applicants/visiting-research-student.php If you are interested in this program, please contact us (contact details below) and we will guide you through the process.
If you wish to apply for this position, please send a CV with a cover letter and contact details of two references (with e-mail address), by email to Andrea Wishart (contact info below) before May 20, 2018. Only those selected for interview will be contacted.
Contact: Andrea Wishart, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan
usaskredsquirrel@gmail.com
More information: www.redsquirrel.ca www.lanelab.com
Position Description and Duties: We are looking for an intern to assist with fieldwork on resource availability and caching behaviour in a population of North American red squirrels. The intern will assist a graduate student (Andrea Wishart, PhD student) to observe squirrel behaviour, demarcate squirrel territories, quantify resources (white spruce cones) and assist with data entry and verification. Tasks will include regular live-trapping and handling of squirrels, collaring. All procedures have ethical approval through the participant universities. Anticipated start date is June 1, 2018 and preference will be given to those who can start then or as soon as possible thereafter. End date is September 30, 2018. The intern must be comfortable working independently in the forest as necessary (radios are provided).
All fieldwork is carried out in the spectacular Kluane region of southwestern Yukon, Canada, at sites along the Alaska Highway between the Ruby Mountains and the St Elias Mountains (some of the tallest mountains in the country), ~2.5 hours driving from Whitehorse. The intern will directly interact with other researchers at the field station working on a diversity of species (Canada lynx and snowshoe hares), as well as a diversity of red squirrel researchers from across 5 universities involved with the Kluane Red Squirrel Project.
Skills required: The successful candidate will have previous fieldwork experience in a similar work environment. Good organizational, multi-tasking and communication skills are essential. The successful applicant will also have experience in data entry. Successful applicants will need to be able to cope under these field conditions, enjoy the outdoors, be up-beat, positive, responsible and work well as a member of their own team, as well as other users of the area (i.e., other researchers). Evidence of these abilities (gained, for example, through previous involvement on field projects or extended back-packing trips.
Terms of Employment: Salary is not provided as part of these positions. Accommodation and food are provided. Volunteers are required to provide for their own travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Travel between Saskatoon and the field station is provided.
International applicants: We welcome applications from all individuals. If applicants are not Canadians or permanent residents, there is the opportunity to enter Canada and complete the internship as a Visiting Research Student. To be eligible for this program, you must be an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or be in between degrees (e.g., following graduation from a bachelor’s degree and looking to pursue graduate school). As part of this program, applicants will be registered at the U of S in a non-credit activity and it is expected that you will gain a demonstrable educational benefit from being involved. We are particularly interested in applicants who wish to use this opportunity to pursue an independent research project. Applicants are eligible for this program for a maximum of 6 months per 12 month period. Application forms and information are available at http://grad.usask.ca/admissions/alternate-applicants/visiting-research-student.php If you are interested in this program, please contact us (contact details below) and we will guide you through the process.
If you wish to apply for this position, please send a CV with a cover letter and contact details of two references (with e-mail address), by email to Andrea Wishart (contact info below) before May 20, 2018. Only those selected for interview will be contacted.
Contact: Andrea Wishart, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan
usaskredsquirrel@gmail.com
More information: www.redsquirrel.ca www.lanelab.com