January 2009

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is looking for 2 volunteers to assist with a USGS-USFWS cooperative study of nesting ecology of Kittlitz’s murrelet. Duration of one position will be 12 May 2009-21 September 2009 and the second position 12 May 2009-7 August 2009. Incumbent should be very fit, enjoy camping and strenuous hikes in mountainous terrain, and relish isolated duty in a hostile environment. Volunteers will spend the first 2 weeks involved in orientation, safety training, and preparation for field deployment. During the following 8 - 15 weeks, volunteers and refuge biologists will conduct the study out of remote camps located in mountain valleys of southwestern Kodiak Island. A final week will be spent in Kodiak summarizing records, debriefing staff, and storing field gear. Study tasks will include: recording audio-visual observations of murrelets; searching for nests on steep slopes, monitoring nesting biology; and habitat sampling around nest sites. Ideal candidates will have experience in conducting inland surveys for marbled murrelets, camping in extreme and isolated conditions, and working in bear country. The Fish and Wildlife Service will pay round-trip airfare to Kodiak; provide housing and pay for meals in Kodiak; and pay all field costs except personal clothing. Interested candidates should email Bill Pyle (Bill_Pyle@fws.gov <mailto:Bill_Pyle@fws.gov>_), with cc. to John_Piatt@usgs.gov <mailto:John_Piatt@usgs.gov>_) a cover letter summarizing your interest and background, a resume, and list of 3 references with contact info. For more information, call Bill Pyle, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, at 1-888-408-3514 or 907-487-0228.

USFWS - Summer/Fall Employment Opportunity Agassiz NWR

Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 61,500 acres in size and consists of more than 40,000 acres of wetland, 10,000 acres of shrubland, 7,000 acres of forestland, and 4,250 acres of grassland.  The Refuge also contains 4,000 acres of black spruce-tamarack bog that is designated as ‘Wilderness Area’ by the National Wilderness Preservation System.  The Refuge hosts nearly 300 bird species, with almost half of these nesting on the Refuge.  Seventeen species of ducks nest at Agassiz and in an average year 7,500 pairs nest there.  Because of the Refuge’s importance to a variety of migratory birds, it was recently designated as a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy.  Forty-nine species of mammals, 12 species of amphibians, and 9 species of reptiles also call the Refuge home.  Federally threatened gray wolves, moose, black bears, bald eagles, Franklin’s gulls, American bitterns, trumpeter swans, and Le Conte’s and Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrows are several of the Refuge’s ‘highlight’ species.

The Refuge is located only an hour from Grand Forks, ND (population 50,000) and twenty minutes from Thief River Falls, MN (pop. 8,500).  Government housing, in the form of a new bunkhouse, is available. 

If you have questions or need more information, contact one of the following Agassiz NWR employees:  Gregg Knutsen (218-449-4115, ext. 204, gregg_knutsen@fws.gov), Maggie Anderson (218-449-4115, ext. 202, margaret_anderson@fws.gov), or Becky Carlson (218-449-4115, ext. 211, becky_carlson@fws.gov).

Position Title:  Biological Science Tech. (General) GS-04 or GS-05 (2 positions)
Duty Location:  Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (Middle River, MN)
Length of Service:  Full-time (40 hours/week), seasonal (April or May through August, September, or October, 2009 – depending on candidate availability)
Pay:  $13.18/hour (GS-04) or $14.74/hour (GS-05)
Employment Conditions:  This position will be filled through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP).  To qualify, the following criteria must be met: be at least 16 years of age; be a U.S. citizen; be enrolled in an accredited 4-year college or university, graduate, or professional school; attend school full- or part-time; be a student in good standing with the academic institution (a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher); meet the qualifications for the position and grade level.  At the GS-04 grade level this position requires successful completion of 2 years of study beyond high school that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, entomology, animal husbandry, botany, physics, agriculture, or mathematics OR 6 months of general experience in the biological field.  At the GS-05 grade level this position requires successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown above for GS-04 OR 1 year of general experience in the biological field. 
Position Description:  The incumbent will be assigned to Agassiz NWR.  They will assist Refuge staff with a variety of biological program duties, including but not limited to waterfowl and waterbird surveys, grouse surveys, Franklin’s gull research, a water quality investigation, invasive species monitoring, sedge restoration research, upland and wetland vegetation inventories, and avian influenza surveillance (to include duck banding and cloacal sample extraction).  Other duties may include prescribed fire implementation, data entry and analysis, environmental outreach, and basic maintenance activities. 
Application:  Applicants should submit a resume, including at least three references, transcripts (copies are acceptable), and an OF-306 (Declaration for Federal Employment) to Agassiz NWR.  The OF-306 can be downloaded from the internet at www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf.  Applicants are also encouraged to submit an additional narrative which addresses the applicant’s ability and experience in collecting wildlife and habitat data, conducting surveys, working effectively in teams, as well as independently, and a knowledge and/or understanding of computers.
Applications must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2009 and sent to:
Agassiz NWR (ATTN: Gregg Knutsen), 22996 290th St. NE, Middle River, MN 56737
If you have any questions or need more information email or call Gregg Knutsen, Wildlife Biologist at:  gregg_knutsen@fws.gov, 218-449-4115, ext. 204         

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USFWS - Summer Employment Opportunity Yukon Flats NWR

ALASKA WILDLIFE TECHNICIANS NEEDED: Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge seeks self-motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated indviduals to assist in data collection. Major duties will include capturing pre-nesting lesser scaup during molt, and capturing and banding dabbling ducks. Other duties may include constructing traps for lesser scaup capture and data entry. We are looking for applicants with a strong desire to live in a remote field camp and the ability to maintin a positive attitude under difficult field conditions including hot and cold temperatures, long days searching heavily wooded and brushy habitats, mosquitoes, flies, and brown and black bears. Personnel are required to carry firearms in the field for bear protection. Camp life is primitive and all pertinent field gear is provided. Watercraft, aircraft, firearms, and bear safety courses are also provided. The employment period will be mid-May through late August. Pay is up to GS-7 level (about $3,100 per month plus overtime), depending on education and experience.

To apply: a) Applicants must be enrolled, at least half time, in a degree seeking program in fall 2009. Other applicants are not eligible. b) Email a letter of interest and resume or CV with references to Bryce Lake by 15 February (907-456-0503, Bryce_Lake@fws.gov [email preferred]).

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USFWS - Summer Employment Opportunity Yukon Delta NWR

ALASKA WILDLIFE TECHNICIANS NEEDED (4):  Yukon Delta NWR seeks U.S. citizens who are self-motivated, enthusiastic individuals to assist in collection of nesting data for Pacific black brant and emperor geese and spectacled and common eiders.  Salary is up to GS-05 (about $3000/mo.), depending on experience.  Two positions are available for 14 weeks (mid-April – end of July) and two are available for 10 weeks (mid-May – end of July).  Duties include locating nests, monitoring nest status, resighting and capturing incubating females.  Other work includes capturing and banding flightless cackling cackling geese and tundra swans.  Most captured birds will likely be sampled for avian influenza.  Field work occurs in very remote settings with crews consisting of 6 – 10 biologists and individuals may be in the field for up to 10 weeks.  We are unable to accommodate departures for weddings, family/class reunions, etc.  Camp life is communal, with a common cook tent and individual sleeping tents.  While in the field, we provide food.  Work involves walking 16 – 25 km per day across mud, ponds, and uneven tundra wearing hip waders or waist-high waders, often in inclement weather.  While in Bethel, bunkhouse facilities are available.

The refuge seeks applicants who are in excellent physical shape and can work effectively alone and as part of a team.  In addition, prior experience camping in a remote setting, identifying nesting birds, and reading leg bands and nasal discs is a plus; but is not required.  The refuge has a diverse biological program and the employee may be asked to assist non-waterfowl projects or to provide logistic support for them.

Applicants who will be enrolled in at least a half-time course load seeking a degree at an accredited school in fall 2009 are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this great opportunity to gain valuable field experience.  Non-competitive selection will be made in accordance with the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP).  Interested persons should send a letter of interest and resume or CV with references to Mike Wege, Box 346, Bethel, AK 99559 by 13 February 2009 (907-543-1010, mailto:Michael_wege@fws.gov [email preferred]).

Note: Applicants who will not be enrolled in school in fall 2009 must also apply for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seasonal register for summer jobs in Alaska.  This is a competitive selection process and applications for the seasonal employment register are accepted only during January 2009.  The vacancy announcement for this register will be on the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov.  Follow website application instructions for the Biological Science Technician (Wildlife) and Biological Science Technician (Birds) vacancy announcements.

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USFWS - Summer Employment Opportunity Arctic NWR

The announcements for 2009, avian technician positions on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge opened today (January 2) and will remain open until January 23.  To review the announcements and apply go to USAjobs at: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/.

Similar to last year, each refuge and field station in Alaska will be recruiting for their own specific positions rather than one state-wide listing.  There is one important change from previous years. Rehire eligibility will only apply for the station where employees worked last year.  So if you worked at another refuge in 2008 and want to work at Arctic in 2009, you will need to apply to the Arctic Refuge announcements.
Also if you worked for me last year, but would like to be considered for a higher grade level position, be sure to apply for the specific position.

I expect to hire 4 to 6 technicians at various grade levels.  There will be two main projects:  distribution, abundance and nest ecology of Smith's Longspurs (late May to early July) and ecology of post-breeding shorebirds (mid July to the end of August).  Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on these projects or have any questions.

Also please pass this information on to others who may be interested.

Sincerely,
Steve Kendall

Steve Kendall
Ornithologist
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
101 12th Ave, Room 236
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Ph: (907) 456-0303
Fax: (907) 456-0428
steve_kendall@fws.gov

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TERN COLONY MANAGERS (2-4), ASSISTANTS (2-4), and INTERNS (1-4) are needed to restore rare and endangered terns to Bird, Ram, and Penikese Islands in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. These islands support nearly half the North American population of the federally endangered Roseate Tern; active management to protect the population is critical to recovery. Activities include censusing of Common, Roseate, and Arctic Terns, monitoring tern growth and productivity, participating in studies of birds carrying transmitters and geolocators, trapping and banding adults and chicks, reading bands on adults through spotting scopes, identifying prey items, salvaging eggs for contaminants analysis, discouragement/censusing of nesting gulls, maintaining field notebooks, and data management. Managers will supervise assistants/interns and write an end-of-season report. Field crew is 2-3 persons per island. RAM/BIRD: Crews will live in a crew house (provided) on the mainland and travel to islands on a daily basis in a small boat on a 6 day/week schedule. Managers and/or assistants should have prior experience in handling outboard motorboats, but basic training will be provided to all staff. PENIKESE: Crew will set up and live in a field camp on the island and work on a 5-7 day/week schedule depending on weather conditions and on an irregular boat schedule to the island (boating skills not required). Applicants must be able to carry heavy field equipment a distance of ½ mile for camp set-up and break-down, and be comfortable living in a remote island setting with limited facilities for up to 2-3 weeks at a time. Mainland housing is available for days off. ALL POSITIONS: Candidates should be self-motivated, mature, have a strong work ethic, pay close attention to detail, be able to live and work cooperatively with others, be able to maintain a positive attitude under a heavy workload, and be in good physical condition. Most incumbents should be willing to use own vehicles. Managers preferably should have previous supervisory and bird banding experience. Assistants should have some previous field experience. Interns: previous field experience looked upon favorably, but enthusiasm and strong work ethic are more important; good opportunity for an undergraduate/recent graduate to gain field skills.
DATES (some flexibility; for some assistants/interns, a much shorter time period may be possible) – BIRD and RAM: Managers 3 May-1 Aug (13 wk); Assistants/Interns 3 May-18 Jul (11 wk). PENIKESE:
Manager/Assistant/Intern 26 Apr-15 Aug (16 wk). SALARY (approximate, based on 6 day work week) – Managers $650-900/wk; Assistants $500-650/wk; Interns $400-550/wk. Send (1) cover letter, (2) Commonwealth of Massachusetts Application for Employment form, downloadable at (URL:
http://www.mass.gov/Ehrd/docs/ceo/forms/ceo_empappl.doc), (3) resume, and (4) names, addresses, telephone, and email addresses for 3 references by 6 Feb 2009 to: PETER BURKE, Personnel Officer, Department of Fish and Game, 251 Causeway St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114. (FX: 617-626-1505. PH: 617-626-1562). For more info, contact CAROLYN MOSTELLO: (PH: 508-389-6372, EM: Carolyn.mostello AT state.ma.us).

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February 2009

Undergraduate Research Opportunity
Toolik Lake Research Site
Brooks Range, Alaska
5 June - 25 August 2009

Application Deadline: Sunday, 15 March 2009

For further information, please contact:
George Kling
Email: gwk@umich.edu
Website: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gwk/

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The Kling Laboratory at the University of Michigan seeks applicants to assist in ecological research at the Toolik Lake Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site this summer. Applicants are sought for both paid research assistant positions (RA) and paid educational fellowships through the NSF Research Experiences for Undergrads (REU) program. The field site is located in the foothills of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska. Fieldwork will run from 5 June through 25 August 2009. For further information about the LTER site, please go to: http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/ARC/ or http://www.uaf.edu/toolik/.

The positions offer an excellent opportunity to gain research experience in ecology and meet outstanding research scientists from around the world. Applicants to both the REU and RA positions will work closely with a group of scientists on projects from microbial ecology to the linkage of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via the movement of carbon and nitrogen. The broad goals of the projects are to understand the dynamics of ecosystem function in soils, streams, and lakes, and how tundra ecosystems will respond to climate change.

The RA positions involve a variety of field sampling, laboratory analysis of nutrients, computer data entry, and involve working in small to medium sized research groups. The REU positions are similar, but students do an individual research project. The REU positions are for second and third year undergraduates only, and applicants must be U.S.
citizens. The RA positions are open to both U.S. and international applicants. Experience in ecology, chemistry, and microbiology is desirable.

If you are interested in applying, please send a resume, names and contact information for references, and a one-page description of your background, including courses, field experience, and goals, to:
George Kling
Email: gwk@umich.edu
Fax: 734-763-0544
Website: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gwk/

The deadline for applications is Sunday, 15 March 2009.

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We're currently recruiting a coordinator position to spearhead the development of the Southeast Alaska  Geospatial Library, a "one-stop shopping" node for researchers, agencies, and educators to obtain (and
share) gis, remote sensing, biogeographical, and environmental/geophysical data, specifically for the Southeast Alaska Region.  This project is a multi–agency partnership that thus far includes the Geographic  Information Network of Alaska (GINA) at the University of Alaska  Southeast , the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish  and Wildlife  Service, the Tongass National Forest , and the Nature Conservancy.  Some of you may recall that we've attempted to recruit a form of this position before, but now, this position is full time, year-round, has full benefits, and - for comparative purposes --  salary and technical levels are targeted to be in the neighborhood of a federal position at the GS-9/11 pay scale.  A good fit for this position would be someone who has a healthy mix of technical savvy, interpersonal and coordination skills, is able to function relatively autonomously, and has some familiarity with Southeast Alaska- or Alaska -based institutions.  The job is currently open through https://www.uakjobs.com and we're looking to hire ASAP.

Click here for more information.

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March 2009

From: Richard_Lanctot@fws.gov
Subject: shorebird biologist position on the Yukon Delta NWR in Alaska

Please forward the information flyers (Attached) to all contacts that may be interested in this position.  This job will likely be open in two weeks on USAJOBS and be flown for three weeks. Brian McCaffery is taking flyers down to the shorebird conference in Mexico where we will have a gathering of the long bills and long legs bunch.

Click here for more information (flyer 1)
Click here for more information (flyer 2)

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One (1) individual is needed from approximately 24 May through 1 August 2009 to assist in Spectacled Eider and Yellow-billed Loon research on the North Slope of Alaska. This is a Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) position through the U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage, Alaska.
Duties include Spectacled Eider and Yellow-billed Loon nest searching, capturing Spectacled Eiders using mist nets and bow traps, data recording, and a variety of field camp maintenance chores. In addition, duties will include field equipment preparation and maintenance in Anchorage. Food, accommodation, transport to the field site and field gear will be provided. Salary will be dependent upon qualifications. Per hourly rates
are: GS-4 $11.57 plus 23% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), GS-5 $12.95 plus 23% COLA, GS-6 $14.43 plus 23% COLA, and GS-7 $16.04 plus 23% COLA.

Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the federal service. Temporary employees are covered by the Social Security Retirement system; annual and sick leave will be accrued except in intermittent status. Interested applicants should send a letter of interest stating current academic status, current transcripts, a resume or CV, and two references to Matt Sexson, USGS Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 or e-mail to: msexson AT usgs.gov.
For more information, e-mail Matt Sexson at the above address. This position will be open until filled. The U.S. Geological Survey provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This position will be physically demanding; and will include extensive travel on foot over uneven terrain, exertion from lifting and carrying equipment up to 70 pounds, and exposure to harsh environmental conditions including biting insects, cold temperatures, snow and ice, and constant daylight. This position will also require up to eight weeks of camping in a remote location with basic amenities. Applicants who are currently a degree seeking student, enrolled at least half time in good standing with or without Federal status may apply and be considered. All applicants must be United States citizens. Applicants selected for Federal employment will be required to complete a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, will have to certify that they have registered with the Selective Service system in order to be appointed to a position with the U.S. Geological Survey, unless legally qualified for an exception.

Salary: Dependent on qualifications; GS-4 to GS-7 with 23% COLA

Closing Date: April 15, 2009

Contact: Matt Sexson
E-mail: msexson@usgs.gov(Preferred)
Phone: 907-786-7177