The Virginia Tech Shorebird Lab is hiring research technicians for our Fire Island, NY field site.
The positions will run from April 1, 2016–August 15, 2016 with possibility of extension to September 30, 2016. Monitoring the response of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) and their invertebrate prey to habitat created by Hurricane Sandy. Field technicians will be working to improve conservations efforts for Atlantic Coast population of Piping Plovers. This project is just one of multiple shorebird projects based at Virginia Tech. Please see our project webpage http://fishwild.vt.edu/vtshorebirds/ for more information about shorebird conservation at Virginia Tech. Responsibilities: trapping, banding and resighting adult Piping Plovers, nest searching and monitoring, invertebrate collection and identification, capturing, banding and resighting Piping Plover chicks, daily trailering of ATVs, daily driving of 4x4 vehicles and ATVs on the beach, working closely with land management agencies and the Fish and Wildlife Service, data organization and management. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Science, Biology, Environmental Science, or a related field. Prior experience as a field technician or research assistant and experience with trailering, driving 4x4 vehicles and ATVS in sand, avian capture methods and handling techniques, color band resighting, bird banding are preferred, but training will be provided. Preference for candidates with the ability to identify shorebirds in a variety of plumages. Candidates must be able to work was part of team and independently, and keep a positive attitude through long field days (up to 12 hours/day and 6 days/week) in a variety of field conditions. Candidates should be in good physical condition, as the job requires walking 5-10 miles in sand while carrying a spotting scope and other research equipment on a daily basis. Resighting color bands is an essential job function. Candidates should be able to distinguish colors at a distance. Please send resume, college transcripts, and contact information for three references (in ONE document, formatted as LastName_FirstName_2016) to Audrey DeRose-Wilson at [email protected]. The positions will remain open until filled. Full position description can be found here: http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/piping-plover-post- hurricane-sandy-research-technician-new-york/
