I am looking for four field technicians with a strong work ethic to assist with the osprey hacking program in Illinois as part of the osprey recovery effort for this state-endangered species.

The positions, based at different sites, have the following responsibilities:

* Daily Observations – conduct daily behavioral observations of osprey chicks at the hacking site to ensure their well-being.  Make notes of presence of potential predators or competitors in the vicinity of the hacking site.

* Daily Tracking – conduct daily tracking of ospreys once they fledge and note their locations before migration.

* Food Preparation and Feeding – conduct daily preparation of fish and feeding to the hacked ospreys.

* Planning and Coordination – conduct regular fish pick-ups from the project partners.  Coordinate with the field personnel at the other hacking site for project purposes when required.

* Daily Reports – contribute to daily reports regarding the behaviors, locations, and fish consumption by ospreys.  Record any other notable events related to the birds.

* Maintenance – assist with the maintenance and clean-up of the hacking box/tower after the season, as well as the maintenance and inventory of the field gear and equipment.

Qualifications for the positions:

Successful candidates must have a B.S. degree in environmental science, wildlife, biology, or related field.  Experiences working with birds of prey, as well as paddling skills, are highly preferred.  Proficiency with Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, and GPS is highly desirable.  Successful candidates must be a team-player, demonstrate strong communication skills, follow instructions well, and pay attention to detail.  Candidates must have a commitment to field personnel and equipment safety.  Individuals must have and maintain a valid driver’s license as well as be able to work outdoors in extreme weather conditions and for long hours.

Application: Review of applications will start immediately until the positions are filled.

Starting date: July 1, 2019.

Anticipated ending date: October 6, 2019.

Salary: $500-$560 per WEEK (depending on the skills and experiences).  Housing or camping gear (except sleeping gear) are provided.

To apply, please send the following (via email) to Dr. Tih-Fen Ting at tting1@uis.edu:

1)  Cover letter addressing background and extent of qualifications;

2)  Resume, including contact information for three references; and

3)  Transcripts (unofficial or scanned copy acceptable).

Tih-Fen Ting

Department of Environmental Studies

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 206-7876

tting1@uis.edu

The Gratton Lab in the Entomology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is now accepting applications for full-time seasonal field positions to begin around June 3, 2019 and continue for 12 to 16 weeks. Our lab studies the links between insects, landscapes, and their conservation in support of healthy ecosystems and human well being. Specific projects are listed below, though assistants may work across multiple projects.

Available positions:

Undergraduate summer assistants (multiple available)

Pay rate: $10/hour

Start date/duration: Full-time seasonal position for ~12 weeks between June and August

Field technician (multiple available, undergraduate degree required)

Pay rate: $14/hr

Start date/duration: Full-time seasonal position for ~12-16 weeks between May and September

Job responsibilities: Field technicians and summer assistants will work with graduate students and staff scientists to conduct field work, collect and process data, and maintain equipment. Some projects may require long hours or weekend work. All positions will be based out of Madison, WI, with frequent travel around southern Wisconsin.  

Requirements:

·      

·     Valid

·      US driver’s license and ability to obtain driver authorization from UW Risk Management. (http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/risk_mgt/drivetable.html)

·      

·      

·     Attention

·      to detail and ability to stay focused on tedious or repetitive tasks

·      

·      

·     Coursework

·      or interest in ecology, biology, entomology, or related fields

·      

·      

·     Ability

·      to work independently and with others

·      

·      

·     Experience

·      with or willingness to learn insect handling and processing techniques

·      

·      

·     Enjoy

·      being outside, comfortable working in hot/humid conditions.

·      

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.  Our lab aims to make science and ecology more inclusive of people of all identities, and we strongly encourage people of color, and people of all genders, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds to apply.  See our full equity and inclusion statement on our website:  http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/equity-inclusion-statement/

 

Reviews of applications will beginning on  March 11, 2019 on a rolling basis. To apply, please visit our website or this link: https://go.wisc.edu/318m8e.If you have any questions or have trouble submitting using the form, please contact Jeremy Hemberger (hemberger@wisc.edu).

Overview of projects: For more project information visit gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/summer-2019

·      

·     Monarch

·      landscape ecology – How do local and landscape-level characteristics

·      influence monarch use of a patch of milkweed? Daily surveys of 1-2 prairie/grassland sites per day for monarchs, milkweed, and blooming plants.

·      

·      

·      

·     Pollinator

·      conservation (NRCS) – Evaluating the effects of prairie restoration

·      variability

·     and their location in a landscape on bumble bee abundance and diversity.

·      

·      

·      

·     Urban

·      bumble bees – We will capture and identify bumble bees across a

·      range of landscape types to understand how urbanization impacts their populations. Our team will survey prairies, suburban neighborhoods, and city blocks as well as discuss related scientific papers, prepare field equipment, and begin preliminary data analysis.

·      

·      

·      

·     Pollinator

·      habitat value (DATCP) – Investigating the value of pollinator habitat

·      to crop pollination and yield on small, mixed vegetable farms.  We will do pollinator observations and collect fruit for seed counts and yield measurements.

·      

·      

·     Effectiveness

·      of pollinator plantings – We will survey wild bees in cucumber

·      fields and field-edge flower plantings to understand how planting effectiveness varies in different landscapes. Duties will include: observational pollinator surveys, flower surveys, and pollen deposition experiments. Living in a rural cabin for several weeks

·      will be necessary.

·      

·      

·     Honey

·      bee landscape ecology – Studying how habitat in the surrounding

·      landscape influences the health and survival of commercial honey bee hives.  We will visit commercial bee yards across southwest Wisconsin to extract data from in-hive sensors and take measurements of hive health.  Beekeeping experience preferred but not required.

·      

·      

·     Lady

·      beetle (“ladybug”) landscape ecology – Researching

·      how resource continuity in the landscape affect lady beetle abundance, health, and biocontrol potential. We will conduct surveys on farms and in natural sites across southern Wisconsin.

·      

·      

·     Citizen

·      science specialist – Working with farmers of pollinator-dependent

·      crops to establish a citizen-science program using a Smartphone app to measure wild pollinator communities (bachelor’s degree required).

·      

 

Erin Lowe 

MSc Candidate, Agroecology and Entomology

Gratton Lab, University of Wisconsin-Madison

http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/

M.S. or Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistantship –

Wetland Water Quality and Macroinvertebrates, Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Program, West Virginia University

STARTING DATE: May 2019

CLOSING DATE: Position is open until filled.

DESCRIPTION:  Student will be supported by an EPA-funded 12-month Research Assistantship. 

Student will work with an interdisciplinary team on a statewide wetland water quality and macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI) study in West Virginia.  Student will be responsible for collecting and analyzing water quality samples, developing a macroinvertebrate IBI, and evaluating wetland condition.  Ample opportunities for developing independent research questions related to wetlands, water quality, and invertebrates and for presenting at conferences is available.

Specific objectives of the study are to: 1) characterize water quality conditions for a statewide wetland sample stratified by ecoregion and wetland type; 2) evaluate water quality conditions in relation to surrounding landuse, and biotic and abiotic parameters, 3) identify functional groups of wetlands with high (or low) water quality functions and those with high potential for restoring water quality; 4) develop a macroinvertebrate IBI; 5) investigate the role of hydrologic variation in temporal water quality variation, and 6) review national and state standards, and use existing and proposed WV data to recommend standards for state wetland water quality regulatory guidance specific to WV wetlands.

The student will be working toward a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Sciences or an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries at West Virginia University (http://bit.ly/WVUForestry).

QUALIFICATIONS: B.S. in Wetlands, Ecology, or closely related field and M.S. for PhD.  Minimum GPA of 3.5 and combined quantitative/verbal GRE scores of 310.  A strong interest and experience in wetlands, macroinvertebrates, and water quality is required.  Experience in GIS, statistics, modeling, and wetland vegetation identification is desired. 

STIPEND: $21,605/year (PhD.) or $18,000 (M.S.) plus health insurance and tuition waiver.

CONTACT:  Student will be advised by Dr. James T. Anderson.  Interested individuals should send a letter of interest, resume, a 500-word statement of purpose (why do you want to work on this project, your research interests, and long-term career goals), unofficial copy of transcripts and GRE scores, and contact information for 3 references tojim.anderson@mail.wvu.edu. 

James T. Anderson, Ph.D.

Davis-Michael Professor Forestry and Natural Resources

West Virginia University

(304) 293-3825 Office

http://wildlife.wvu.edu/