Botany & Restoration Field Technician

In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service Spring Mountains National
Recreation Area (SMNRA), the Great Basin Institute is recruiting up to
three (3) Field Technicians to work cooperatively as part of a larger team
on botany, avian biology and restoration initiatives. The Technicians will
focus a majority of their efforts on a variety of rare plant and butterfly
host plant inventories for trail construction and campground improvement
projects. Technicians will also assist with implementation of long-term
monitoring projects for rare plant species. Other projects may include
identification and collection of native plant seeds for restoration
projects, conducting migratory and nesting bird surveys, as well as small-
scale riparian and arid land restoration projects. Collectively, the team
is responsible for data collection, entry and analysis; report writing;
project planning and mapping; and other tasks assigned by SMNRA resource
biologists. Opportunities to collaborate with other GBI crews at the SMNRA
(e.g.: archaeology crew), and participate in trainings (e.g., GIS) are
available.

Compensation:
o $10,200 Living Allowance
o $2,675 AmeriCorps Education Award*
o Student loan forbearance*
o Daily field per diem
o Medical and dental benefits
o Optional housing offered in USFS Spring Mountains NRA dormitory or
trailer in Mt. Charleston, NV

* AmeriCorps Education Award may be used for past, present or future
education experiences, including payment of qualifying federal student
loans.

Timeline:
o April 18, 2011 – October 28, 2011
o Full time, minimum 40 hours per week

Location:
o Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (25 miles North and West of
Las Vegas, NV)

Qualifications:
Technical requirements:
o Experience conducting botanical field work;
o Coursework in plant taxonomy and or systematics (transcripts may be
requested);
o Knowledge of southwestern flora and fauna and/or ability to learn
southwestern flora and fauna;
o Experience using a plant key without pictures is critical;
o Experience conducting plant surveys using various protocols. Monitoring
protocols include collecting repeat photography, and transect and quadrat
systematic sampling;
o Experience working with hand-held GPS equipment for navigation and data
collection;
o Knowledge of GIS software, highly desirable but not required; and
o Experience with technical writing and/or producing written project/grant
reports.
o Experience with restoration techniques (e.g., seed collection)

Additional requirements:
o Possess a valid, state-issued drivers license and clean driving record;
o Experience operating 4WD trucks in an on paved and unpaved roads,
including narrow, mountain forest roads;
o Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual
goals;
o Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and
a diverse public;
o Possess good organizational skills;
o Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in all
types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40
pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition; and
o Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal
resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education
Award (limit of four in a lifetime, or equivalent of two full-time terms
of service), and (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR)
and federal criminal background checks.

How to Apply:
Qualified and interested applicants should forward a cover letter, their
résumé, and a list of three professional references to Stacy Mitchell,
Recruitment Coordinator at smitchell@thegreatbasininstitute.org. Please
include where you found this position posted.

This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national
origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation,
or religion. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.