Kirtlandia Intern - Natural Areas

Cleveland Museum of Natural History • Cleveland, OH

3d

About The Position

The Mentor Marsh Intern assists researchers on a study investigating the density of rare and secretive marsh birds as a function of habitat within the greater Mentor Marsh ecosystem. This project, now in its second year, detects marsh bird species via several detection methods. The intern will download audio files from SD cards in acoustic recording units (ARUs), organize audio files onto an external drive, and assist with avian point counts. The intern may also assist with vegetation surveys and collection of abiotic data. The intern will also be working with partner organizations such as Ornithology Professor Sean Williams, Ph.D. at Cuyahoga Community College and the City of Mentor Natural Resources employees.

This is an 8-week program at 40 hours per week (320 hours) with the hopes to start May 18th, but the exact dates can be arranged with your direct supervisor. The successful candidate must also have reliable transportation to Mentor Marsh. Interns will present their internship-related activities at the Friends of CMNH annual August luncheon meeting, which usually takes place the second Saturday of August but has yet to be confirmed. More information can be found here: Internships | Cleveland Museum of Natural History [https://www.cmnh.org/get-involved/internships]

Requirements

• Program applicants must be attending an accredited college or university or must have graduated from college within six months prior to application submittal
• Ability to recognize calls of secretive marsh birds and identify birds in flight
• Basic knowledge of wetland flora and fauna
• Ability to use GPS/phone applications to navigate to waypoints
• Proven ability to organize large sets of data
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail
• Ability to communicate effectively both written and orally
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google Suite applications

Responsibilities

• Use various detection methods to monitor marsh bird activities, including automated recording units (ARUs), motion-detecting trail cameras, and timed point counts
• Be up early in the morning to listen for bird calls for the breeding bird survey point counts. Morning surveys begin 30 minutes before sunrise, with arrival to the first point count 10 minutes beforehand to get set up. The earliest sunrise will be 5:50 a.m. around the summer solstice in mid-June
• Monitor, collect, and evaluate data on marsh animals, vegetation, and abiotic factors
• Using data collected, create maps using GIS software
• Review the images captured by the cameras at the ARUs
• Going off trail and moving through the marsh with uneven footing and standing water
• Perform other related duties as assigned

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed