Description

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Science and Stewardship Department seeks two Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistants to conduct ecological field work and stewardship activities for the 2025 field season. The Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistants will primarily focus on fieldwork including vegetation community composition sampling in grasslands, forests, shrublands, and wetlands, rare plant inventories, and invasive species monitoring and management. The Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistants will participate in office work including data entry, data quality control, and brief data summarization and reporting as needed. The Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistants will participate in public outreach and education and support the organization’s special events as needed. For more information on NCF’s mission and current research projects, please see the Foundation’s website www.nantucketconservation.org, and read our Science Blog.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: This is a field work intensive position and applicants must be able to tolerate adverse field conditions. Field work includes the possibility for inclement weather and variable terrain, poison ivy and biting insects (mosquitoes, deer ticks). Nantucket is an area with a high incidence of tick-borne disease so precautions to minimize risk are encouraged. The work involves hiking, standing, bending, kneeling, digging, and hauling field gear on a routine basis. While field assistants will not be applying or working directly with herbicide, they may be working in the vicinity of licensed applicators.

Dates/Hours: This is a full-time, temporary and seasonal position beginning in early June and ending in late-October; exact dates are somewhat flexible. Hours are 40 hours a week with exact daily schedule variable depending on particular projects: early-morning and late-night field work may be required depending on project, weather, tides, etc. Occasional weekend work will be required for certain field projects and non-profit special events.

Location: The Nantucket Conservation Foundation is located on Nantucket Island, MA ~ 30 miles south of Cape Cod. Nantucket is dominated by sandplain grasslands, coastal heathlands, and scrub oak shrublands (all rare habitats in the Northeast) as well as barrier beaches, coastal plain ponds and tidal marshes.

Requirements

Qualifications: B.S. or B.A. in Ecology, Plant Biology, Botany, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or a related biological/ecological field. Strong plant identification skills and an interest in ecological monitoring and hands-on management. One full season of fieldwork experience required. Experience in vegetation community monitoring techniques and ecological field data collection. Experience using GPS units (or phone-based GPS program, such as Field Maps/ArcCollector) in the field. Experience using Microsoft Excel for data entry. Interest in invasive species management and willingness to participate in manual aspects of herbicide management projects. Strong observational, critical thinking and organizational skills are essential, as is the ability to accurately collect data and record field notes. Individuals must be able to work both independently and as a member of a team. Candidate must have a valid driver’s license, solid driving experience, and be comfortable driving a pickup truck or SUV during work hours.

Desired Qualifications:  Familiarity with the flora of the northeastern United States and past plant taxonomy and identification coursework.

Wages/Benefits: Wage is $22 per hour, based on a 40-hour work week. Housing is provided in a shared, employee house for a nominal fee. Work-related transportation is provided but is not available after working hours.