5 FIELD ASSISTANTS

5 FIELD ASSISTANTS needed to assist graduate student with a long-term demographic study of greater sage grouse in Eastern Nevada (Eureka Co).

All positions start 1 Mar with variable end dates that range from 30 Apr to 31 Jul.

Field work for this project is extensive and varied. We will be night trapping Sage Grouse around leks from Mar – May (includes capture, banding, measurements/radiocollaring, bleeding, etc.), radio-tracking hens to monitor nesting, survival and brood rearing, conducting lek observations to re-sight color-banded males, and conducting raptor and corvid surveys to monitor predator/nest predator abundance during the breeding season.

We will also monitor nests, gather vegetation data, trap and process broods, and conduct brood surveys during the later part of the season.

Technicians will receive training and extensive experience in all aspects of field work. The ability to maintain a positive attitude in a challenging work environment is of paramount importance for this job. Our work hours are often long and variable under a rotational system (i.e. working all night until sunrise some weeks, up at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. for a lek observation the next week). Throughout the season we will live and work in temperature extremes that can range from 0 to 100 degrees F. Early in the season, the ability to deal with cold weather is crucial. Ability to demonstrate a strong work ethic and easy-going personality, willingness to work and solve problems independently a must. Must be willing to live in a remote and rustic field camp without phone or internet, with infrequent (~ 1x/week) visits to nearby (50-70 miles) towns.

$1500/month with field camp and all food provided.Send cover letter, resume and contact information for three references (name, title, phone number, & email) as a single word file to ERIK BLOMBERG at the University of Nevada, Reno (EM: eblomberg@gmail.com).

AVICULTURIST

The National Avian Research Center (NARC), now part of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAAD) a Governmental Agency based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is recruiting one Aviculturist for its houbara bustard breeding unit.
NARC mission and strategy:

NARC was established in 1989, with the special mission to promote bustard and falcon conservation and reconcile the tradition of Arab falconry with a sustainable use of the resources. The NARC strategy supports eradication of houbara poaching, management of hunting activities, and management of wild populations as well as captive breeding of houbara for restocking depleted populations, reinforcement and re-introduction, or put and take. NARC is currently developing new captive breeding facilities in the desert close to Sweihan town (UAE) to produce houbara bustards in large numbers.
Job description:

The Aviculturist will be part of a team responsible for the day to day management of houbara bustards held in NARC captive collection.

Main responsibilities include:

-Implement aviculture techniques and supervise day to day management of bustard collection at NARC.

-Supervise incubation, chick rearing and breeding of houbara bustards.

-Perform semen collection and assessments as well as artificial insemination.

-Work with and supervise a team of bird keepers and technicians

-Instruct in the proper care and handling of Bustard Collection.

-Train new personnel as well as scheduling staff.

-Maintain department records, analyze data and write reports.

The successful applicant will be expected to work effectively in a team environment and actively support and implement NARC policies, procedures and protocols to ensure the highest standards of care for the collection.

Working environment:

NARC is situated in a remote, isolated desert location of the Abu Dhabi Emirate at 30 min minimum of the closest town. The seasonal nature of much of NARC’s work means that certain times of the year will require very intensive working so the successful candidate must demonstrate flexibility regarding work schedules.

Candidate profile:

The successful candidate should hold a BSc or equivalent in wildlife management, avian production, zoo biology, or related field and 2 years working experience. The candidate should be familiar with most common computer software including Microsoft access. The successful candidate possesses strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work and communicate within a multi cultural environment. The successful candidate will be fluent in English. Arabic would be an asset.

Package:

EAD offers a competitive package, including annual leave of 30 working days, Housing Allowance or and medical insurance.

Start:

The successful candidate is expected to start in Feb 2009.
Applications & Closing Date/Deadline for application:

20 Dec 2008. Interested candidates should send their CV, a letter explaining their professional experience, copy of their highest diploma, passport copy and a letter of two referees either by fax, email or web: (FX: +971 2 681 7358, EM:: halabed@ead.ae, URL: http://www.ead.ae).

BIRDING GUIDES

Growing tour company needs full and part-time birding guides as well as office personnel for birding tours in Ecuador, Peru and elsewhere in South America.

Basic knowledge of birding, guiding, neotropical species, computer skills and Spanish required. Enthusiasm and eagerness to assist tour participants as well as ability to write tour reports and bird lists required.

Job based in Quito, Ecuador but with substantial travel. Send full CV and 3 appropriate references to (EM: jlyons@pi.pro.ec) with copy to (EM: birdtours@andinanet.net)

FIELD ASSISTANTS, Australia

We are looking for field assistants to help monitor a color-banded population of purple-crowned fairy-wrens in the Kimberley, Australia.Start date: anytime from Mar 2009. Time period: 3 months minimum.Duties include regular censusing of color-banded birds, searching for and monitoring nests, quantifying territory quality, mist-netting, behavioral observations, and data entry.

The study is based at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary in the remote tropical north of Western Australia.Qualifications: experience monitoring color-banded birds, nest-searching, and mist-netting. Must also be physically fit and able to work in extremes of temperature and humidity, and enjoy isolated and basic living conditions shared with diverse other people (and potentially bugs, snakes, etc.).

Stipend towards expenses: AUD$750-1000/mo depending on experience plus cost of travel to the site from Derby, Australia.

Onsite accommodation in tents is provided, but assistants cover their own food costs.

For more information contact: MICHELLE HALL (EM: hall@orn.mpg.de) and ANNE PETERS (EM: peters@orn.mpg.de). To apply, please email a letter outlining previous field research experience, a resume including names and contact information for 3 referees, and dates of availability.

PhD in Molecular Primatology

Hiring Organization:
MPI-EVA Leipzig

Date Posted:
2008-11-28

Position Description:
I am looking for a PhD student to conduct a project aimed at using DNA sequence analysis to improve our understanding of the evolutionary histories of primate populations. Primates in the wild exist in populations with very varied distributions. For example, some primates may occur in fragmented patches in a restricted area, whereas others may be quite widespread. Some closely-related species occupy widely separated ranges, while others occur adjacent to one another and may even hybridize along their contact zone. The wealth of nuclear genome sequence information newly available from chimpanzees, macaques, and other primates enable us to ask questions concerning the long-term histories of primate populations. By using high-throughput methods to resequence multiple segments of the nuclear genome of small numbers of representatives of different populations, we seek to understand when and how populations diverge, how they remain separate in the presence of gene flow, and the social, ecological and demographic factors that ultimately underly the patterns observed.

Qualifications/Experience:
Candidates with experience in relevant molecular biology lab techniques, population genetics theory, and skills in genetic data analysis are encouraged to apply. The student will be a member of the genetics group of the primatology department of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (see http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/files/genetics.htm) and receive a degree through the Leipzig School of Human Origins, an International Max Planck Research School of the University of Leipzig and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (see http://www.leipzig-school.eva.mpg.de/start.html). Students are supported by fellowships.

Applicants will ideally already have a master’s degree in a relevant subject (e.g., Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Anthropology). Alternatively, an excellent bachelor’s degree (e.g., first, with high honors) may be acceptable but please enquire prior to applying. Candidates should also have good organizational skills, be interested in behavioral ecology, genetics and evolution, be able to work independently as well as in a team and enjoy working in an interdisciplinary environment.

Term of Appointment:
Must begin by September 1, 2009

Application Deadline:
January 31, 2009

Contact Information:
Dr. Linda Vigilant
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Leipzig
Germany

Fax Number:
+49-341-3550-229

Website:
http://www.eva.mpg.de/primat/files/genetics.htm

E-mail Address:
vigilant@eva.mpg.de

Fieldwork with rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.

Hiring Organization:
University of Chicago

Date Posted:
2008-11-30

Position Description:
We are looking for volunteers to help assist with a behavioral endocrinology project on free-ranging rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico (see http://ucm.rcm.upr.edu/cayosan.html). The project is being undertaken in the lab of Prof. Dario Maestripieri, University of Chicago (see lab webpage http://primate.uchicago.edu), and volunteers will be working directly alongside me, Dr James Higham, on a daily basis (see my webpage http://primate.uchicago.edu/james.htm for information about me and my research interests).

Volunteers will be expected to work on Cayo Santiago from 7:00 – 14:30 for 5 or 6 days a week, and may also be required to undertake data entry and/or processing in the later afternoon and early evenings. While on Cayo Santiago, duties will include learning to recognize group members, behavioral data collection, and the collection of fecal and urine samples for endocrine analysis.

These positions are ideal for graduate students or recent graduates looking to gain experience of fieldwork and of data collection. You will be trained in a number of field techniques, and I am also happy to explain in detail the laboratory procedures that will ultimately take place on samples collected. A number of projects from different researchers based at institutions around the world will take place on Cayo Santiago over the course of the volunteerships, offering opportunities for volunteers to meet other researchers and other students from a range of universities, and in a range of fields.

Qualifications/Experience:
Applicants should:
1) Be physically fit, and capable of undertaking fieldwork in hot conditions.
2) Have a background in biology/anthropology/zoology/psychology or a related field.
3) Be interested in primate behavior
4) Be hardworking and conscientious
5) Be independent, and capable of spending extended periods away from family and friends

Salary/funding:
We may be able to provide some support for candidates, depending on their experience. However volunteers may have to contribute some or all of the following expenses: return travel to the field site, medical insurance, field clothes and personal expenses, food, and housing. Shared accommodation can be often be found very cheaply in Punta Santiago (e.g. $200 per month).

Term of Appointment:
Start dates around 1st March 09. 6 months preferable. Candidates will not be considered for periods of less than 4 months.

Application Deadline:
We will consider applicants at any time.

Contact Information:
Dr James Higham
USA

Website:
http://primate.uchicago.edu

E-mail Address:
jhigham@uchicago.edu