The Technician will provide national service at the BLM (CA) Applegate Field Office, a host site for the Great Basin Institute’s AmeriCorps Program.

Position Summary: 

Working collaboratively with the BLM, the Great Basin Institute is recruiting two (2) AmeriCorps Wildlife Monitoring Technicians to help address key management tasks related to multiple projects within the Applegate Field Office in Cedarville, California. Through this opportunity, the successful applicants will be exposed to the operations of a federal land management agency charged with a multiple-use and sustainable-yield mission. The Technicians will gain a greater understanding of how policy decisions are formulated, gain hands-on experience with natural resource monitoring protocols and field techniques, enhance skills related to data collection and behavioral observations, as well as actively participate in formal trainings related to first aid, off-highway vehicle operation, and the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy.

The primary project focus will be the Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and thus technician responsibilities may include participating in lek counts, assisting with habitat use research as needed, and conducting vegetation monitoring (e.g., line point intercept). An outcome of these field exercises is providing BLM management with the necessary data to assess whether planned habitat improvement projects can move forward to the implementation phase.

Upon completion of this position, the Wildlife Monitoring Technicians will be better prepared to take on additional responsibility in fields related to rangeland management, wildlife biology, or public land management. Applicants seeking to apply for graduate school will have compelling experience and real-world knowledge to apply to their application.
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Qualifications: 

Technical requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or coursework and experience in biology (wildlife or conservation), ecology or a related field;
• Field experience that included adhering to field data collection protocols and accurately recording field data;
• Office experience that included data entry and report writing;
• Knowledge of wildlife ecology and plant taxonomy including use of technical keys;
• Familiarity with wildlife species in the area; including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species;
• Ability to use a GPS unit for navigation and data collection;
• Experience using ArcGIS to create maps, analyze data, and organize layers preferred;
• Experience in habitat evaluation and collection of vegetation data preferred; and
• Experience in conducting avian surveys and nest monitoring preferred, particularly for gallinaceous species

Additional requirements:

• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
• Ability to safely drive a 4WD vehicle on unpaved roads that can be steep and rutted;
• Experience operating UTV’s preferred;
• Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition;
• Willingness to spend multiple days camping in the field;
• Willingness to work irregular hours (e.g., pre-sunrise mornings, late nights past midnight);
• Ability to work productively, consistently and cooperatively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals;
• Familiarity with backcountry, low-impact principles preferred; and
• Ability to meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four terms or the equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.