Oferta para expertos en biodiversidad monitoreando aves e invertebrados

Oferta compartida por Cristina

Monitoring Assistant - Hope Farm

We are seeking an experienced and versatile biodiversity surveyor to monitor birds, butterflies and other invertebrates at RSPB Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire. The role will continue a long-running annual programme of bird and butterfly surveys and measuring responses of soils and invertebrates to agricultural sustainability trials. The role includes preparing regular reports on the monitoring results, which provide valuable high-profile evidence for the conservation and environmental work of RSPB.

What's the role about?

The wildlife of Hope Farm has been monitored continuously since 2000 when the RSPB took over its management. In this time the farm has been run as a commercial arable farm with standard agri-environment measures. Monitoring has shown that this resulted in large, resilient increases in farmland birds, butterflies and bumblebees and this monitoring evidence has been widely publicised. More recently, the Hope Farm strategy has switched to testing more environmentally sustainable farming practices, focussed on a move towards reducing carbon emissions alongside demonstrating agri-environment management.

The monitoring role has also evolved to provide the finer scale, spatial data necessary to measure biodiversity impacts of farming trials, including work on agroforestry and cover crops. The core bird/butterfly monitoring still forms the basis of this role but increasingly the monitoring assistant will contribute to and help develop the collection and lab analysis of invertebrate and soil samples. The role will be based at Hope Farm and will occasionally involve helping with other farm tasks, including showing visitors our work. The successful candidate will join the small team who run the farm along with teams of volunteers.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience The ability to identify all farmland birds in the field and to conduct general mapping surveys, particularly territory mapping using Common Bird Census methodology.
The ability to identify all farmland butterflies in the field, in order to conduct butterfly transect surveys.
Experience of sampling invertebrates and identifying specimens to at least Order level in the laboratory.
You will thrive on working outdoors performing ecological fieldwork and will have a track record of working independently, managing your own time and operating safely on a working arable farm. Fieldwork will require working flexible hours in order to perform surveys at appropriate times of day (e.g. dawn starts for breeding bird surveys)
You will be a strong team-player with good interpersonal skills suited to working as an integral part of the Hope Farm team and leading groups of volunteers.
Familiarity and experience of using data handling software including GIS packages (we use ArcGIS and Microsoft Office software).
Good verbal and written communication skills for reporting the monitoring results to a range of audiences and stakeholders.
A full UK driving licence (to use farm vehicles and to reach the farm, which is not served by public transport)

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience: A degree in a relevant field
Knowledge of the ecology and conservation of farmland wildlife
Knowledge of UK farming systems
Experience of sampling soil characteristics (physical, chemical, microbiology, etc.)
Knowledge of soil ecology
Field or laboratory identification knowledge for additional taxonomic groups such as plants or other orders of invertebrates.
A British Trust for Ornithology ringing license
Experience of bird nest recording

This is a Permanent role for 37.5 hours per week, based at RSPB Hope Farm (Knapwell, Cambridgeshire CB23 4NR).

Interviews will be conducted remotely on Microsoft Teams on 14 November. For further information please contact Dr Dave Buckingham david.buckingham@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.


Monitoring Assistant - Hope Farm
Reference: OCT20223351
Expiry date: 2022-10-28 22:59:00.000
Location: Hope Farm
Salary: £26,180.00 - £27,161.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, 26 days Annual Leave
Attachments: CandidateGuidanceNotes.pdf