Month: July 2022

Tropical ecology field assistant wanted

Tropical ecology field assistant wantedWe are looking for a volunteer field assistant, all expenses paid, for ecological fieldwork in northern Costa Rica early September to mid-December 2022. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an enthusiasm for nature and post secondary training in ecological science, an ability to live and work in field conditions with limited and basic amenities, sensitivity to different cultures, and a sense of adventure and adaptability. The candidate must hold a valid and unrestricted driver’s license and be prepared to drive an ATV (training will be provided onsite). First aid training and Spanish fluency are highly desired but not obligatory. The candidate will assist in a field project examining the effects of climate on the aquatic insect communities within bromeliads, involving substantial field work and lab work. All flights and ground travel, accommodation, and meals will be covered by the project.To apply, please contact sarah.ravoth@gmail.com. Please apply immediately as we will review each application until we have found a suitable candidate.

Environmental Educator, Toccoa, Georgia, USA

Job Posting – Environmental Educator, Toccoa, Georgia, USABlue Ridge Outdoor Education Center is hiring Seasonal Environmental Education Instructors for our Fall 2022 season (September 26 – November 22, 2022). Located in the North East Georgia Mountains we serve schools in Georgia and surrounding states, leading them in educational field trips.Location: 

Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center is a part of Mikell Camp and Conference Center in Toccoa, GA. Our campus consists of 468 acres with our closest neighbor being the Chattahoochee National Forest.Set in the Yearwood Valley, surrounded by forested ridge lines with streams and waterfalls, Blue Ridge is perfectly situated to take full advantage of this unique ecological area and provide diverse and exciting education and outdoor experiences.Camp Mikell has an outdoor volleyball court, large field and equipment for a variety of sports, a 9 hole disc golf course, an outdoor swimming pool and miles of trails for hiking. Many outdoor recreation opportunities are located near camp property such as rock climbing, boating, hiking (day hiking or backpacking) and biking within a 30 minute drive.Only 90 minutes from Atlanta and one hour from Athens, home of the University of Georgia, Blue Ridge staff can easily get a taste of the big city. The beautiful Tallulah Gorge State Park is also a 30 minute drive away.Qualifications:Committed, energetic, community-oriented individuals. BS or BA required. Preference given to those with majors in biology, natural sciences, or related field. Knowledge of wetland, stream and forest ecology. Residential program experience and knowledge of Blue Ridge ecosystems preferred. Applicant should be dynamic and have a sincere interest in working with kids of all ages and learning about the natural world.Duties:Teach and maintain environmental education classes in the beautiful southern Appalachian Mountains during residential programs, ages 7-16. Facilitate outdoor education programs such as high ropes and climbing walls with child and adult groups. Lead adventure programs such as rock climbing and backpacking. Some weekend work required. Opportunities available for curriculum development for experienced employees. Blue Ridge prides itself on meeting the needs of our schools by meeting the Georgia Performance Standards.Benefits:$300/wk plus room & board and catastrophic health insurance. First Aid, CPR, and high ropes training provided. We provide training in Georgia Adopt-a-stream and Project Wild each fall season. In the spring, we alternate between Project Learning Tree and Project Wet. Training times are tentative based on our seasonal schedules. Extensions on seasonal employment are available to interested employees.To Apply:

Please send a resume, cover letter, and 3 references to Blue Ridge outdoor Education Center Director Anna Dinwiddie: blueridgedir@campmikell.com

Wildlife Technician positions available (Aug-Dec)

Wildlife Technician positions available (Aug-Dec)Job Description:The Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Marshall University is hiring up to six technicians to work on projects in North Carolina and South Carolina. Specifically, we are recruiting technicians to assist with the following projects: 

1)      Eastern diamondback rattlesnake monitoring (mark-recapture and radio telemetry) in South Carolina2)      Southern fox squirrel monitoring (mark-recapture and radio telemetry) in South Carolina3)      Camera trap surveys for herpetofauna and small mammals (includes mark-recapture of snakes and small mammals) in South Carolina4)      Eastern diamondback monitoring (mark-recapture only) and camera trap surveys in North Carolina. 

Field positions include VHF radio telemetry surveys of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and southern fox squirrels. Telemetry-equipped rattlesnakes and squirrels will be radio located at least 4 times weekly. Rattlesnakes that are newly encountered during telemetry surveys will be captured and marked.Camera trap monitoring will require construction and maintenance of camera trap arrays, regular maintenance of cameras and digital images, screening of digital images, cover-board sampling for herpetofauna, and small mammal trapping. Technicians will be expected to capture snakes (non-venomous and venomous species) and turtles and to process captured individuals (measure, weigh, and give unique mark). Additionally, technicians will be expected to live-trap and mark small mammals. Captured snakes and mammals will be given passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags.Technicians are expected to work in hot, buggy conditions. Research must be conducted under strict safety protocols. Technicians that fail to adhere to safety protocols will be terminated from the position. All projects require lifting heavy objects and assisting with camera trap construction and maintenance under difficult field conditions. For the rattlesnake positions, applicants with venomous snake handling experience will be given preference; however, venomous snake handling experience is not required. Applicants that are skilled at identifying southeastern herpetofauna are preferred.Technicians will work with graduate students under the direction of Dr. Jayme Waldron (herp projects) or Dr. Shane Welch (mammal projects). All projects take place on Department of Defense installations, and applicants will be required to pass a background check prior to hiring. Technicians will be expected to use their personal vehicles for field work and will be reimbursed for on-site mileage @ $0.50/mile.Start date: ASAPEnd date: 2 December 2022Pay: $2,000/month ($15/hr @ 34 hours/week) plus housing (excluding utilities)Please send your resume and contact information for three references to Dr. Jayme Waldron (waldron3@marshall.edu) by 5 August 2022.

A fellowship position is available in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water

 A fellowship position is available in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water

The ORISE Fellow will collaborate with cross-program staff and regional offices to research and improve current practices related to water quality assessment and monitoring, conduct technical and programmatic analyses in support of watershed restoration and protection activities, and provideresearch for training materials on watershed management. This will involve research to support the Watershed Branch in the implementation of EPAsHealthy Watersheds Program, Watershed Academy, and Water Quality Assessment Workgroup.This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE orthe program administrator.The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The current yearly stipend amounts for this opportunity are $50,643 (BS) and $61,947 (MS).Please apply by 9/1/22 on our website.

U.S. Department of Energy Seeking Applicants for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program

U.S. Department of Energy Seeking Applicants for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) ProgramApplications for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program are now open for the 2023 Spring Term. Applications are due October 5, 2022 at 5:00 PM ET.Apply on the US DOE website.Are you an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) or recent graduate who completed an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in STEM?  Do you want to develop and hone your research skills at a national laboratory while learning from some of our nation’s best scientists and engineers?Then the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program is for you.  As a SULI participant, you’ll gain valuable hands-on research experience and build your professional network while collaborating on an exciting project under the guidance of a mentor.  You will also have opportunities to present your research to your mentors and peers, join in social activities, and engage in a variety of professional development activities to enhance your career skills.The SULI program is sponsored and managed by the Department of Energy (DOE) / Office of Science’s Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) program in collaboration with 17 DOE national laboratories and facilities across the U.S.Eligibility–    Must be a full-time undergraduate student or recent graduate of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program at an accredited institution–    Must have completed at least one semester as a matriculated undergraduate at the time of application–    Must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale–    Must be at least 18 years old at the start of the internship–    Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident at the time of application–    Must possess medical insurance during the internship–    Students may participate in SULI twice and apply a maximum of four timesBenefits–    $650/week stipend–    Housing accommodations or housing allowance–    Round-trip travel reimbursementLocations:–    Ames, Iowa–    Lemont, Illinois–    Upton, NY–    Batavia, IL–    San Diego, CA–    Idaho Falls, IA–    Los Alamos, NM–    Berkeley, CA–    Livermore, CA–    Golden, CO–    Oak Ridge, TN–    Princeton, NJ–    Richland, WA–    Jackson, SC–    Newport News, VATo learn more about SULI, visit the website.

Full time technician – Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch, Florida

Full time technician – Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch, FloridaProject TechnicianStarting Date: September 15 – 30, 2022; Application Due: August 10, 2022Position: Full-time research technician. 12-month appointment renewed annually based on performance. Competitive salary with full benefits.Offered by: Texas A&M, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Archbold Biological Station

Where: Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch (Lake Placid, FL)

Research field: Environmental sustainability, bioenergy, biogeosciences.DESCRIPTIONArchbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch (BIR), Texas A&M (TAMU) and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), seeks a full-time technician to work in a collaborative effort integrated within the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), a $115 million initiative by the US Department of Energy for the development of a sustainable bioenergy industry.The research will be conducted at BIR, a biological station that operates as full-scale working cattle ranch providing a unique platform for long-term agro-ecology research. The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr. Nuria Gomez-Casanovas (TAMU), in collaboration with Drs. Evan H DeLucia (UIUC), Elena Blanc-Betes (UIUC) and Elizabeth Boughton (BIR).The project investigates the environmental sustainability of sugarcane for biofuel production. Key objectives are to: (1) Characterize the impact of sugarcane cultivation on the regulation of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs; CO2, CH4 and N2O) compared to managed grazed pasture; (2) Quantify the efficiency at which sugarcane and pastures use water resources; and, (3) explore the impact of sugarcane cultivation on nitrogen and phosphorus losses versus pasture.The positionThis is a non-tenured, full time, 12-month position, and can be renewed annually for an additional two years, contingent on progress, and the availability of funds. Duties may change as contract or grant turnover occurs. Competitive salary with full benefits.MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn basic biogeochemistry skills and gain experience in a wide range of research techniques and equipment, both in the field and in the laboratory, and data compilation, processing and analysis depending on experience. Field work includes assisting with the maintenance of eddy covariance towers—a state of the art method for high frequency monitoring of ecosystem greenhouse gas exchange—,direct measurements of soil CO2 and non-CO2 trace gas emissions, and soil, water and biomass (plant) samplings. In the lab, the technician will aid with soil, water and biomass sample processing, and preparing and maintaining field equipment and supplies. The successful candidate will train and supervise research interns that assist with field and lab work.Required qualifications:A bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental science, chemistry, or related field; basic computer skills (MS Word, Excel).Preferred qualificationsResearch experience in the field and in the laboratory related to biogeochemistry (e.g., trace gas flux measurements, soil and water sampling, gas chromatography, eddy covariance); experience working on farms and with farmers; experience working in subtropical and tropical sugarcane plantations and rangeland. Demonstrated knowledge of troubleshooting environmental monitoring equipment is desired.The station

The position is located at BIR, a 10,500-acre cattle ranch near Lake Placid, FL, with shared housing available on site. Here are two documentaries about Archbold’s Buck Island Ranch: COWBOYS and SCIENTISTS, and The Science of a Florida Ranch.

HOW TO APPLYApplicants should send1) a letter of application,2) a resume or CV with relevant coursework and experience, and3) names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for three references

To: Dr. Nuria Gomez-Casanovas at nuri.gomez-casanovas@ag.tamu.edu.

Application deadline is August 10, 2022. The position will remain opened until filled. Contact Dr. Gomez-Casanovas via e-mail for more information. 

Due to Covid-19, we require any new resident staff and interns to be fully vaccinated. These rules will be updated as Covid conditions change.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.