Individual Placement - Botany Crew Lead

Student Conservation Association • Fort Collins, CO

19d

About The Position

This position will support rare and native plant conservation restoration. This
FS unit spans from short grass prairie to alpine and thus includes a variety of
distinct and complex vegetative communities, including several rare and endemic
species. Field work will involve off trail hiking in many settings including
prairies, forests, meadows, fens, and streams. Office work will primarily
include data entry and GIS exercises. Training in office, field, and safety
protocols will be provided.

Requirements

• Experience identifying plants to species-level using a dichotomous key
• Must be willing to occasionally work with herbicides. Training on safe handling and use will be provided
• Ability to spend long hours outdoors, often hiking over uneven terrain, with a heavy pack in various temperatures and weather conditions
• Experience using desktop and mobile mapping software including Avenza, ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, AGOL, Field Maps and/or Survey123
• Ability to navigate in the field using a GPS unit or a tablet, field navigation apps, and/or paper maps and compass
• Driver’s license and experience driving trucks on 4x4 roads
• Must be able to work with other people on a crew and under the direction of USFS staff. This position will be expected to lead a 1-3 person field crew
• Ability to work independently, organize, and problem solve
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• A positive attitude, professionalism, and willingness to learn

Nice To Haves

• Experience collecting plant population and community data, including cover, frequency, height, and other methods of characterizing vegetation
• Familiarity with collecting seed and the Seeds of Success protocol
• Completed bachelor's degree in botany, ecology, natural resources, or a related field
• Familiar with flora of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Responsibilities

• Rare plant and rangeland condition surveys
• Crew lead will be responsible for leading surveys for new and revisiting known populations of rare plants.
• Identify common and rare flora of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as apply various methods for field survey, population monitoring, and data collection.
• Crew lead will be responsible for conducting monitoring of established long-term rangeland condition plots
• Native plant restoration
• Crew lead will support native plant restoration work forest-wide by preparing seed mixes, scouting for and collecting native seed, and managing invasive species populations (this may include working with herbicides)
• Data management
• Crew lead will be responsible for data collection, entry, quality assurance, and reporting.
• This will include creating maps and reports that communicate where surveys occurred and where rare species were found.

Benefits

• Living Allowance – $750/week
• One-time Travel Allowance – $1,500
• Housing Allowance - $400/month
• Federal Holiday Off (if required to work, an alternative day will be scheduled off)
• Defensive Driving Training
• First Aid/CPR
• Off-Road Vehicle Safety

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level