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Careers in the Plant SciencesSOS Field Technician: USFWS - MidwestChicago Botanic Garden - Glencoe, IL, USA
Position Title:
SOS Field Technician: USFWS - Midwest
Position Type:
Temporary Position
Application Review Begins:
Wednesday, February 01, 2023
Application Deadline:
Friday, April 28, 2023
Institution:
Chicago Botanic Garden
Department/Division:
Conservation Training
Field (e.g., systematics):
Seed collection, restoration, field botany
City:
Glencoe, IL, USA
General Information:
These Field Technician roles (3) are funded by an assistance agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 22 weeks, working on a Seeds of Success (SOS) collection crew, making collections at wildlife refuges within the USFWS Region 3 – Midwest, while based out of the Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe campus.
The full-time Field Technician roles will be responsible for helping plan and execute scouting and native seed collection efforts as part of the SOS program. This team will likely spend 90% of their time in the field and may perform some seed cleaning late in the season. The anticipated schedule is four, 10-hour days per week to make the most of travel time to and from the field. Some camping and overnight travel will also be required for hitches across the region, including to refuges in Iowa and Minnesota. The anticipated start date of the position is May 22, 2023, with an anticipated term of 22 weeks, and an end date of October 19, 2023. A work vehicle for the crew will be provided.
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Bachelor of science in botany, plant science, ecology, biology, or a related field
- Strong plant identification skills with a dichotomous key and knowledge of plant taxonomy; strong knowledge of plant biology and ecology - Knowledge of midwestern flora - Experience scouting, planning, and conducting seed collections (through SOS programs or other seed handling/collecting work) - Experience leading a field team or other supervisory experience - Experience working with agency, academic, private, or non-profit partners to coordinate, plan, and execute fieldwork on public or private lands - Experience maintaining accurate and detailed data records (in field and in electronic databases – Excel/Access) - Capable of conducting field work safely in rough terrain in harsh environmental conditions - Experience hiking and camping, and the willingness to do so for this position - Experience driving large field vehicles with 4-wheel drive; driving on gravel and dirt roads - Wilderness First Aid or other field safety training - Excellent organization skills and ability to handle several projects and deadlines at once - Self-starter, independent worker, able to learn quickly and adapt to challenges
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate with USFWS and Chicago Botanic Garden staff to plan field operations and solve logistical problems, as well as incorporating safety plans for conducting field work safely. - Identify potential collection locations of priority species through scouting, analysis of herbarium records, previous SOS collections, and vegetation mapping. - Collect 3 herbarium vouchers for each potential collection site. Take appropriate photos as instructed in SOS protocol. - Monitor phenology of target plant populations to plan and execute collections - Ensure collection of all required population scouting data, seed collection data, and photos are properly recorded and shared with Chicago Botanic Garden and USFWS - Update and maintain all required population and geospatial data. Complete SOS data sheets for each collection. - As part of the team, make seed collections using the BLM SOS protocol https://www.blm.gov/SOS. - Ensure quality, accuracy, and timeliness of seed collections and data provided by the collection crew. - Participate in weekly calls with Chicago Botanic Garden and USFWS and monthly national SOS calls - Maintain running Field Report spreadsheet with road and trail mileage, as well as number of potential collection sites assessed, and number of collection sites monitored for seed ripening. - Communicates to all parties clearly, effectively and timely - Timely, accurate reporting of time and effort activities, adherence to all Chicago Botanic Garden policies and procedures for employees, and communication with the Chicago Botanic Garden manager. - Timely completion of end-of-season duties, including data entry into SOS Data Portal, and final report.
Application Instructions (submission methods, etc.):
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references at: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=21ef98a3-d325-4110-a85a-7729320b6f80&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=431609〈=en_US&source=EN
Compensation Range:
$20/hr
Contact Name:
Chris Woolridge, cwoolridge@chicagobotanic.org
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