Biology Assistant

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title:Biology Assistant
Park Unit: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Location: Three Rivers, California
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 20 weeks
Start Date: 10/1/2023
Flexible Start Date: YES

LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $525.00
Relocation Allowance: $400.00

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The internship at Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks will primarily help support on-going research and monitoring of a rare forest-dwelling carnivore of conservation concern in the southern Sierra Nevada - the fisher. In fall and winter, primary tasks involve using remote cameras to detect fishers and other forest wildlife, setting traps to catch fisher and attach (or remove) radio-collars, and use telemetry to monitor radio-collared individuals through a combination of remote triangulation, GPS downloads, and hiking in to identify resting habitat. This field work can be challenging due to the terrain and elusive nature of fishers, but is also very rewarding as we continue to learn more about fisher habitat use in and around recent fire footprints and planned fuels treatments and survey portions of the park with little to no prior survey effort. Interns will receive training to assist trained personnel in safe trapping and handling methods, navigation with GPS, communication by radio, and other safety related skills. In addition to helping the SEKI wildlife biologist learn more about fishers in the field, the intern may also assist with entering associated data, reviewing photos from remote cameras, help with gear preparation, and revisit some locations to gather additional information on habitat. Other potential field and data opportunities that the intern could assist with include collection, summary, and/or organization of other wildlife data including California spotted owl, great gray owl, Sierra Nevada red fox, tree squirrels, songbirds, bats, etc. While assisting with fisher-focused field work is a key part of this internship, some flexibility in tasks is possible depending on the individual intern's interests, skills, and future goals.

POSITION IMPACT
This work meets the NPS mission by preserving special status wildlife species. The distinct population segment of fisher in the southern Sierra Nevada was recently (2020) listed as endangered under the ESA. Fishers occur in mid-elevation dense old forests, which are at high risk for catastrophic fires and fishers are an indicator of forest ecosystem integrity because they require specific habitat structures associated with older forests that a lot of time to form (e.g., large live trees and snags with cavities). In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), studying the elusive fisher is a high priority because collecting new data in a changing landscape can help facilitate conservation of the species and because improved availability of local fisher data can facilitate completion of other important park management activities (e.g., fuels reduction, prescribed fire) while minimizing impacts. As we are navigating the path of restoring the forested landscape in areas impacted by wildfires while also using fuels reduction tools to improve resiliency of remaining green forest, improving our understanding of how fishers are navigating and using our current altered landscape can help park managers find ways to balance multiple objectives. SEKI wildlife biologists are collaborating with Yosemite National Park (to the north), US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University, and others to contribute new information to conservation strategies for fishers in this region.

DELIVERABLES

The primary deliverables anticipated from the fall / winter wildlife intern position at SEKI are data associated with individual fishers collected in the field at remote cameras (e.g., photos, genetic hair samples) and/or associated with radio-collared individuals (e.g., GPS data download, rest site, trap site). Ideally, an intern will have the opportunity to follow data collection and summary through the entire process from setting up a camera or trap to detecting or catching an individual fisher and then entering those data into a database for ultimate summary and analysis. Depending on the interests and skills of the intern and needs of the project at the time, we would also plan for at least 1 additional specific deliverable or product that meets a SEKI wildlife program need: creating a presentation for other NPS staff, visitors, or partners on our fisher findings to date (for someone with data summary or educational interests), assisting SEKI wildlife biologist with cleaning up older location data for fisher and other target wildlife species in the parks (for someone with GIS or database management interests), creating of maps, shapefiles, and/or basic GIS analysis relative to fisher use of areas with different fire severity (for someone with GIS interests).

DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred
  • B.S. in biology, wildlife ecology, natural resource management, GIS, or related discipline
  • Some experience setting and checking remote cameras
  • Some experience using telemetry to locate animals, especially in mountainous terrain
  • Some animal-handling skills
  • Ability to navigate in the field using GPS and maps; prefer some GIS experience
  • Experience collecting and managing field data and organizing field samples
  • Experience working in snowy/icy/cold conditions - including working, hiking, snowshoeing, driving
• Required
  • Capacity to follow field protocols, attention to detail in data collection, and a strong work ethic
  • Ability to collaborate and communicate positively with others
  • Willingness and ability to work/hike in steep terrain and carry moderate to heavy backpack and traps (wire cage trap with attached wooden cubby)
  • Possess valid driver's license
  • Current COVID vaccine (due to handling of endangered species - no exceptions)
• Also preferred: Current rabies vaccine (or Required: a willingness to be vaccinated for rabies to assist during trapping)
• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident ("green-card-holder"). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required.

WORK SETTING
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are home to some of the world's most spectacular trees (giant sequoias), and tallest peaks (Mount Whitney), but also an incredible diversity of wildlife that occur in a mix of habitat from oak woodlands in the foothills, to mixed-conifer forest at the mid-elevations, to alpine meadows at high elevations. While the landscape is beautiful and amazing to explore, the field work involved in studying park wildlife can be challenging. In particular, one can expect to encounter steep slopes, brushy or rocky terrain, forests with logs and dense understory, as well as rain or snow during winter months, comfortable temperatures in fall/spring, and hot temperatures in summer. Depending on season and location, interns may also encounter black bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, biting insects, and poison oak. Interns will receive training on navigation and safety, but will also need to feel comfortable hiking with a backpack, carrying gear such as remote cameras and large traps, and driving 4x4 vehicles on roads that can have ice or snow during winter months. Three Rivers is the closest small town to park headquarters (~10 min drive), and has several restaurants, a small grocery store, and some opportunities for recreation. Visalia is a larger town (~40 min drive) with more options for groceries, other shopping, and other amenities. If arriving by plane, the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport is the closest option (~90 min drive). We anticipate most of the intern's time will be spent in the field (80%), with some time spent in the office (20%); if a candidate is particularly interested in gaining more experience with GIS or other data analysis and has appropriate skills, more office time is possible.

VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

• Yes, applicant will need a valid driver's license in order to drive a government vehicle.
• A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

HOUSING
Yes. Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant.
Shared housing within the parks will be provided. Intern will most likely be based in Ash Mountain (park headquarters), but Grant Grove or Lodgepole are possibilities (depending on availability) for part or all of the position. Exact housing cannot be determined in advance, but generally involves a single room in a house with 1-3 other park staff. Bathroom and kitchen space are shared. Cell reception varies by carrier and housing location. Wi-fi is currently limited in housing, but available near office locations. Pets and other occupants are not permitted.

KEYWORDS
wildlife, fisher, forests, Sierra Nevada, sequoia, fire and fuels