Great Gray Owl Technician

We have 1 opening during spring/summer 2023 to help with a study of Great Gray Owl habitat selection in Yosemite National Park.

PROJECT DATES: May 1 – July 31 (approximate).

TRAINING: The field season will begin with an intensive training session in project protocols, including owl tracking, data downloading, and vegetation assessment.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Working with a partner recruited by Yosemite National Park, the technician will contribute valuable work toward protecting Yosemite’s endangered great gray owl as part of a collaborative research and management project seeking to improve owl habitat and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. The team will complete the final year of data collection in four of Yosemite’s iconic front country meadows and adjacent forests. Duties include tracking GPS-tagged great gray owls, downloading location data, and collecting vegetation data at owl roost and perch sites. Collecting detailed vegetation data will comprise the largest share of the work. Data entry and proofing will also be required.

REQUIREMENTS: We are looking for candidates with an interest in owls and owl conservation, a desire to learn more about Sierra Nevada natural history, and a capacity to collect detailed vegetation data in adherence to a standard protocol. Other requirements include a love of adventure, and the ability live and work closely with a partner, and willingness to face the rigors of fieldwork with good humor. These rigors include (but are not limited to!) physically demanding work, long work days and somewhat irregular hours that may include data collection and dawn or dusk, cold or hot weather, mosquitos, occasional contact with bears, and rustic shared housing. Successful candidates must be in good physical condition and capable of walking several miles per day. A personal vehicle is highly recommended, but will not be needed for fieldwork.

EQUIPMENT: Technician is expected to provide their own binoculars and camping gear, including hiking boots, tent, sleeping bag, raingear, etc.

COMPENSATION: Technician will be considered seasonal IBP staff, and will receive payment of $2,900 per month (before payroll taxes). No fringe benefits are provided. Free shared housing, probably in a National Park Service facility in El Portal, will be provided.

TO APPLY: Please email a resume, cover letter, and the names, phone numbers and email addresses of at least three references to Mandy Holmgren, Biologist at: mholmgren AT birdpop DOT org.

IBP values diversity and encourages people from all backgrounds to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.