Field Ecologists

Job Description:

• Follow field protocols to identify vegetation to species level
• Gather species cover and composition data
• Collect soil stability and soil profile descriptions
• Use ruggedized tablets for data collection
• Assess special sage grouse habitat Crew Lead (additional responsibilities):
• Create Hitch Plans: evaluate sample locations, plan routes, and identify access concerns
• Communicate with local BLM Field Office staff and ERG Crew Managers
• Oversee management of gear & sampling equipment
• Lead and manage a 3-person crew, ensuring health and safety protocols are followed The crew may also assist with other public land management projects involving wildlife, range, and forestry. Crew members will continuously learn the local flora and build botanical knowledge of common species

Qualifications and Skills:

• B.S. or working toward a degree in a natural sciences field
• Field experience, including the ability to work in and respond to adverse weather conditions for extended periods of time including extreme heat, monsoonal rains, and hazardous wildlife (i.e. rattlesnakes, scorpions)
• Experience and willingness to spend multiple days (up to 8 days at a time) car-camping in remote areas; familiarity or willingness to learn and adhere to best practices for field safety and Leave No Trace principles
• Excellent communication skills, and ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Positive attitude and attention to detail
• Willingness to spend several hours per day and/or per week riding in, navigating, and driving a 4WD vehicle on paved and unpaved roads, often in remote areas on unimproved roads and driving for extended periods of time (2-3 hours at a time)
• Physically capable of standing and walking (up to 6 miles/day on rough, uneven terrain), bending and crouching for long periods of time, and lifting/carrying items that weigh up to 40 pounds, in variable weather conditions, including heat upwards of 100-degrees (F)
• Valid US driver’s license and insurable driving record
• Ability to pass background checks (federal, state, education, criminal and driving record)
• Passionate about learning the world of plants, soils, and rangeland ecology

• UTV and trailer towing experience. Please highlight this if you have this experience
• College Graduate (Bachelor’s, at minimum) with degree in ecology, botany, soil science, agriculture, range, plant ecology, natural resource management, or a related field
• Minimum one year of experience using taxonomic keys to identify plants to species in the field, from photos, and from pressed specimens
• Familiarity with Utah and Wyoming flora (generally sagebrush steppe, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau)
• Experience or education using taxonomic soil keys or equivalent mechanism to identify ecological sites and using soil series descriptions or equivalent soil datasets
• Experience digging soil pits to characterize and document soil horizons and hand texturing various types of soils
• Experience with collecting data via tablets using FieldMaps and Survey123
• Crew Leads should have experience managing field crews or several seasons of conducting field work. Ideal candidates would have strong plant identification skills