Loon Restoration Program Intern

Maine Audubon is hiring a seasonal wildlife intern to join its dynamic team based in Falmouth, ME. Since 1843, Maine Audubon has worked to conserve Maine wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education, conservation, and action.

Position Overview
We are seeking a seasonal wildlife intern at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, Maine. The intern reports to the Maine Loon Restoration Project’s Seasonal Wildlife Technicians and are responsible for assisting with field- and office-based loon restoration work. This is an opportunity for a motivated college student or recent graduate interested in wildlife and conservation to get field, data, and office experience working to enhance nesting success and survival of one of Maine’s iconic species, the Common Loon.

Project Overview
The Maine Loon Restoration Project is funded through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recover loon lives lost to an oil spill off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 2003. The main goals of the project are to increase loon nesting success at low productivity sites through the use of artificial nesting platforms and a variety of outreach efforts, and to decrease loon mortality by reducing the threat of lead poisoning from lead fishing tackle, as well as deaths from boat strikes. The Loon Restoration Project is a partnership among Maine Audubon, Maine Lakes, Lakes Environmental Association, and the Penobscot Nation, and collaboration with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist Seasonal Wildlife Technicians and lake volunteers in the field to site and deploy new loon nesting platforms and nest warning signs on lakes in southern and central Maine, using canoes, kayaks, or volunteers’ motorboats and help staff to redeploy rafts launched in prior years.
• Assist seasonal staff with field prep, webinars, equipment maintenance, plant care, data management, and project presentations.
• Help field staff train and support volunteers in monitoring nesting and chick success at targeted sites during the breeding season. This will involve helping volunteers learn how to use the monitoring protocol, record data, and enter the data in Survey 1-2-3. It will also involve assisting with the deployment and management of game cameras at raft and signage sites and processing and categorizing photographs.
• Work with staff, partners, and participants throughout the season to improve the quality of data collection, volunteer participation, and data entry.
• Assist the Look Out for Loons program in distributing informational signs and outreach materials to reduce disturbance and increase nesting success.
• Promote the use of non-lead fishing tackle by assisting with lead tackle exchanges, mailing lead-free materials to participants, and helping volunteers build and maintain lead tackle collection bins.
• Pursue a particular skill or aspect of the project that is of greatest interest to the intern, whether that be game cameras, presentations, writing, or even a particular region of the state.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The intern must:

• have an interest in or experience working with birds and conducting field work
• have excellent communication, observation, and organizational skills
• be able to use Microsoft Office Suite software (e.g., Word, Excel) and/or Google Sheets/Docs
• have an interest and willingness to engage the public and be an enthusiastic educator
• be comfortable around water and canoes, kayaks, and motorboats and must be able to swim
• be able to lift and carry heavy equipment of 50 pounds or more
• have the ability and willingness to work outdoors on or near lakes in all weather conditions
• have the ability and willingness to take initiative and contribute to the outcomes of the project both in the field and in the office

Timing, Compensation, and Benefits

• This is a volunteer position, although we offer a stipend of $2500 to help offset expenses. Housing is not provided.
• We seek someone who is available to work full-time, five days per week for approximately 10 weeks during the months of May, June, July, and/or August. (Other work schedules may be considered and a minimum of 300 hours are required to receive the full stipend without pro-ration). Includes some long field days and occasional weekend work may be required.