Wildlife Technician_Peery

at  University of WisconsinMadison

JOB SUMMARY:

Up to 2 wildlife technicians are needed to conduct surveys for California spotted owls in Tahoe National Forest. Positions will begin April 7 and end August 8, 2025, and technicians must commit to working through the entire period. Pay starts at $20.00 per hour depending upon experience. Housing will be provided. Wildlife technicians will conduct surveys for spotted and barred owls, assess reproductive status, locate nest and roost trees, assist in the capture and deployment/recapture of GPS data loggers on owls, monitor movements of GPS tagged owls, program and deploy Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), care for equipment/lures, and record sightings of other animals encountered. Wildlife technicians will also record, transcribe, enter data into computer databases, and validate data that was collected in the field.
A typical workweek is 40 hours, and frequent camping is required. Schedules will be irregular. For example, barred owl work will be primarily nocturnal, but spotted owl work will occur in the hours surrounding dusk and dawn. Work involving the placement and maintenance of ARUs will be diurnal. Technicians may be required to rotate between owl and ARU duties. Work involving owl captures will be in pairs but most other work will be solo. Work will often require off-trail hiking in steep, forested terrain, during day or night. Technicians must be respectful of others as well as work and live together cooperatively.
Qualified technicians will have a bachelor’s degree in wildlife or related field, and/or have relevant experience conducting wildlife surveys, experience working in remote conditions, the ability to hike in a time efficient manner in steep terrain, and experience safely driving 4-wheel drive vehicles on unpaved, rough backcountry roads.
Our results will be translated into recommendations to land management agencies responsible for maintaining viable spotted owl populations such as the US Forest Service.
The application deadline is 17 Jan, 2025, however we will review applicants and conduct interviews on a rolling basis.
The UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is committed to maintaining and growing a culture that embraces diversity, inclusion, and equity, believing that these values are foundational elements of our excellence and fundamental components of a positive and enriching learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff.

EDUCATION:

Required
Bachelor’s degree in wildlife or related field, or relevant field experience.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants must be physically fit (i.e., able to walk long distances in steep mountainous terrain with field gear in a time efficient manner).
• Ability to follow supervisor’s instructions and adhere to established scientific protocols.
• Ability to take detailed field notes and translate these into electronic databases.
• Ability to work alone and off-trail far from human settlements often at night.
• Ability and confidence navigating unfamiliar terrain on foot at night with a map, compass and GPS.
• Ability to navigate and safely operate 4-wheel-drive vehicles on rough, unpaved, minimally maintained backcountry roads at night.
• A clean driving record is required, and hiring is contingent upon passing a UW driving background check.
• Ability to learn how to program Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs)
• Must be willing to commit to working from April 7th through August 8th, 2025.
• Must work and live cooperatively.

Conducts research experiments with limited supervision. Provides technical support with some degree of independence for research projects and/or labs under moderate supervision.

• 70% Prepares lab and/or field test materials and samples according to established research requirements and specifications. Performs lab or field tests.
• 5% Inspects and maintains equipment, supplies, inventory, and facility spaces
• 20% Collects data and monitors test results according to established research requirements and specifications
• 5% Reviews data to summarize results for presentations or reporting