Botanist Resource Assistant

RA Title: Botanist
Duration: 8 Month Fellowship (32 weeks): Starting July 2024 through February 2025 (dates are dependent upon the start date).
Location: Chippewa National Forest, Deer River Ranger District, 1235 Division Street, Deer River, MN 56636.
Reports to the Monitoring, Inventory and Survey Team Leader.

Job Overview 

This position serves on the Monitoring, Inventory and Survey Team (MIST) to provide botanical expertise for data gathering and management services for the entire Forest. Primary areas of emphasis for the team are surveying and monitoring rare species, especially plants (vascular and non-vascular); assisting with soils related projects; inventorying habitats for ecological values; collaborating with other governments (tribal and state) to share data and analyses outcomes; conduct habitat relationship assessments for a variety of taxa; and report results. This is a field going position requiring traversing all terrains, including difficult features, orienteering alone in the Forest, and in all weather conditions.

Responsibilities and Duties 

• Provide botanical expertise to the team to insure proper implementation of data collection activities including train technical staff in plants detection and identification; provide guidance and verification services to plants surveyors (employees and contractors); develop and maintain relationships with taxa experts with other agencies and governments (federal, tribal, and state); direct specimen collections and preparation for submissions to herbariums of record; and advance knowledge on the Forest of botanical resources and concerns. 

• Independently, or as part of a team, complete field visits to survey, monitor and inventory biological species in the field. Typical taxa of interest include vascular and non-vascular plants, raptors, songbirds, herpetofauna (salamanders; turtles), and arthropods (bumble bees; tiger beetles; jumping spiders; butterflies).

• Independently, or as part of a team, complete ecological inventories to collect data on specific conditions and to determine suitability for a variety of taxa. 

• Utilizes GIS, GPS, aerial photographs, and data that identify a variety of natural resource areas and conditions. May draft maps or diagrams of survey areas. 

• Utilizes a variety of tools to collect and record data such as numbers, measurements, weights, samples, and special notes. Keeps records of all data and develops these into statistical reports. 

• Assist other programs with data collection, in particular the Forest Soils program, with special emphasis on vegetative inventories in support of ecological classification efforts. 

• On an individual basis or as part of a crew, constructs or completes habitat projects such as establishing native species and pollinator plantings. 

• Assists in layout of field experiments, pilot projects, impact evaluations, and specific natural resource projects. Assists in determining validity of survey or evaluation techniques. Suggests improvements of methods and techniques. 

• Is fully responsible for compliance with safety rules and regulations. 

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in botany or basic plant science that included at least 24 semester hours in botany. Courses in basic botany, plant anatomy or morphology, cytology, histology, genetics, taxonomy or systematics, algology, mycology, ethnobotany, and those dealing with specific problems of a botanical nature or with specific groups of plants are qualifying. 

• Knowledge of the basic technical principles of natural resources to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, work completed, samples collected, etc. to understand and relate the significance of the results to the resource program objective. 

• Knowledge of the processes, methods and techniques associated with work in natural resources to resolve the full range of irregular or problem situations when performing a wide variety of either highly interrelated tasks or nonstandard assignments. 

• Knowledge and skill to use a variety of field instruments and equipment, taxonomic guides, and familiarity with basic taxonomic principles and levels to collect natural resource data and information that can be used for further analysis. 

• Ability to orient alone in the field through a variety of conditions in wildland settings. 

• Skills in oral and written communications and math, to analyze field data, and prepare reports and records.

Minimum Requirements 

● Educational qualifications as described above. 

● US citizenship or permanent residency. RAs must undergo a government background check if selected. 

● Participation in US Forest Service Orientation Training scheduled for June 2024