Seeds of Success Native Seed Technician

Position Background:  The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition is hiring two seed technicians to conduct native seed collection as part of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Seeds of Success (SOS) program. The project’s main goal is to increase the regional availability of native seed for large scale rehabilitation projects in collaboration with the Nevada State BLM, Great Basin Native Plant Project, and other partners. Positions will be based in Ely, Nevada, although work will occur throughout the Great Basin portion of the Ely BLM District. Expected start date is late May and will continue until September, with the possibility of work into October.

Seed Technician Description:  Primary responsibilities include:
identifying, scouting and collecting native seed from target species populations, following rigorous SOS protocols, and completing associated data sheets. Both conservation (10,000,-20,000 seeds) and operational collections (3-5lbs. of seed) will be harvested. Much of the time will be spent driving and hiking throughout eastern Nevada, while monitoring the phenology of target populations.  In addition to the collection of seed; voucher herbarium specimens, tissue samples for molecular analysis, and associated metadata will be collected from each population. Seed will be dried and shipped to the Bend Seed Extractory in Bend, OR.  Technicians will work under the direction of a crew lead and be trained on SOS protocols, species identification, and phenologic indicators to determine seed readiness.

This is primarily a field position with about 15% office work.  Individuals must be able to hike up to 4 miles a day carrying a 30 pound pack, drive several hours a day on rugged two-track roads, camp in remote backcountry settings, and work 10+ hours a day in variable, sometimes extreme temperatures (30° – 105°F). The work will be tedious and require bending over for long periods of time.

Schedule:  Technicians will generally work an 8 on 6 off schedule (10 hour days), but may work a couple of 4 day work weeks (3 days off) during the height of the field season.

Desired Qualifications
-Bachelor’s degree in botany, biology, ecology, environmental science,
natural resources or related field                                    –
Experience identifying plant species using dichotomous keys; plant taxonomy
coursework a plus
-Interest in learning about the Great Basin, its plant species, and
rehabilitation efforts
-Willingness to live and work outdoors in a harsh, highly variable desert
climate for 8 days at a time
-Ability to follow rigorous standardized protocols and record detailed
notes
-Ability to work effectively in small group settings
-Ability to bend over and kneel repeatedly, conducting tedious tasks for
several hours at a time                                 -Valid driver’s
license; 4WD experience helpful
-Experience using BGBase, handheld GPS receivers, orienteering using map
and compass helpful

Ely Nevada Background: The Ely BLM District covers 11 million acres in East-Central Nevada, including portions of the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts, as well as “sky island” mountain ranges at higher elevations. The area is vast; about the size of Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont combined. It is idyllic, remote, sparsely-populated, and contains over 700,000 acres of designated wilderness. Outdoor recreation opportunities include: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, fishing and hunting. Housing is not provided for these positions, although if interested, we would be happy to help you find housing.

Compensation: $14.00-15.00 DOE, plus a camping per diem of $38 per day when camping

Deadline for applications is February 14, 2018, and will be reviewed as they are received. Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 references to Greg Gust at ggust<<AT>>envlc.org. Questions regarding the positions should also be sent to the above email address.

Subject: Summer Internship in Marine Ecology – Smithsonian Marine Station – Florida

Project Description
The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO) program is currently seeking an undergraduate or recent graduate for a summer internship at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Ft. Pierce, Florida.  MarineGEO
(marinegeo.si.edu) is a network of global observation and research sites that focuses on biodiversity, how is it changing, and how that affects the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems.  Research includes long-term, rigorous monitoring of important habitats as well as standardized, coordinated experiments with network partners.  The Smithsonian Marine Station is located adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), a biodiverse estuary on the east coast of central Florida.
Responsibilities of the successful applicant include data collection in a variety of habitats including seagrasses, oyster reefs, mangroves, soft-sediments, and artificial structures as well as support in a large-scale experiment examining the effects of predators on native and non-natives species.  Learning objectives include exposure to a diverse suite of marine invertebrate species as well as becoming familiar with research conducted in multiple habitat-types in a biodiverse estuarine environment.  Additional experiments can be developed with staff based on
the applicant’s personal research interests.

Please send a cover letter expressing research interests and future goals as well as a CV and current undergraduate transcripts to Dean Janiak at janiakd@si.edu.  The internship has a flexible timeframe for start and end dates but a desired start date would be prior to June 1.  The weekly stipend
in $400, not including housing.

Contact:
Dean Janiak
Smithsonian Marine Station
701 Seaway Dr. Ft Pierce, FL 34949
janiakd@si.edu
www.marinegeo.si.edu
www.sms.si.edu

I have resources to support one MS and one PhD student in a new agricultural insect ecology lab at Clemson University in beautiful upstate South Carolina.
My lab will focus on agricultural biodiversity (of soil microbes, plants, and
insects) and biological control of crop pests. While student research may complement ongoing work in the lab (see carmenblubaugh.com for details), I will also consider guiding worthy student projects that fall within the broad theme of predator/prey ecology, using crop systems as a model. To apply, please prepare a personal statement detailing your qualifications and career goals, as well as a separate research statement that describes and justifies your personal research objectives, based on current knowledge in the field.

Please email a CV and these two requested documents in a single pdf to cblubau@clemson.edu. Preliminary field work may begin as early as summer 2018.

From: Raquel Wertsbaugh [mailto:raquel.wertsbaugh@STATE.CO.US]
Sent: Friday, February 2, 2018 6:16 PM
Subject: Colorado Natural Areas Program Field Technician Position

The Colorado Natural Areas Program is hiring a temporary field technician to assist with the monitoring of Colorado’s state natural areas. The Colorado Natural Areas Program is a statewide conservation program within Colorado Parks and Wildlife with an emphasis on rare plant conservation. The position duration is 6-9 months beginning in April. The application deadline is February 13.

Full position announcement can be found here:
– http://cpw.state.co.us/JobsLib/2018_CNAP_Temp_Wertsbaugh.pdf
– http://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Jobs.aspx

About the Project:  Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) is an NSF-funded project that seeks to examine the limits to forest productivity in the context of resource optimization theory. Experimental tests of N and P limitation in temperate forest systems are few, and those few have been short-term with very high rates of fertilization. In 2011 we began long-term low-level additions of N, P, and
N+P in 13 forest stands distributed across three sites in the White
N+Mountain
National Forest of New Hampshire. At Bartlett Experimental Forest, which is underlain by granite, we have three young, three mid aged, and three mature stands. At both Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, on granodiorite, and Jeffers Brook on amphibolite (metamorphosed basalt), we have one mature and one mid-aged forest stand. Each stand has four plots treated annually with N
(30 kg N/ha/yr as NH4NO3), P (10 kg P/ha/yr as NaH2PO4), both N and P, and control. These treatments allow us to test for NP co-limitation and to challenge balanced forest nutrition and thereby induce mechanisms that maintain co-limitation.  More information on the project is available at http://www.esf.edu/melnhe, including a blog from previous field crews.

Internship Description:  Interns will be guided in the design of their research projects and will interact closely with graduate students and senior research scientists.  Research projects could include the effects of nutrient addition on fine and woody litter production, seed rain, tree water use (sap flow), soil respiration, and canopy spectral properties, which involves ground truthing remotely sensed tree crown locations. Interns will gain a wide variety of skills by assisting in all ongoing projects.  Interns have the opportunity to present their results at the annual Hubbard Brook Cooperators Meeting in July.
Interns are provided with shared housing at Bartlett Experimental Forest; tenting is optional.  Work days typically begin at 8:00 and end at 4:30, but may be shorter or longer depending upon the day’s activities.  Food is prepared communally by the interns and graduate student researchers, and costs generally run between $5-6 per day. A stipend of $200 per week is provided for living expenses.

Desired Qualifications:  Ideal applicants will have a strong interest in forest biology, ecology, or biogeochemistry.  Undergraduate students and recent graduates will be considered.  A positive attitude is important and a sense of humor is a plus.  Willingness to work and live in a communal setting is critical. Candidates should be able to perform repetitive tasks with attention to detail in a field setting under adverse conditions.
Applicants should be flexible in their expectations, but an estimated breakdown of the summer is: 60% fieldwork, 15% lab work, 10% data management, and 15% research proposals and reports of independent projects.

To Apply:  Please send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Alex Young, aryoung@syr.edu. Interested students should apply by Friday, March 9th, but applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. The field season will begin on June 4 (arrive June
3) and end on August 10 (depart on August 11).