Part-Time Wildlife Technician

Colorado State University•Lancaster, CA

1d•$19 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

One part-time Wildlife Technician position is available with the Colorado State University (CSU) Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) located at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The position will be part-time, 6-10 hours/week, and not exceed 9 months. Hours and days of the week can be fixed or flexible dependent on the selected candidate’s availability. This position provides training and hands-on experience and is well-suited to early-career professionals as well as individuals transitioning into natural resources or returning to the workforce. The selected candidate will have opportunities to explore or deepen experience in the fields of ecology, wildlife management, botany, invasive plant management, and military lands management while performing field and office work alongside CEMML biologists.

Requirements

Experience or interest in performing outdoor biological field work
Education or interest in wildlife ecology and management
Experience or interest in public outreach, particularly related to wildlife or human-wildlife conflict
Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully through email, phone, and in-person interactions (e.g., coordinating schedules, engaging with the public, and working with team members and military personnel)
Aptitude for working independently and as part of a team
Dedication to supporting natural resource management activities that align with military training, research, and operations objectives
Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license by the employment start date.
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by proposed start date; the department will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Must pass a federal background investigation to obtain a Department of Defense Installation Access Pass.
Must work in remote field conditions, on uneven terrain, and in potentially harsh desert weather.

Nice To Haves

Experience performing fieldwork in the Mojave Desert, or working under similarly harsh environmental conditions
Experience surveying for and/or handling wild desert tortoises
Experience handling any wildlife species (birds, bats, rabbits, bobcats, etc.)
Education or experience identifying Mojave Desert native and invasive plants
Experience educating the public about wildlife or natural resource issues
Experience on a military installation

Responsibilities

Provide support to the Edwards Air Force Base Natural Resources Program through the completion of wildlife & natural resource surveys, outreach and education, and geospatial data management.
Assist with surveys for desert tortoises and threatened/endangered/sensitive species, including searching for animals and their sign (scat, tracks) and mapping ground disturbance after construction activities to document changes in habitat.
Participate in human-wildlife conflict mitigation and management by helping respond to reports of nuisance or injured wildlife on base (may include humane handling of wildlife under supervision), following up with residents or workers on base who have concerns about wildlife, or attending public outreach events to educate the base population about desert wildlife.
Help perform surveys of fences, pitfalls, desert tortoise road signs, and off-road vehicle areas to inform the natural resources program of infrastructure that needs repair.
Investigate reports and conduct surveys of unauthorized trash dumps on base, and either removing it or coordinating clean-up and removal with external vendors.
Revise and create tables and graphs for reports and management plans.
Utilize GIS to manage data collected in surveys and observations to create maps or tables, or conducting aerial imagery inspections to analyze land disturbance patterns.
Conduct invasive plant surveys or treatments.
Provide support to other projects at Edwards Air Force Base as needed, including other wildlife surveys or recreation management.