Gis Assistant

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title:GIS Assistant
Park Unit: San Francisco Bay Area Network
Location: Sausalito, California
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 20 weeks
Start Date: 10/2/2023
Flexible Start Date: YES

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

POSITION DESCRIPTION
The San Francisco Bay Area Inventory and Monitoring Network manages 13 long-term ecological monitoring programs across 5 National Parks, including Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, Pinnacles National Park and John Muir National Historic Site. The purpose of these monitoring programs is to track the status and health of park ecosystems in the region. The Network has chosen a diverse range of vital signs to measure, including anadromous fish, marine mammals, rocky intertidal habitats, invasive plants and plant communities, hydrology, freshwater quality, and birds. Throughout these programs, the Network collects a variety of GIS data ranging from locations of sampling units to individual nest locations. These spatial datasets are currently stored in discrete databases or shapefiles, sometimes across various park servers, making it difficult for staff distributed across various parks to view or utilize these datasets. To facilitate use, these datasets need to be updated, consolidated, and organized. The GIS Assistant Intern will help locate these datasets, gain experience with data collection, work with project leads to perform QC checks for data accuracy, update metadata, and help transition the Network spatial data to an ArcGIS Online (Portal) framework. The intern will also create an ArcGIS Dashboard or Storymap to allow network and park staff to easily view and acquire data. The position will also involve basic map-making and Arc FieldMaps mobile data collection form design.

POSITION IMPACT

The products created at the internship will greatly improve the sharing of natural resource data for staff across 5 parks. These data can then be better integrated with natural resource planning and management. The product will also serve as a test bed for the creation of a public-facing data portal allowing for the sharing of knowledge across NPS partners, the scientific community, and the public. Maps and forms created through this internship will also improve daily navigation and data collection procedures for multiple vital signs.

DELIVERABLES

The intern will have cleaned and organized a variety of spatial datasets for the Network, published these datasets to NPS' ArcGIS Portal, and created an application for viewing and acquiring these datasets. The intern will also help create documentation on how these datasets should be updated moving forward. Georeferenced plot location maps and Arc FieldMaps forms will be finalized to improve mobile data collection.

DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS

• Applicants should be advanced undergraduate or graduate students with at least 9-12 credit hours of GIS.
• Strong organization skills, an interest in biological/ecological datasets, and ability to work in a distributed environment are desired.
• Experience with Access databases, ArcGIS Online, Collector/FieldMaps and Storymaps/Dashboards would be useful.
• 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
Physical/Natural Environment: The intern will be based at the Marin Headlands of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Marin Headlands is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, just outside of San Francisco. The office is a 5-minute walk to Rodeo beach, with weather ranging from cold foggy days to mild sunny days. Weather can change rapidly in the Headlands and it's recommended that you bring warm and weather-proof clothing. Despite being so close in proximity to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state, there is no public transportation in our particular area of the Marin Headlands and the nearest grocery store and other services are about 6 miles away from housing. It is highly recommended that the intern provide their own vehicle for transportation in and out of the Headlands. Some residents prefer to bicycle; there may be loaner bikes available.

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.

Furnished park housing will be available. Depending on which housing unit has availability, the intern will have a bunk in a shared co-ed house or may have their own private room. The shared kitchen is supplied with dishes/pans and all appliances. The intern will need to bring all personal items including toiletries, laundry detergent, pillows, and linens. Housing typically has wifi, but may be limited depending on unit. Cell service is generally limited or inconsistent.

KEYWORDS
Mobile data collection, GIS, ecology, invasive species, mapping