Burrowing Owl Field Technician

Salary: $17.00; no field housing available on days off

Start Date: 4/18/2022; later start possible

Last Date to apply: 2/18/2021

Positions available: 3

Description:

Four field technicians are needed to conduct burrowing owl (BUOW) surveys in the eastern plains of Colorado from mid-April until mid-July 2022. One technician will be hired to start in early March  (flexible start date) to assist in contacting landowners for plot access. Potential for extension past July is dependent on project needs or movement to other CPW projects. The project focuses on determining occupancy and abundance of BUOW on active and inactive black-tailed prairie dog colonies. The crew will be split into teams of two with one crew focusing on northern sites and the other on southern sites. Field work will consist of both early morning surveys (sunrise to 11am) and evening surveys (~6:30pm to sunset) and will require frequent travel between sites. Crews will go out for five days at a time followed by two days off. During the work week, crews will either camp, stay in bunkhouses, or on occasion stay in a hotel. Housing is provided during any travel required for field work but there is no field housing available on days off. Work vehicle is provided for field work. Employees are eligible to contribute to a 401K or PERA state retirement fund.

NOTE: Field Technicians will be supervised by a graduate student at Colorado State University Fort Collins. State of Colorado employees are required to verify that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or submit to twice-weekly serial testing.

Qualifications

1. Experience identifying avian species by sight and sound.

2. Ability to work quietly to minimize disturbance to breeding owls.

3. Experience working in grasslands is desired but not required.

4. Experience camping and working in remote conditions.

5. Experience navigating using GPS and aerial photos. Understanding of basic GPS collection functions (i.e., collecting ‘track’ and ‘waypoint’ data). Ability to use ArcMap is desired but not required.

6. Must have experience with following field protocol, data collection, and data entry.

7. Must have current & valid driver’s license and ability to operate a 4x4 vehicle.

HOW TO APPLY- Combine cover letter, resume, and contact info for three references into ONE document named Lastname_Firstname_2022BUOWapp

Send to Sarah Albright: sarah.albright@colostate.edu