Gelada Monkey Research in the Ethiopian Highlands - 2 field assistants needed (show original)Feb 17
TWO field assistants are needed for a study of the behavior, ecology, and conservation of wild gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) at a remote, long-term field site in north-central Ethiopia called Guassa.
Field research assistants will participate in data collection during an
intensive 13-month long field season as part of this study, now in its
15th year. Assistant duties will include (but are not limited to)
carrying out behavioral observations, fecal sample collection, and
vegetation monitoring. Work will begin in mid-May 2020 and last until
the end of June 2021. Applications will be accepted until both positions
are filled.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Two field assistants are needed for a study of the behavior, ecology, and conservation of wild gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) at a remote, semi-permanent field site in north-central Ethiopia called Guassa. The study is being carried out by Dr. Peter Fashing and Dr. Nga Nguyen, professors of Anthropology and Environmental Studies at California State University Fullerton. The field assistants will be responsible for (a) collecting basic demographic and reproductive data as part of routine monitoring of the well-habituated study population, (b) conducting focal animal samples (c) recording GPS readings of gelada ranging locations, as well as (d) conducting vegetation monitoring and (e) walking census transects. The two field assistants will share a camp and research responsibilities while at Guassa.
The study area consists of 111km2 of hilly Afro-alpine grassland situated at 3,200-3,600 meters above sea level along the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands and affords spectacular views out over the Great Rift Valley nearly a mile below. A number of animals endemic to the Ethiopian highlands occur at Guassa including geladas, the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf (the world’s rarest canid), the blue-winged goose, and the thick-billed raven. Notable mammals not endemic to Ethiopia but also present at Guassa include hyenas, leopards, serval cats, and the recently discovered cryptic African wolf. The gelada population at Guassa has been studied on a near-daily basis since January 2007 and nearly all individuals in the main ~200-member study band are habituated to observers at distances of a few meters.
For more information on the project, please see the following website:
http://anthro.fullerton.edu/
Two field assistants are needed for a study of the behavior, ecology, and conservation of wild gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) at a remote, semi-permanent field site in north-central Ethiopia called Guassa. The study is being carried out by Dr. Peter Fashing and Dr. Nga Nguyen, professors of Anthropology and Environmental Studies at California State University Fullerton. The field assistants will be responsible for (a) collecting basic demographic and reproductive data as part of routine monitoring of the well-habituated study population, (b) conducting focal animal samples (c) recording GPS readings of gelada ranging locations, as well as (d) conducting vegetation monitoring and (e) walking census transects. The two field assistants will share a camp and research responsibilities while at Guassa.
The study area consists of 111km2 of hilly Afro-alpine grassland situated at 3,200-3,600 meters above sea level along the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands and affords spectacular views out over the Great Rift Valley nearly a mile below. A number of animals endemic to the Ethiopian highlands occur at Guassa including geladas, the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf (the world’s rarest canid), the blue-winged goose, and the thick-billed raven. Notable mammals not endemic to Ethiopia but also present at Guassa include hyenas, leopards, serval cats, and the recently discovered cryptic African wolf. The gelada population at Guassa has been studied on a near-daily basis since January 2007 and nearly all individuals in the main ~200-member study band are habituated to observers at distances of a few meters.
For more information on the project, please see the following website:
http://anthro.fullerton.edu/
QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE
Applicants should have a B.S. or B.A. in Biology, Biological Anthropology, or a related field. Good physical fitness and a willingness to walk long distances (6-12 km) each day are essential to working at Guassa where the terrain is hilly, the air thin (due to the high elevation), and the geladas wide-ranging. Experience with winter camping and life in cold climates is preferred since the successful applicants will be living in (spacious) tents at a location where nights are sometimes below freezing (as low as 19ºF though 33-40ºF is more typical) and days are often chilly (45-65ºF) and windy (10-40 km/hour) as well. Our campsite is situated on an isolated patch of alpine grassland far from human habitation and applicants must be highly self-sufficient (the nearest town, Mehal Meda, is 22 kilometers away from camp, we do not own a vehicle, and contact with other English-speakers is rare). Field assistants will live in a semi-permanent campsite with 2 Ethiopian staff members who speak Amharic. Prior travel and/or field experience in Africa or mountainous regions of Asia or South America preferred. Applicants must be fluent in English and eager to learn Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia).
Applicants should have a B.S. or B.A. in Biology, Biological Anthropology, or a related field. Good physical fitness and a willingness to walk long distances (6-12 km) each day are essential to working at Guassa where the terrain is hilly, the air thin (due to the high elevation), and the geladas wide-ranging. Experience with winter camping and life in cold climates is preferred since the successful applicants will be living in (spacious) tents at a location where nights are sometimes below freezing (as low as 19ºF though 33-40ºF is more typical) and days are often chilly (45-65ºF) and windy (10-40 km/hour) as well. Our campsite is situated on an isolated patch of alpine grassland far from human habitation and applicants must be highly self-sufficient (the nearest town, Mehal Meda, is 22 kilometers away from camp, we do not own a vehicle, and contact with other English-speakers is rare). Field assistants will live in a semi-permanent campsite with 2 Ethiopian staff members who speak Amharic. Prior travel and/or field experience in Africa or mountainous regions of Asia or South America preferred. Applicants must be fluent in English and eager to learn Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia).
After
Guassa, former field research assistants have all (n=24) co-authored or
lead-authored one or more peer-reviewed journal articles with us. Most
have gone on to pursue graduate studies (Ph.D. and/or Master’s,
including at Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Penn State, Minnesota,
Massachusetts-Amherst, Toronto, Saskatchewan, UC Santa Barbara, Oxford,
UC London, and Georg-August [Göttingen], among others) or additional
research opportunities in biological anthropology, animal behavior, or
ecology. Several assistants have returned to Guassa to conduct graduate
or postdoctoral research.
For
an example of media coverage of a recent (February 2017) scientific
paper (in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology) involving past
and current Guassa Gelada Research Project assistants, please see...
Our
research site was also recently featured in the April 2017 issue of
National Geographic magazine. The article featured stunningly beautiful
photographs of Guassa and its geladas made by Jeff Kerby, a former GGRP
field assistant who subsequently earned his PhD at Penn State and is now
a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark. For more
details, please see…
SALARY/FUNDING
None.
None.
SUPPORT PROVIDED FOR INTERNSHIP/VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Research
assistants will be provided with basic accommodation, food and other
basic supplies while at the field site. In addition, we will pay each
assistant’s $1,000USD research fee (directly to the Ethiopian Wildlife
Conservation Authority) for permission to conduct research in Ethiopia.
However, applicants must pay their own international travel to Addis
Ababa ($1,500-$2,000USD from the USA, less from Europe), including the
cost of a tourist visa (~$70USD), and are responsible for any additional
expenses incurred while traveling in Ethiopia, including travel to and
from the field site and Addis every few months (to buy supplies,
experience city life, etc.). Buses to Addis (300 km from Guassa or 6-8
bumpy hours travel) are inexpensive ($10 each way) and run daily from
Mehal Meda. Camp is located a few miles walk from the road where you can
catch the bus after a one or more hour wait. Luxury food items such as
chocolates, cookies and canned tuna may be purchased in Addis at the
volunteer's expense. Our semi-permanent camp is remote but comfortable,
with large walk-in tents with beds, solar electricity for the lights, a
laptop computer, and small electronics, as well as mobile telephone
service for international calls and calls within Ethiopia, and regular
email service. Travel health insurance is strongly recommended;
volunteers are required to acquire the necessary vaccinations prior to
entry to Ethiopia. Volunteers are required to provide their own
winter/alpine condition clothing, footwear and sleeping bag. Advice
about what items are necessary for life at Guassa will be provided upon
request.
TERM OF APPOINTMENT
13 months beginning mid-May 2020 and ending late June 2021. Because the training process requires ~2 months, assistants must be willing to work for a minimum of 13.5-months. We work in teams of two and each researcher typically spends two to three days in the field with the geladas and one day at camp helping with camp chores and data entry and checking (we download and proof each day’s data onto the camp computer at the end of each field day). We expect successful applicants to be keen observers and diligent and conscientious students of animal behavior. Volunteers must be willing to work in a small team setting and have demonstrated a willingness to follow instructions/protocols closely in the past. We expect detailed updates from the field at least twice each week by email to keep us updated on conditions/progress in the field.
13 months beginning mid-May 2020 and ending late June 2021. Because the training process requires ~2 months, assistants must be willing to work for a minimum of 13.5-months. We work in teams of two and each researcher typically spends two to three days in the field with the geladas and one day at camp helping with camp chores and data entry and checking (we download and proof each day’s data onto the camp computer at the end of each field day). We expect successful applicants to be keen observers and diligent and conscientious students of animal behavior. Volunteers must be willing to work in a small team setting and have demonstrated a willingness to follow instructions/protocols closely in the past. We expect detailed updates from the field at least twice each week by email to keep us updated on conditions/progress in the field.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Positions will remain open until filled.
Positions will remain open until filled.
COMMENTS
To apply, please submit (1) a letter of interest stating how and why this position satisfies your interest and future educational or career goals, explaining your suitability for this project, plus a time frame during which you are available to work, (2) a CV or resumé detailing relevant experience, (3) a summary of college courses taken and the grades received, to be followed later by an official transcript, and (4) contact information for at least two references, preferably at least one academic reference as well as one person who has worked closely with you or who has closely supervised your work. The subject heading of the email message should read: “Application for field research position”. Please email the application materials to Dr. Peter Fashing at peterfashing@gmail.com.
To apply, please submit (1) a letter of interest stating how and why this position satisfies your interest and future educational or career goals, explaining your suitability for this project, plus a time frame during which you are available to work, (2) a CV or resumé detailing relevant experience, (3) a summary of college courses taken and the grades received, to be followed later by an official transcript, and (4) contact information for at least two references, preferably at least one academic reference as well as one person who has worked closely with you or who has closely supervised your work. The subject heading of the email message should read: “Application for field research position”. Please email the application materials to Dr. Peter Fashing at peterfashing@gmail.com.
Contact Information:
Peter Fashing, Ph.D.
Peter Fashing, Ph.D.
Dept. of Anthropology
California State University, Fullerton
800 N. State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92834-6846
USA
Phone: 657-278-7144
Email
Website:
For more information about the project directors:
http://anthro.fullerton.edu/
http://anthro.fullerton.edu/