This is a paid internship with our award-winning Conservation and Land Management Internship Program, a partnership between the Chicago Botanic Garden, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Open to science graduates. Position is five to ten months in duration and will remain open until filled.
The BLM Tucson Field Office NLCS Botanical/Wildlife intern will help improve understanding and management of three National Landscape System (NLCS) units located within BLM's Tucson, Arizona Field Office. Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (NCA) was designated in 2000 and is a high desert grassland with significant wetland and riparian resources. It supports nine endangered species and has become nationally recognized for its on-the-ground problem solving. The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) was designated in 1988 and is a valuable perennial system supporting a vigorous riparian community which is vital habitat for nearly 400 avian, 81 mammalian, and 43 reptiles/amphibian species. The SPRNCA also contains internationally significant Clovis, archaic, Spanish settlement, and historic resource sites. The Ironwood Forest National Monument (IFNM) was established in 2000 and lies in the heart of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem in southern Arizona, and is a unique scenic area of rolling desert and ironwood woodlands including the Silverbell, Waterman, Sawtooth, and Roskruge Mountains. The IFNM contains habitat for two endangered species as well as several other species of concern. Our wide range of ongoing projects offer experience in mapping invasive plant species, monitoring riparian and upland vegetation, identifying marsh and grassland plants, monitoring native fish populations and fish and wildlife habitats, coordinating community involvement, using GIS software to create maps and analyze data, and more. Internship Focus and main duties will include: Invasive Plant Mapping and Early Detection Weed Monitoring at Las Cienegas NCA and Ironwood Forest National Monument; Vegetation Monitoring at Las Cienegas NCA; and Native Fish Monitoring at Las Cienegas NCA and San Pedro Riparian NCA. Other research and management projects which the intern may participate in include inventorying ponds and springs for invasive plant and animal species, tracking how grasses and shrubs respond to mesquite thinning treatments, monitoring refuge habitats for endangered frogs, monitoring two endangered fish species and their habitats, monitoring the endangered Kearny blue star in the Baboquivari Wilderness, and monitoring flowering agaves that support endangered nectar-feeding bats. Because this site has attracted research partners from around the region, additional mentoring is available from three BLM staff biologists, an ecologist from The Nature Conservancy, and monitoring staff from the Sonoran Institute and the National Park Service. The intern will be working in the Sonoran Desert region in the summer and fall. Doing fieldwork in this unique mix of grassland, streams, and desert is a great experience but does pose challenges. Hazards which may be encountered include high temperatures, rugged terrain, summer monsoon thunderstorms and flooding, poisonous snakes and insects and illegal border activity. Daytime temperatures are regularly in the 90s and frequently exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The intern will receive orientation and safety training for work under these conditions. For more information about our program and how to apply, please visit our website: www.chicagobotanic.org/reserach/training/clm_intership
