Pollinator Monitoring Technician (USFWS, Multiple Locations)

GREAT BASIN INSTITUTE•Wayan, ID

10d•$1 - $1

About The Position

The Research Associate Program at GBI, in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service is recruiting up to six (6) AmeriCorps members to serve as Pollinator Monitoring Technicians to serve at one of the following National Wildlife Refuges: Little Pend Oreille, Sheldon-Hart Mountain, Bear Lake, Minidoka, Camas, or Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Wet, mesic, and upland meadows within sagebrush steppe and forested ecoregions increase structural diversity and complexity of habitats and support a diversity of at-risk wildlife (e.g., greater sage-grouse, monarch butterfly, western bumble bee). Meadow and shrub-steppe habitats in the Rocky Mountain and Inter-Mountain Basin eco-regions are threatened by invasive species and altered ecological processes that can reduce native forbs and floral resources available to pollinators. Because pollinators within these habitats respond to patchy distributions of environmental conditions at relatively small spatial scales, monitoring for at-risk species including butterflies and bumble bees, is essential to better understand the habitat needs of these important pollinator species. This project continues and expands on wet meadow restoration and pollinator monitoring initiated at Southeast Idaho NWRC to encompass larger geographic and temporal scales, as well as upland meadows and shrub-steppe habitats. This project will enable regional comparisons of pollinators, floral resources, habitat management actions, and abiotic conditions (e.g., elevation, climate, etc).

Requirements

(This AmeriCorps position is open to US Citizens, Nationals, or Permanent Residents age 17 or older.)
Knowledge and interest in habitat and wildlife management.
Prior experience with biological (e.g., wildlife, vegetation) and hydrological survey techniques.
Experience with MS Word, MS Excel, and other basic computer skills.
Experience with ArcPro and ArcGIS On-Line, and associated ESRI apps (e.g., FieldMaps, Survey123, etc.) preferred.
Experience utilizing hand-held GPS units and/or PDRs for navigation and/or data collection.
Experience downloading data from handheld GPS units and/or PDRs.
Experience with R and R-studio, preferred, but not required.
Willingness to travel to other refuges as necessary.
Experience operating 4WD trucks on and off-road, including mountain forest roads.
Knowledge and experience in operating off highway vehicles, which includes Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV), and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), desirable.
Experience with towing and backing-up a trailer, desirable.
Must provide a valid driver’s license and possess a clean driving record.
Tolerant of working in variable weather conditions, willing and able to work outdoors in adverse weather conditions and areas with ticks, mosquitoes, or other biting insects, and able to hike 2-5+ miles daily on uneven terrain.
Successful applicants may be required to complete a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI) or submit paperwork to USFWS human resources indicating an active and fully adjudicated BI has already been completed prior to beginning position. If you already have a fully adjudicated BI, please let us know in your application.
AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limited to earning equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) name search and federal criminal background check, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.

Nice To Haves

Ability to self-direct and self-motivate.
Possess good organization skills.
Have good attention to detail for entering data electronically and quality assurance/quality control of data.
Ability to perform physical labor for extended periods of time (e.g., bending over, hauling material, hiking).
Ability to work productively as part of a team and independently.
Good communication skills.
Good scientific writing skills.

Responsibilities

Assess pollinators and floral resources in meadows and shrub-steppe in relation to habitat management (e.g., invasive species control, prescribed fire, out-planting, etc.) and hydrologic and climatic conditions (e.g., surface water flooding, precipitation, etc.).
Examine pollinator community composition, diversity, and pollinator/floral resource interaction matrices at multiple geographic and temporal scales.
Evaluate efficacy of herbaceous meadows and shrub-steppe habitat restoration actions during the short term (1-2 years) and long-term (5+ years).
Contribute bumble bee data to the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas to inform regional bumble bee distribution, health, and habitat needs.
Survey bumble bees, butterflies, and floral resources within herbaceous meadows and shrub-steppe using a standardized protocol across all refuges.
Survey habitat condition to evaluate efficacy of habitat management and restoration actions.
Conduct management actions to enhance or restore native meadow and shrub/steppe habitats.
Assist with data management and preliminary analyses as time permits.
Contribute to a regional-scale monitoring protocol for bumble bees and butterflies.
Assist with other biological surveys on the refuges as time permits.

Benefits

Living Allowance: $650.00 biweekly (before taxes).
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (450 hour or 675 hour): $1,956.35 for a 450 hour term & $2,817.14 for a 675 hour term upon successful completion.
Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance.
$25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost.
Access to Pro Deals.
Eligibility for SNAP benefits, Loan Forbearance, and Loan Interest Accrual Repayment.
Housing: Housing at Camas, Grays Lake, Minidoka, Little Pend Oreille, and Sheldon-Hart Mountain Refuges will be provided to the selected participant at no additional cost.
Housing for field work at the Kaniksu Unit of Little Pend Orielle NWR will be provided at either Little Pend Orielle NWR, 13 miles southeast of Colville, WA or Turnbull NWR, near Cheney, WA.
Housing consists of shared dormitory-style rooms in a Refuge bunkhouse with shared kitchen, bathrooms, and common areas.
Housing at Bear Lake NWR will be either a camp trailer with hook-ups at the Refuge OR if on-site housing is not available a housing stipend of $400 biweekly will be provided to the selected participant.
After successfully completing an AmeriCorps term of service members are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Award varies based on term of service. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.
If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.
As an AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.
AmeriCorps Volunteers become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).