Im currently looking for field assistants to help me study butterfly abundance and niche breadth in the southern Peruvian Amazon, as part of my PhD research on Neotropical butterfly ecology at the University of Florida.
LOCATION Field work will be conducted at the Los Amigos Biological Station (CICRA), in the heart of the mega-diverse southern Peruvian Amazon. The station is remote, and conditions are often hot and humid with many biting insects at times. However, the site provides access to some of the most pristine forest habitats and undisturbed plant and animal communities in the region. For more information see the CICRA website: http://www.amazonconservation.org/ourwork/research.html DURATION Work will begin September 2012 and continue to August 2013. Assistants are needed for the entire duration of the field season (1 year), with a minimum commitment of 3 months, although a stay of 6 months will be preferred. ASSISTANT DUTIES Assistants will help with multiple tasks, including: -Searching potential host plants for immature butterflies -Rearing immature butterflies to adulthood in the field lab -Host plant data collection and vouchering -Butterfly sampling, using hand-nets and baited traps Work can be demanding and assistants should be in good physical condition. We work long hours (8+ hours per day), 5-6 days per week. No salary is available, but fees at the field site and local transportation from/back to Puerto Maldonado will be covered. No skills or experience are required, but knowledge of tropical plants/insects and Spanish will be useful. Assistants will gain experience in plant and butterfly ID, GPS/mapping, tree-climbing (optional), insect rearing, and various other tropical Lepidoptera field methods. There will also be opportunities for development of a personal project or collaboration using data gathered in the field. Those interested should send a current CV and a brief statement of interest to Geoff Gallice: [email protected]
