Weekend Hawk Watcher

Lehigh Gap Nature Center (LGNC) is hiring a Weekend Hawk Watcher to support activities at its Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch during the fall 2024 count season. Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Weekend Hawk Watcher will be responsible for educating visitors, recording and reporting data, and supporting LGNC’s hawk count volunteers. This is a seasonal, hourly position. Training will be provided to familiarize the employee with existing programs and protocols. College students may have the opportunity to earn college credit through this position.

Job Summary:

• Title: Weekend Hawk Watcher
• Reports to: Executive Director
• Responsible for: hawk count outreach; recording and reporting hawk count data
• Compensation: $15/hr.
• Schedule:
  • Weekends, August 17-November 24 (start date is flexible)                                                                                      
  • Average of 16 hrs./wk. (weather-dependent)
  • Two days off per month (to be determined by applicant prior to start date)
• Application Deadline: July 22, 2024

About Us:

Each autumn since 1961, hawk counters have recorded migrating birds of prey at the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Watch atop the Kittatinny Ridge near Germansville, PA. Now coordinated by LGNC with support from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Count is one of the longest continually-running raptor migration studies in the world. Data from Bake Oven Knob are shared with a network of hawk watches across North America and inform international scientific research and conservation efforts. Over 800,000 migrating raptors – an average of over 10,000 birds per year – have been recorded at the hawk watch since the count began.

Responsibilities:

The Weekend Hawk Watcher will be responsible for the following:

• Educating hawk watch visitors about raptor migration, identification, and conservation
• Conducting the hawk count when volunteer hawk counters are not available, including recording and electronically reporting raptor migration and hawk watch visitor data
• Providing raptor observation support for volunteer hawk counters
• At the start of the season, learning more about the Bake Oven Knob Hawk Count on hawkcount.org: https://bit.ly/BOK_Hawk_Watch

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

The work of the Weekend Hawk Watcher will involve hiking over rough terrain and prolonged standing. Field observations might include exposure to extreme temperatures, inclement weather, and wildlife, possibly including, but not limited to, bears, snakes, and swarming insects. There are no bathroom facilities at the hawk watch.

Applicant Qualifications:

To be successful, the Weekend Hawk Watcher must:

• Have strong verbal and interpersonal skills to communicate with, and build a sense of community among, visitors and volunteers
• Have an attention to detail with the ability to keep organized, detailed records of observations
• Be able to follow written and verbal communications

Additional preferred qualifications include:

• Raptor identification skills or hawk count experience
• Familiarity with LGNC and its mission
• Fluency in Spanish

Equipment Needed:

The Weekend Hawk Watcher will need the following:

• Transportation to and from the hawk watch
• Sturdy shoes
• Good quality binoculars and raptor identification guides (LGNC can provide these if needed)

To Apply:

Email a résumé and cover letter or video application to: mail@lgnc.org. Please include any information pertinent to your wildlife research and raptor identification skills.

Questions?

If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a Zoom meeting to learn more about this position, please contact Executive Director, Chad Schwartz, at chad.schwartz@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889.