Ecology Assistant (52 Weeks) - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy • Fort Collins, CO

1d • $775 • Hybrid

About The Position

This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The Pollinator Ecology Assistant will implement natural resource inventory protocols to collect data on pollinator occurrence, relative abundance, and variety (including species of conservation concern such as the Western Bumble Bee and monarch butterfly), and plant-pollinator interactions to help parks make management decisions to support pollinators. This position will assist the Inventory and Assessment Program (I&A) to meet park natural resource management needs in inventory and monitoring, increase collaboration with partners at Colorado State University, support science communication for NPS inventory projects, and support I&A pollinator database efforts.

Requirements

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
• Must be available to participate for the entire 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
• Ability to participate with a team.
• Collaborate to solve problems.
• Complete projects independently with minimal supervision.
• Collect data following protocols.
• Analyze and translate scientific information.
• Pay attention to detail.
• Complete projects in a rugged field setting.
• Experience with former jobs outside during the summer months is a must.
• Must be able to relocate to within commuting distance of Fort Collins, Colorado.
• A valid driver's license is required and the successful candidate must be able to pass a motor vehicle background check.
• Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.

Nice To Haves

• Recent college graduate with an undergraduate or graduate degree in ecology, entomology, biology, zoology, botany, natural resource management, wildlife biology, or related fields with coursework in ecology, GIS, computer programming/coding, entomology, and plant identification.
• Experience in bumble bee identification.
• Native plant identification (especially Rocky Mountain fauna).
• Lepidoptera identification.
• Statistical analysis.
• Data management and visualization.
• Proficiency in R.

Responsibilities

• Collecting bumble bee, butterfly, and vegetation data to support a pollinator inventory at Rocky Mountain National Park (40%)
• Entering, summarizing, and analyzing data (10%)
• Participating in science communication and outreach for the Inventory and Assessment Program (10%)
• Report writing (15%)
• Assisting with NPS pollinator database and data visualization projects (15%)
• Other tasks as assigned (10%)
• Collecting data on pollinator species presence, abundance, variety, and plant-pollinator interactions in collaboration with NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division and Colorado State University.
• Completing training in field protocols, bumble bee and butterfly identification, and field safety.
• Sampling bumble bees and butterflies using non-lethal methods.
• Documenting plant-pollinator associations.
• Taking voucher photos of pollinators.
• Entering and cleaning data.
• Performing data analysis.
• Compiling results.
• Assisting with ongoing NPS pollinator database projects, which may include compiling and organizing datasets, generating species lists, developing R code to improve database function, and helping generate new ways to visualize NPS pollinator data.
• Operating in outdoor settings, including hiking up to 5 miles per day in variable weather conditions at elevations up to 12,000 ft.
• Writing projects.
• A conference presentation (oral or poster).
• Science communication (e.g. web articles, presentations for park visitors, etc.).
• Presenting their project at a professional meeting.
• Photographing pollinators using macrophotography.
• Uploading observations to Bumble Bee Watch.
• Completing an in-depth writing project.
• Assisting with report writing.
• Creating web articles and interpretive programming or materials, or other science communication deliverables as part of their requirements.

Benefits

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 7,395.00 upon successful completion of position (pre-tax)
• Weekly Living Allowance: $ 775.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
• Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck) (pre-tax)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in) for 52-week positions only
• Childcare Coverage (opt in) for 52-week positions only
• Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED