Biotech Crew Member (NPS Invasive Species Early Detection)
Description
The Great Basin Institute is working cooperatively with the National Park Service Klamath Network (KLMN) Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) program to recruit a Biotech Crew Member for invasive species early detection. The overall objective is to perform surveys of park roads and trails and make observations of invasive species within the Klamath Network parks: Crater Lake National Park (Crater Lake), Lava Beds National Monument (Lava Beds), Lassen Volcanic National Monument (Lassen), Oregon Caves National Monument and Reserve (Oregon Caves), Redwood National and State Parks (Redwood), and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (Whiskeytown), located throughout northern California and southern Oregon. Data collected will contribute to a multi year dataset aimed at detecting status and trends in park invasive species and is intended to provide decision-makers with location data of prioritized invasive species. Training and oversight will be provided for all duties.
Specific duties include:
- Be a member of the KLMN I&M invasive species early detection field crew;
- Participate in preparing for the field season;
- Properly identify invasive vascular plant species by sight or utilizes dichotomous keys;
- Assists with field data collection, data entry, and QA/QC;
- Maintain field equipment and tools;
- Participate in GBI or partner-sponsored training opportunities;
- Monitors site specific conditions and reports safety concerns to project lead.
General field duties include walking long distances along roads and trails, occasionally off trail and often in dense vegetation; navigating with GPS; locating monitoring sites; collecting invasive species presence data using established procedures; taking photos at each site; ensuring the consistency of data quality during the field season; and maintaining safety awareness and practices. The successful applicant must have strong communication skills (both verbal and written) and exhibit strong leadership and organization skills. Office tasks are only about 5% of work but include data organization, processing and QA/QC; and compiling concise field notes. This position will require regular overnight travel and camping during the field season. The field schedule is an 8 day on 6 day off hitch, requiring long hours (10+ hrs a day), including early mornings and some weekends.
The Klamath Network contains 6 parks: Crater Lake National Park (Crater Lake), Lava Beds National Monument (Lava Beds), Lassen Volcanic National Monument (Lassen), Oregon Caves National Monument and Reserve (Oregon Caves), Redwood National and State Parks (Redwood), and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (Whiskeytown), located throughout northern California and southern Oregon. The parks span a land area of complex topography in the geologically ancient Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion in the west (containing Redwood, Oregon Caves and Whiskeytown), and the younger, volcanic Cascades-Modoc Ecoregion to the east (containing Crater Lake, Lassen and Lava Beds). Vegetation of the two subregions ranges from temperate rainforests with enormous, world-record-height trees along the coast at Redwood, to barren shrublands on infertile soils and rock in the sagebrush desert of Lava Beds. Elevation extends from sea level at Redwood, to above timberline in Crater Lake and Lassen. Floristically, the parks capture elements of the southern Oregon and northern California Coast Ranges, the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, and Great Basin, all near the northern end of the California Floristic Province.
Qualifications
- Undergraduate or Graduate degree in Botany, Ecology, or a closely related field in the biological sciences;
- Coursework in plant taxonomy and/or systematics (transcripts may be requested), botany, or forestry;
- Ability to identify native and non-native plants of the Pacific Northwest and/or Great Basin;
- Familiarity with ecological processes, and flora of the Pacific Northwest and/or Great Basin;
- Experience in performing field work, and applying methodological protocols for collecting data;
- Experience with data entry and data management;
- Ability to work and camp in extreme and remote areas;
- Experience using hand-held GPS for navigation
- Experience with tablet data collection and experience with MS Access or other database
- Ability to read and navigate using topographic maps and a compass;
- Willingness and ability to work long days (10+hrs), hike long distances (10-12 miles) carrying 30-40 pounds, and lift, carry and use equipment in harsh, variable weather conditions, including in rain, hail, wind, and extreme heat;
- Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
- Experience working with federal land management agencies, members of the public, or non-profit organizations; and
- Willingness to work a variable schedule, but mostly 8 days on 6 days off, including some weekends.
Applicant must complete a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation or submit paperwork to National Park Service human resources indicating an active and fully adjudicated BI has already been completed prior to beginning position.
Additional requirements:
- Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
- Experience operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, particularly with unimproved roads;
- Possess a commitment to personal and team member safety, and communicate perceived safety threats immediately;
- Ability to work independently to accomplish goals;
- Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public;
- Possess good organizational skills;
- Possess a favorably adjudicated background clearance; and
- Must be motivated, self-directed, organized, and detail oriented in order to balance multiple tasks simultaneously.
Other Job Information (if applicable): As part of Great Basin Institute’s Covid-19 Vaccination Policy, all employees are required to receive and provide proof of a full course of COVID-19 vaccine prior to the first day of employment, unless a medical or religious exemption is submitted and approved. All employees covered by this policy are required to be fully vaccinated as a term and condition of employment at Great Basin Institute. Employees are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing primary vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, with, if applicable, at least the minimum recommended interval between doses.