Two Field Technicians in Napa Valley, CA

Start Date: April 1, 2024

End Date: July 27, 2024

Number of Openings: 2

The Cal Poly Humboldt Dept of Wildlife is seeking two seasonal field technicians to assist a Master’s graduate student with fieldwork studying Barn Owl hunting behavior in Napa Valley, California. The project will involve tagging adult Barn Owls with GPS loggers on winegrape vineyards, deploying/monitoring remote cameras, and surveying gophers. Data will be used to examine how a raptor’s hunting behavior changes in response to variation in habitat and vegetation structure over time caused by viticultural practices.

The position runs from 1 April to 27 July 2024, with field housing provided in Napa, California. Field technicians will have an opportunity to work closely with the graduate student to understand the predator-prey interactions in an agroecosystem. At least one technician must have prior hands-on experience with handling birds.

The responsibilities for this position will include monitoring Barn Owl nestboxes, assisting with fitting data logger tags to Barn Owls at night, installing remote sensing cameras in nestboxes, deploying game cameras, reviewing camera footage, and conducting vegetation and gopher mound surveys. Technicians are also expected to take clear, detailed notes in the field, enter data, and assist with the transport and maintenance of field equipment. Candidates should have a positive attitude with an interest in avian research and habitat ecology.

Required qualifications:

• Prior avian handling experience OR prior experience conducting ecological/wildlife related fieldwork
• Ability to follow established protocols for raptor handling, vegetation sampling, and rodent surveys
• Ability to work long days during irregular hours, including work at night
• Capable of hiking over uneven terrain in hot weather conditions
• Be in good physical condition to climb ladders and carry heavy field equipment (roughly 40-50 pounds)
• Ability to take direction from and communicate with the graduate student
• Ability to work independently and as a team
• Valid driver’s license
• Comfortably operate a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle

Preferred qualifications include prior raptor handling experience, prior experience with data entry and management, and the ability to navigate to different field sites using a GPS or mobile device.

Salary: $18.00 per hour, 40 hours a week

Candidates should express interest in the position with a cover letter, a resume or CV, and contact information for three references in a single PDF document. Email the application materials to Jadzia Rodriguez at jmr303@humboldt.edu using the subject line OWL FIELD TECH APPLICANT.

Applications accepted now (Dec 2023); review of applicants begins on 15 January 2024, and the position remains open until filled. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jadzia Rodriguez at jmr303@humboldt.edu or Matt Johnson at matt.johnson@humboldt.edu for more information.