Field Technician, Gulf Coast

Atlanta Botanical Garden Inc•Tallahassee, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s (ABG) Conservation & Research Department is seeking a Field Technician to assist with field work and data entry related to several projects located throughout the Florida panhandle and lower Alabama. This is a field-based position with the ability to work from home during data entry activities. This position has variable hours (up to 40 hours/week) depending on project needs and plant phenology. The position requires overnight trips of up to 4 nights at a time. Fuel, lodging, and meals are covered during these trips. This is a temporary position beginning in early May and ending in September or October, upon completion of 987 hours

Requirements

Must be organized, detail-oriented, adaptable, and a good communicator
Associate or Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Botany, Biotechnology, Horticulture, or related field preferred
Prior experience with seed collection is highly desired
Prior experience or skills in field data collection, plant identification, use of GPS and mapping tools, and navigation in challenging terrain is highly desired
Work occasional independent field days and regular overnight trips during peak field season
Ability to maintain a positive attitude in adverse conditions required
Must have a valid Driver’s License
Must be able to lift and carry up to 40 lbs
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Effectively respond to multiple, changing, and often conflicting priorities
Ability to spend long periods standing, walking, crouching, bending, and kneeling in the field in various conditions, including the presence of extreme heat and humidity, thick vegetation, biting insects, and venomous snakes.

Responsibilities

Inventorying and monitoring of rare, threatened, endangered, and culturally significant in-situ plant populations across the Florida panhandle and lower Alabama
Searching for new populations of rare species
Assisting with field collection of seed, leaf tissue, cuttings, herbarium vouchers, and other plant materials using methods consistent with department protocols
Landowner outreach
Support field-related operations in and out of the field, including preparation for fieldwork, driving ABG or personal vehicles to and from field sites and ensuring that all equipment, data, and samples are organized at the end of fieldwork
Maintain and prepare data for reporting
Track work by updating “project diaries” to document daily and weekly work accomplished to meet objectives for multiple grant-funded projects
Safely and efficiently drive ABG Gulf Projects field vehicles on rough terrain
Follow established field and safety protocols
Utilize mobile phones, Survey123, FieldMaps, and Gaia GPS in the field to collect data
Create simple maps in ArcGIS for field use
Apply for research and collection permits as needed