Wildlife Technician (Sage-grouse) – Oregon Opening for a wildlife technician to study season long horse grazing on sage-grouse habitat beginning March 4th and ending the end of June.
The experiment is a collaborative research project between Roaring Springs Ranch, Oregon State University and USDA-ARS. The study uses a case study approach to determine the impacts of season long (8 months per year) horse grazing on 1. Sage-grouse nesting habitat structure and composition and 2. Behavioral interactions between nesting sage-grouse and grazing horses within active nesting habitat located near a water source.
The work will involve living and working at a cattle ranch located near the Steens Mountains and will include assisting with capturing, radio-collaring and tracking grouse using VHF technology with the ranch biologist and staff in the early spring, and likely some habitat vegetation measurements and fencing work later in the spring/summer. Vegetation work will likely include some of the following: line point intercept, line intercept, visual obscurity using robel pole, daubenmire plots and belt transect. Plant ID is a plus, but most ID will likely be to functional group and training can be provided. Work might include other duties associated with the research project/ranch.
- Courses/experience in natural resources, wildlife, botany, plant science, or related field.
- Avian experience preferred
- Experience with vegetation monitoring methods
- Experience working with telemetry
- Experience living or working in rural/remote locations
- General knowledge of computers and skills for use of word processing and data entry.
- Ability to carry out tasks independently and part of a team.
- Experience with driving 4WD vehicles and GPS units.
- Experience/ ability to perform strenuous work in extreme environments
Position Duties
This will primarily be a field based job involving irregular work hours and/or days. Work will consist of roughly 85% data/sample collection and processing in the field and 15% data entry and summarization. Ranch housing will be provided.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to Vanessa.schroeder@oregonstate.edu with Sage-Grouse Technician in the subject line by February 4, 2019 for full consideration. Applications accepted through February 22, 2019. Start date will be March 4th and end June 30th.