Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife is looking for a seasonal Biological Aide to monitor breeding shorebirds and terns.

 

Primary duties are to monitor and protect piping plovers, American oystercatchers, and gull and tern colonies on beaches and islands in Sussex County Delaware (primarily Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore, and Fenwick Islands State Parks, and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge). Responsibilities include monitoring territorial shorebird pairs, active nests and broods, monitoring tern and gull colonies, and protecting nesting habitat and nests with fencing, signs, predator exclosures, and by interacting with the public. The Biological Aide will also coordinate, train, schedule, and communicate with volunteers assisting the project who help educate and inform the general public and beach nesting species. Daily work entails driving a 4WD vehicle in sand and walking for up to 5 miles in sand or mud carrying heavy and awkward equipment while searching for and monitoring nests and broods. The Biological Aide, will carry and use a spotting scope to distinguish colored leg bands and flags on shorebirds at a distance. The Biological Aide will work independently and must be able to work in an efficient manner with good time management. This field work may require long hours under strenuous or uncomfortable field conditions (e.g. heat and humidity, biting insects), on a flexible schedule (some extended days and weekend hours).

After the field season, the Biological Aide will assist with data entry, management, and QA/QC, and prepare reports using GIS, Excel, and Access. Additional opportunities may include assisting with migratory shorebird fieldwork with the Delaware Shorebird Project and raptor ID serving as an alternate Hawk Migration Counter at the Cape Henlopen State Park Hawk Migration Station (September and November). Duties for the Hawk Migration Counter entail identifying and recording migrating raptors and interpreting hawk migration patterns for the public.

Must be available to start this job by late April, but an earlier start date is preferred. Please note there will be no housing provided. Applications will be reviewed as they are received so we encourage early application.

Job Duties:

·     Walk for up to 5 miles in sand or mud carrying heavy and awkward equipment.

·     Distinguish colored leg bands and flags on shorebirds at a distance.

·     Direct, communicate with, and organize volunteers.

·     Use programs for data entry and management (i.e., GIS, Excel and Access).

·     Work under instruction or independently in an efficient manner with good time management.

·     Work long hours under strenuous or uncomfortable field conditions (e.g. heat and humidity, biting insects), on a flexible schedule (some extended days and weekend hours).

·     Operate a 4WD vehicle in sand.

·     37.5 or 29.5 hour Schedule:  Varies-— Evenings/Weekends/Holidays required

Preferred Qualifications:

·     Work towards Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology/management or closely related field.  Completed degree is preferred.

·     Field work experience with beach nesting birds, especially nest searching and using/constructing predator exclosures at nests.

·     Experience using a spotting scope to resight color bands and/or alphanumeric coded bands/flags.

·     Experience using spreadsheet and spatial applications (e.g. Excel/Access, ArcGIS/Google Earth).

·     Must have a valid driving license.

·     Experience driving in sand.

Please visit https://www.jobapscloud.com/DE/sup/BulPreview.asp?R1=022219&R2=MGCC02&R3=400308 to learn more and apply. 

__________________

Audrey DeRose-Wilson

Program Manager for Avian Conservation and Biodiversity

Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife

Cell: (631) 365-3856

Office: (302) 735-8667

Audrey.DeRose-Wilson@delaware.gov

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