California Condor Monitoring Technician (FWS, Hopper Mountain NWR)

Description:
The Great Basin Institute is working cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex based in Ventura, CA to support the California Condor Recovery Program. Two (2) Monitoring Technicians will be selected to serve as AmeriCorps members to assist in management of the free flying population of California Condors in southern California. This is a 6-month commitment during which the technicians will receive a living allowance while serving on and around one of two wildlife refuges central to condor activity in Southern CA.

This position focuses on management of the free flying population of California Condors in Southern California. Selected applicants will track this population throughout its range using radio telemetry and by ground-truthing GPS transmitter data. Technicians will observe condor behavior at feeding sites, roosts and nests. Field work requires the ability to work independently and as a team; work and sometimes camp in remote areas during inclement weather or harsh environmental conditions; travel via UTV, 4WD vehicle, or by foot, in steep mountainous terrain; carry 50lb carcasses to feeding sites; keep detailed field notes; follow data collection protocols for the collection and entry of accurate and consistent data; and assist in routine office work.

Contract Timeline:
• 6-month appointment beginning June 2023, or upon earliest availability

Location:
USFWS Ventura, California
AmeriCorps members will be stationed and will have housing available during work hitch at:
• Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge Maricopa, CA
• Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Ventura County, CA

Compensation and Benefits:
• Total Living allowance: up to $10,604.00 (allocated biweekly)
• Education Award: $3,247.50 – upon successful completion of full-service term. (May be used for past, present or future educational expenses, including payment of qualifying federal student loans.)
• USFWS housing provided at no cost
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums provided at no cost to participant
• Snap benefits Eligibility

Student Loan Forbearance: If you are currently paying on any federal student loans, you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, allowing you to cease payments while in service.
Interest Accrual Repayment: As an AmeriCorps alumnus, you will be eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible for this service, the loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

Job Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences (e.g., biology, ecology, wildlife management, or related field) or coursework and related experience
• Previous experience following protocols for field sampling and data collection and related experience in data entry, collection and management
• Understanding of issues related to threatened and endangered species, and familiarity with the ecology of the study region preferred (Local Applicants Highly Encouraged to Apply!)
• Previous experience in using radio telemetry to locate free-ranging animals preferred
• Experience in the use of GPS units for navigation and collecting spatial data
• Possess strong organizational skills
• Tolerant of working in variable weather conditions, willing and able to work outdoors in adverse weather conditions, and able to hike 2-5+ miles daily on uneven terrain while carrying a pack sometimes exceeding 50 lbs.
• Comfortable handling animal carcasses
• Comfortable working independently, sometimes at night 
• Willingness and ability to camp at primitive sites for several consecutive nights
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals and follow safe working practices
• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record
• Experience safely operating 4WD vehicles and UTVs
• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks, (4) Adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) Will not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.