The Great Basin Institute is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and service through the west. The Institute’s mission is to advance applied science and ecological literacy through community engagement and agency partnerships, supporting national parks, forest, open spaces, and public lands.

The Ecological Monitoring Program at GBI serves as an excellent professional development opportunity for natural resource professionals looking for experience in botanical, soil, and rangeland surveys. This Program is a component of our well-established Research Associate Program, which focuses on the conservation and management of natural, cultural, and recreation resources in the Intermountain West while providing emerging professionals opportunities to begin or enhance their careers.

GBI’s Ecological Monitoring Program is dedicated to providing college graduates and emerging professionals with hands-on survey, inventory, monitoring, and reporting experience in natural resource management. Extensive training and technical field skills development provides employees a unique opportunity to obtain valuable experience in executing monitoring protocols that will increase their employment success.

As one component of the Program, participants implement the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy for terrestrial systems, targeted at collecting standardized ecological information and long-term vegetation data at multiple scales across western public lands.

Opportunities with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will apply AIM principles to help guide proper restoration treatment design and provide a baseline dataset against which restoration treatment effects and long-term vegetation changes may be measured. This opportunity differs from other GBI terrestrial AIM monitoring positions in that the primary monitoring goal is to conduct long-term revisits on previously established project sites in targeted treatment areas and/or critical habitat ranges.

Description:

In partnership with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), GBI is recruiting two Vegetation Health Assessment (VHA) Crew Leads to work with agency staff, GBI staff, and technicians. Each Field Lead will coordinate a field crew (one Lead and three Technicians) to characterize vegetation using the terrestrial AIM protocols and/or supplemental protocols. The modified methods focus on vegetation protocols with no soil survey components (i.e. soil stability, soil pits, etc.) implemented. The supplemental protocols will vary by project site and/or restoration treatment type.

Duties include following established field protocols to perform vegetation sampling and field data collection on new and existing monitoring sites. Data will be used by resource specialists and land managers to inform decisions regarding resource management at various temporal and spatial scales. During training, the typical schedule is 5 days on and 2 days off (Mon-Fri). During field work, car camping for 7 night “hitches” (Wed-Wed) in remote locations will be required, followed by 6 days off (Thu-Tue).

Field work will include:
• Supporting and managing a field crew of 3 technicians;
• Coordinating field logistics and schedules;
• Maintaining safety awareness and practices;
• Extensive 4x4 driving on unmaintained roads;
• Navigating off-trail to sampling sites;
• Establishing sampling plots and transects;
• Collecting vegetation data (including species inventory, forb diversity, species abundance, sagebrush shape, foliar cover, canopy gap, and herbaceous and woody heights);
• Making qualitative treatment assessments; and
• Taking photo-points.

Additional duties include:
• Regular communication with GBI support staff and NDOW agency staff;
• Participation in GBI and agency trainings;
• Entering data into both Field Maps and Survey 123 software;
• Managing ArcGIS Online databases;
• Identifying plants to species using dichotomous keys;
• Employing extensive QA/QC data checks; and
• Report writing and completing administrative paperwork.

Compensation:
• $1,408 biweekly salary
• $150 bi-weekly housing stipend*
• $15 per diem for every night camped in the field (up to 7 units in an 8-day work week)
• $32.30/month cell phone stipend
• Paid Health Insurance, including vision and dental (Monthly premiums paid by GBI)
• Paid state holidays
• Paid personal leave (amount dependent on contract length)

*Housing stipend is untaxed and can be used at the discretion of the applicant. Housing is not provided. Applicants must be able to provide their own lodging.

Contract Timeline:

Duration: 25 weeks from early April to September
• Tentative start date: April 4th, 2022, or earlier
• Potential for one lead to extend end date to assist with data and program needs

Location:
Based out of Reno, Nevada
• Crews will travel from the NDOW Field Office across Northern Nevada to various monitoring sites on private, BLM, and/or USFS land.

Required Qualifications

• Leadership experience, including supervising field crews and managing projects simultaneously.
• Experience, education, or a combination of both in botany and/or range management to meet the following (Crew Leads should have education and experience with plants identification):

• Bachelor’s degree in botany, biology, ecology, or other natural resources;
• At least 9 semester hours in plant or biological sciences;
AND/OR
• A minimum of 1 year of field data collection identifying plants;

Technical requirements:
• Experience identifying plants in the field and using a dichotomous key;
• Experience conducting plant surveys using various monitoring protocols, including standard rangeland monitoring protocols, photo plots, and site observations;
• Experience with data entry and management;
• Experience with technical writing and/or producing written project summary reports;
• Ability to read, interpret and navigate using topographic maps;
• Experience navigating and collecting coordinates with hand-held GPS units;
• Experience safely operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, often in remote areas on unimproved roads;
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access);
• Experience creating maps and performing basic functions with GIS software; and
• Experience with Field Maps, Survey 123, and ArcGIS Online.

Additional requirements:
• Willingness and ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic setting, and to consistently enact high performance standards and a strong work and team ethic in support of the goals and objectives of the AIM program and the mission of GBI;
• Willingness to mentor and foster professional development for members of your crew;
• Valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record;
• Familiarity with native and invasive plants of the sampling area and associated natural resource issues preferred;
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals;
• Ability to work independently;
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public;
• Ability to accurately complete administrative tasks on time i.e. timesheet, paperwork, etc;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Familiarity with best practices for field safety and Leave No Trace principles;
• Experience in and willingness to spend up to seven consecutive nights camping with no amenities in remote locations;
• Flexibility with field site locations across the program’s monitoring range;
• Willingness to work irregular hours (e.g., early mornings, late nights); and
• Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of 40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise maintain good physical condition.

Please indicate your availability (and location/project preferences if you applied to multiple Ecological Monitoring Program positions) in your cover letter when applying. Application review will continue until all positions are filled. We encourage applying early to gain the best chance of getting top-choice locations.

Please apply through our official job posting link: https://www.vscyberhosting.com/greatbasin/careers.aspx?rf=ASPT&req=2021-AIM-013