Seasonal Biological Technicians
Location: Wilmington, NC

General Description

Audubon North Carolina seeks biological technicians to carry out monitoring, research, and management projects near Wilmington, NC. Audubon NC, the North Carolina State Office of the National Audubon Society, protects a network of wildlife sanctuaries along North Carolina's coast for the purpose of providing habitats for nesting waterbirds and shorebirds. The sanctuaries are islands that support large colonies of nesting herons, egrets, ibises, pelicans, terns, and gulls, as well as nesting oystercatchers, plovers, and other species. The successful applicant will be responsible for all activities related to sanctuary protection and management, as well as limited outreach programs.

Duties for sanctuary management: Post all island sanctuaries with signs and fencing and maintain throughout the nesting season. Patrol and maintain a visible presence around nesting areas to discourage human disturbance. Ensure that Audubon Sanctuaries provide the best possible nesting sites for beach nesting birds.

Duties for monitoring and research: Document chronology of breeding waterbirds and shorebirds throughout the season. Locate, mark and monitor nests of American Oystercatchers, plovers, terns and skimmers (and possibly other species) as part of ongoing productivity studies. Conduct peak of incubation census of active waterbird and shorebird nests. Organize volunteers to assist with sanctuary management. Maintain detailed field notes for the entire season. Analyze and summarize data in a final report.

Other duties: Maintain Sanctuary boat in good working condition. Carry out pre-scheduled outreach programs on selected sanctuaries. Prepare and submit end of season report. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

BS degree in biology, wildlife management or related field, or a junior/senior pursuing a degree in biology, wildlife management, or related field; good bird identification skills; good written and oral communication skills; ability to work alone with no direct supervision; boat handling experience (boats up to 20' in length); good organizational skills; computer skills (email, word processing, spreadsheet, and database management); and a valid driver's license. The candidate must have good organizational skills, boat-handling experience, bird identification skills, and familiarity with coastal waters. The candidate must be in good physical condition, comfortable working alone, unsupervised, on the water, in a boat, most weekends and holidays, sometimes starting early in the morning (sunrise), sometimes during adverse conditions such as heat, humidity, and exposure to sun, and occasionally working long hours. Position requires work on most weekends and holidays; candidate must have transportation, some travel required.

Salary

$8.00 per hour, 40 hours/week, no benefits, no housing. Please send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to Walker Golder, Audubon North Carolina, 7741 Market Street, Unit D, Wilmington, NC 28411 or by email (preferred) wgolder@audubon.org no later than March 25.

Mission Statement

The National Audubon Society's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitat for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity.  Audubon Texas is the state program of the National Audubon Society. 

Through Audubon Centers and in partnership with local chapters, we connect people of all ages and backgrounds to nature through our conservation and education programs.  We are working to educate 50,000 students on an annual basis, restore more than 1 million acres of grasslands, and oversee 13,000 acres of critical coastal habitat.

Audubon promotes a diverse workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the National Audubon Society to employee the man or woman best qualified for the job regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability (handicap) or marital status.