[ECOLOG-L] Job Ad - Seasonal Seed Collector Region 9 USFS
Region 9 United States Forest Service Seasonal Seed Collector Purpose: To collect and bank, or store, native seed from plant species on Region 9’s Forester Sensitive Species’ (RFSS) List. Seed collected from native plant populations on Region 9 United States Forest Service Land will contribute to germplasm ex-situ conservation. The seasonal employee will gain a tremendous amount of field experience with the regional flora, training and knowledge of the Seeds Of Success and USFS Sensitive Species collection protocols, and the ability to network and work with eastern USFS staff on the following Forests: One position in each of Ottawa and Superior National Forests. Duties and Responsibilities: • Correctly identify plant species on the Collection Target List • Locate and document populations of plant species on the Collection Target List via herbarium specimens and/or photographs • Completion of seed collection for native species collections for plants on the Collection Target List. • Scout and collect Fraxinus species contributing to the Ash Conservation Initiative Project on USFS Land. • Maintain complete and detailed data records on all native seed collections, per the Chicago Botanic Garden’s requirements. • Follow all protocols and shipping directions for seed collections. • Constant communication with MARS-B staff to update on collection progress and safety. • Access to your own vehicle and a valid driver’s license Position Requirements: The seed collector should be extremely motivated, an independent worker, and have an extremely strong work ethic. They should feel comfortable being alone in remote wilderness areas. They should have access to their own vehicle and a valid driver’s license. The ideal candidate would also be well organized and attentive to detail. They should have excellent plant identification skills. Ideally this person would have the education equivalent to their Masters in botany or an equivalent amount of field experience. They should have excellent communication skills for the purpose of their own safety and to network with the local United States Forest Service staff. • Plant Identification skills for the Regional Flora of Ottawa and Superior National Forests • Read topographic maps and navigate with a compass and GPS Unit. • Self-regulate their own bodies’ hydration levels. • Follow any safety measures or regulations that the USFS requires. • Camp or spend multiple days in a bunkhouse on USFS land in remote locations. You may apply for positions via e-mail, mail, or in person. To apply, submit your resumé and an Employment Application Form as well as a Federal Affirmative Action Questionnaire (available at: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/apply) Send completed forms (PDF files) as an attachment to an email along with your resumé to employm...@chicagobotanic.org. Include the job title and requisition number in subject line of email. Forms can also be sent via postal mail or completed onsite in the Barbara Carr Administration Building at the Chicago Botanic Garden. By Mail: Attn: Human Resources 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022
Re: [ECOLOG-L] [Direct] [ECOLOG-L] Restoration Ecology Environmental Horticulture Graduate Programs?
You might look into the joint Plant Biology and Conservation program at Northwestern and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Given the faculty and horticultural staff, you could create a program, and much our restoration focus is on the tall grass prairie. Pati On Jul 31, 2014, at 7:35 PM, Anderson, Eric (esander...@uidaho.edu) esander...@uidaho.edu wrote: Dear Listserv, I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for graduate programs in the United States where you can combine Restoration Ecology and Horticulture? I have heard about the Restoration Ecology and Environmental Horticulture Program at the University of Washingtonhttp://www.cfr.washington.edu/sfrpublic/academicPrograms/REEHIntGrp.aspx, does anyone have feedback on the program, or heard anything (good or otherwise) about it? I am having trouble locating other programs in the U.S. where I can combine these two diverse interests of mine, particularly tallgrass prairie restoration with Restoration Ecology and arboriculture within Horticulture. Thanks in advance for anyone that may have insight or feedback on this. Sincerely, Eric Anderson University of Idaho Career Center Student, Gradaute Certificate in Restoration Ecology Program
Re: [ECOLOG-L] GPS Units with Sub-meter Accuracy
I use the Trimble GeoExplorer 6000 series, as well as previous models, and am very happy with it's performance. With the addition of GLONASS, acquiring high accuracy positional data is fast and seamless. I use TerraSync to download data into shapefiles. Setting up data dictionaries takes a bit of time, if you want attribute data, but you can also merge attribute data post-processing. Howver, I find it very useful to enter data into the Trimble in the field while more-or-less simultaneously acquiring positional data. The software is expensive, however, there is no need to pay for access to satellites etc. Another option is the TopCon GRS1, which a colleague uses, as it has better elevational precision. The workflows are similar, but I am less familiar with this manufacturers devices. A big drawback is the need to pay for network access in some places, as well as the need to pay for wireless modem access. -Original Message- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Daniel Weller Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 9:06 AM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: [ECOLOG-L] GPS Units with Sub-meter Accuracy I am a graduate student at Cornell University. I am writing because I am in the process of buying a GPS unit for my lab that has real-time sub- meter accuracy, and can easily interface with ArcGIS. I was wondering if anyone on the ECOLOG listserv had a unit they would recommend. I have looked online and it seems like the Trimble GeoExplorer Series is the frotrunner. However, I wanted to get input from people who regularly do fieldwork. I appreciate any insights and advice you can give. Sincerely and Thanks, Dan Weller
Re: [ECOLOG-L] How to measure plant leaf responses to microbial variation?
Photosynthetic rate and local leaf nutrient status... From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] on behalf of Geoff Zahn [geoff.g...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2015 6:47 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: [ECOLOG-L] How to measure plant leaf responses to microbial variation? Hello Ecolog, I are going to be undertaking a microbial transplantation project (mainly phyllosphere fungi) in an effort to help protect a critically endangered tree snail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Because I can't handle the snails directly, we would like to measure the effects of our different microbial communities on the host plants themselves, but would like some advice as to what parameters might be useful to measure. These are all long-lived large tropical plants and we are only working on small areas of each one so measuring traditional dependent variables like flowing, seed count, growth rate, etc. will not work. Do you have any ideas for how we could assess tropical plant leaf responses to phyllosphere community variation? Thanks a bunch!! -- Dr. Geoffrey Zahn Botany Department University of Hawaii at Monoa 3190 Maile Way, Room 101, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA http://geoffreyzahn.comhttp://geoffreyzahn.com/
Re: [ECOLOG-L] advice for label maker for field and lab applications
Just one caveat: these labels won't hold up well in any wet applications. I used them to label plastic bags for emptying bee bowls, and if they got wet during transfer, the ink on the labels ran. Sent from my iPhone On Jul 22, 2015, at 2:17 PM, Syndonia Bret-Harte msbretha...@alaska.edumailto:msbretha...@alaska.edu wrote: Hi Donald, We also use Avery address labels, mostly for plant parts and soil samples that are headed for the drying oven. If your containers are large enough to use standard address labels, you can print them using Microsoft Excel and the mail merge function in Microsoft Word, as an alternative to Access. These labels work really well for our use, and since they are standard in business, they are unlikely to go away in the near future. Cheers, Syndonia On 7/22/15 8:33 AM, Mickey Jarvi wrote: Donald, Our lab uses Avery brand Easy Peel Address Labels 18160. There are 30 labels per sheet. I use Microsoft Excel to prepare my labels which usually include site name, plot number, replication number, sample type, and date. However, there is always plenty of room for more lines. I then import my Excel sheet into Microsoft Access and use the label wizard in that program to print my labels with Avery template 5160. I know this is not a label maker per se but is a fairly cheap way of creating labels that stick well to plastic and glass containers. Hope this helps. Cheers, Mickey Jarvi On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 11:38 AM, Donald Yee donald@usm.edumailto:donald@usm.edu wrote: We typically use white lab tape and a black sharpie to write treatment information on lab and field containers for experiments but for a number of reasons this is impractical. Thus, I'm interested in any advice on label makers that can be used to produce small legible labels that could be affixed to plastic containers. The funds I have to allocate to this are about to expire so the sooner the better. I want something that will be durable and for which tape is available for the foreseeable future. Thanks. Don Donald A. Yee Associate Professor Yee Lab of Aquatic Insect Ecology Department of Biological Sciences The University of Southern Mississippi 118 College Drive # 5018 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 -- *** Dr. M. Syndonia Bret-Harte Associate Professor of Biology and Wildlife Associate Science Director, Toolik Field Station Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska, Fairbanks PO Box 757000 Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000 907-474-5434 http://users.iab.uaf.edu/~syndonia_bret-harte/CV.html and http://users.iab.uaf.edu/~syndonia_bret-harte/ email address: msbretha...@alaska.edumailto:msbretha...@alaska.edu
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Seed counter
Greg, We have a Seedburo 801 Count-a-Pak Seed Counter that works very well for many species in the collections of Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank. Seed counts for Species with microseeds, and other small-seeded species are estimated by weight, as they are too small to be handled correctly. Pati Pati Vitt, PhD Curator, Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank Chicago Botanic Garden Sent from my iPhone On Sep 18, 2015, at 10:28 AM, Houseman, Gregory <greg.house...@wichita.edu<mailto:greg.house...@wichita.edu>> wrote: Does anyone know of a commercial seed counting machine that might work for prairie seed? Although some species will be too difficult to be handled by a seed counter (e.g. grass seeds such as big bluestem), I wonder if some of the modern approaches (laser counters, ultra-fast photographic counters, etc) that are used in the commercial seed industry could be adapted for prairie seed. Thank you Greg Gregory R. Houseman, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University webpage<http://www.wichita.edu/biology/ghouseman> ResearchGate Profile<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gregory_Houseman2?ev=hdr_xprf>
Re: [ECOLOG-L] cycles in plant populations?
Perhaps the best example is masting in trees. Pati Vitt > On Feb 4, 2017, at 6:57 PM, David Inouye <ino...@umd.edu> wrote: > > The classic examples of populations that cycle, including predator-prey > interactions, and some host-parasite interactions, all involve animals. Are > there similar examples of cycles in plant populations? Certainly lots of > variation in abundance, such as in population size of desert annuals > responding to precipitation, but what about regular (cyclic) variation? > > David Inouye > > -- > > Dr. David W. Inouye > Professor Emeritus > Department of Biology > University of Maryland > College Park, MD 20742-4415 > ino...@umd.edu > > Principal Investigator > Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory > PO Box 519 > Crested Butte, CO 81224
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Recommendation for seed counter
We use the Seedburo 801 Count-a-pak and find it to be very reliable for a variety of seeds. Pati Vitt, Curator Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank Chicago Botanic Garden Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 24, 2017, at 12:28 PM, Susana Wadgymar <swadgy...@gmail.com> wrote: > > To fellow plant biologists, > > Does anyone have a recommendation for a reliable seed counter? We would > primarily be using it to count Boechera stricta seeds, which are 1-3 mm > across, are fairly flat, and often have a narrow wing along the edges > (similar to these seeds: goo.gl/M8lzSC ). > > I appreciate your expertise! > > Susana Wadgymar > Postdoctoral researcher > University of Georgia > susa...@uga.edu
[ECOLOG-L] Job Opening at the Chicago Botanic Garden - Manager, Plants of Concern & Regional Native Plant Conservation Specialist
Overview: The Manager, Plants of Concern & Regional Native Plant Conservation Specialist oversees a long-term citizen science rare plant monitoring program and participates in diverse initiatives to advance regional conservation of native plants. Purpose: Manage the Plants of Concern program and coordinate with local partners and Garden staff to accomplish regional conservation goals and advance institutional needs of the Garden. Duties and Responsibilities: In this role you will be responsible for the following: * Manage the Plants of Concern rare plant monitoring program, including the supervision of the research assistants, interns, and 100-200 volunteers annually. Maintain a high quality long-term dataset on rare plant populations. Provide data to research partners and land owners in ways that advance conservation of rare plants while preserving confidentiality * Conduct research on the native, rare, threatened, and endangered plants of the upper Midwest collaboration with with Garden scientists, and academic and non-academic partner institutions (e.g., Forest Perserves of Cook County and other conty conservation landowners, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Openlands, The Morton Arboretum, Northwestern University) * Disseminate research results through lectures, publications, and presentations at professional meetings * Work with development and accounting staff to apply for and manage grants to help support operational costs of the Plants of Concern program as well as related conservation projects. Prepare and submit reports. * Serve as an external liaison to regional conservation groups like the Midewin Stakeholders Alliance, Chicago Wilderness, and the Illinois Native Plant Society. * Provide expertise in local natural areas conservation, permitting, and contacts to the Plant Science department. Qualifications: Our ideal candidate will have the following: * MS or PhD in plant biology with a focus on ecology or related field * Minimum of strong experience and knowledge of local flora * Ability and willingness to work with volunteers and local land owners * Passion for fieldwork * Great people skills * Ability to work with large data sets * Great communication skills For more information, find the full posting here: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/manager_plants_concern_regional_native_plant_conservation_specialist Pati Vitt
[ECOLOG-L] Plant Conservation Internships at the Chicago Botanic Garden
The Plants of Concern program at the Chicago Botanic Garden is looking to hire two temporary seasonal positions for the upcoming field season. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Plants of Concern program is a regional, rare plant monitoring program designed to assess long-term trends in rare plant species. It is a flexible collaboration of public and non-governmental conservation agencies, landowners and volunteer groups, guided by an advisory group of land managers, scientists and volunteers. As part of a cooperative program with Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Plants of Concern is recruiting a seasonal research assistant. This seven-month, 35-hour per week position involves a suite of studies on rare plants at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, including those restricted to the unique dolomite prairie habitat - https://tinyurl.com/Plants-of-Concern-Midewin We are also recruiting a research intern/program assistant to assist with monitoring rare plants in the Cook County Forest Preserves. This 35-week, 35-hour/week position is based at the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is located in Cook County, IL - https://tinyurl.com/Plants-of-Concern-FPCC Details on how to apply for both positions may be found at: http://bit.ly/ApplyPlantConservationJobs Thank you, Pati Vitt, Ph.D. Senior Scientist Susan and Roger Stone Curator Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seedbank Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022 847-835-8268 https://www.sciencecollections.org/content/dixon-national-tallgrass-prairie-seed-bank The defense of living Nature is a universal value it serves without discrimination the interests of all humanity. E.O. Wilson
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Volunteering in the Sciences Question
Yes! Look especially at science done in museums and botanical gardens...if that’s the type of research that you enjoy. But, the research will vary from genetics to organismal questions at those institutions. Some researchers will take on a volunteer for a short term (like vacation) for fieldwork, or if they know that you might be a returning team member...so they only have to train you once. Obviously, opportunities may be limited where you live. Pati Vitt > On Sep 20, 2018, at 5:48 PM, Angela Trenkle wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > I have a background in the sciences and tried for six years after graduation > to either get a full time permanent job or into graduate school within the > field, but no luck. > > As of right now, I have a permanent job (not in the sciences), but this field > is still a true passion of mine and I was wondering if it was possible to > continue being a part of this field, but as a volunteer. I truly enjoy being > a part of it and there are certain areas that I still want to go and help out > with research. > > I'd be willing to take the vacation time off and pay any necessary fees. My > main question was do scientists still welcome help on projects, not > necessarily citizen science based, even if the person doing the help is not a > scientist themselves (but has the passion, experience, and background)? > > Thanks, > Angela
