POSITION TITLE: Botanist (full time, one year, OPS
position *with
potential for extension*)
SUPERVISOR: Amy Jenkins
LOCATION: Tallahassee, FL
DATE PREPARED: August 2019
CLOSING DATE: Midnight September 12, 2019
SALARY: $20/hour (expected depending on qualifications)
SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) at Florida State University is
looking for an experienced botanist to work under the supervision of FNAI’s
senior botanist on an array of applied research projects supporting land
management and conservation in Florida. Field work will be conducted on
conservation lands from the Keys to the Panhandle. Candidates with the
applicable skills will help with GIS work, data analysis, species
distribution modeling, and manuscript preparation. Work will be split
between field and office time, but will involve a considerable number of
long field days in often challenging conditions – extreme temperatures,
humidity, sun, biting insects, dense vegetation. Candidates must be
comfortable working in small groups, or sometimes alone, in areas with
sporadic cell service, navigating to field sites through difficult terrain,
and walking long distances.
Current FNAI projects that the candidate may assist with include:
– Rare plant surveys
– Vegetation monitoring plot data collection to inform land management
– Natural community (ecosystem/vegetative community) mapping
– Invasive plant surveys and evaluation of treatment efficacy
ABOUT FNAI:
The *Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) *is
Florida’s Natural Heritage Program and state member of the *NatureServe*
network. We are housed within the *Florida
Resources and Environmental Analysis Center*
at *Florida
State University* . As the Florida Heritage Program,
one of our primary responsibilities is maintaining a spatial database of
information on Florida’s rarest species and conservation lands but we also
work on an array of applied research projects to inform conservation and
land management decisions making with funding provided by state and federal
agency partners. Our office is off-campus in Midtown which is centrally
located near shops, restaurants, and historic neighborhoods. The larger
Tallahassee region offers many outdoor recreation opportunities in the
nearby Apalachicola National Forest and a number of coastal parks and
refuges within a short drive from town.
DUTIES:
1. Identify plants, collect data on vegetative structure and
composition, and distinguish vegetative communities using standard field
protocols
2. Prepare maps using ArcGIS, process field data, analyze spatial and
tabular data
3. Participate in meetings with co-workers, and agency partners as
necessary to coordinate project activities and present results as required
by project.
4. Assist in the completion of technical reports and/or manuscripts
upon project completion.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Bachelor’s degree in the botany or biological sciences (master’s
degree or PhD preferred)
2. Minimum of one year (two years or more preferred) full-time
experience collecting botanical field data.
3. Experience identifying plants using taxonomic keys and extensive
knowledge of the flora of the southeastern US, preferably Florida.
4. Good organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
5. Ability to work independently and under pressure of deadlines and
to provide written responses in a timely manner.
6. Ability to communicate well in person and in writing.
7. Ability to work well with FNAI staff scientists and other
university or agency partners.
8. A commitment to conducting professional conservation work and
delivering high quality products.
9. Willingness to travel frequently during the week for multi-day work
trips in remote areas.
10. Excellent physical condition and the ability to conduct rigorous field
work in adverse conditions.
Other Preferred Skills:
1. Experience with remote sensing, natural community and habitat
interpretation from aerial photographs and satellite imagery.
2. Experience or familiarity with ArcGIS and database management
software.
3. Experience/interest in primitive camping (camping on site during
the cooler months allows FNAI staff to make good use of daylight in areas
where hotels are far away)
4. Experience using R for data analysis.
5. Experience using python programming language.
6. Experience with LiDAR/Laser Scanner data processing and
interpretation.
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