COLORADO NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM Position Announcement:

Colorado Front Range and Eastern Plains Seasonal Wetland Botanists

Position Type: Full-time, temporary

Number Of Positions: 3 in total, 1 Crew Lead and 2 Technicians

Work Locations: Based in Fort Collins, CO. Travel throughout CO Front Range and CO eastern plains.

Pay Rate: Crew Leads: $23-24/hr. Technicians $21-22/hr.

Plus $60.00/day per diem when traveling beyond base location.

Health insurance, overtime pay, retirement, and sick leave provided.  

Duration: May 12–September 2025 Technicians. Crew Lead starts April 1. Dates are approximate.

Summary of Positions

In partnership with the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is seeking experienced field technicians to collect wetland assessment and plant data for two projects in the Front Range and CO eastern plains region: CNHP’s Colorado Statewide Natural Heritage Survey and a Study of the Front Range’s Vulnerable Wetlands. Successful applicants will be trained in wetland assessment methods and the NatureServe rare species and community data collection methods by CNHP wetland ecologists.

Three wetland seasonal botanists will be hired (1 Crew Lead and 2 Technicians) to conduct plant and wetland surveys in wetlands of the Colorado Front Range and eastern plains. The crew will also work with a CNHP intern and crew manager. The field team will conduct wetland surveys in groups of 2-3 people for two projects: 1. Vulnerable Wetlands of the Front Range, and 2. Statewide Biodiversity Surveys. Crew members will conduct field work in wetlands including wetland assessment, plant inventory, rare plant searches, and navigation to and from field sites with driving and off-trail hiking. Other common tasks include collecting soil pit data, water chemistry data, plant identification with a microscope, office field data entry and organization, and onsite research communication with landowners and land managers.

The field crew will travel extensively and spend up to 7 days in a row in the field, often camping between field surveys in undeveloped open lands, campsites, and occasional stays in field bunkhouses. The work schedules during the field season (beginning June 1) include multi-day hitches split into teams of 2 staff with either 4 days on /3 days off, or 8 days on/6 days off. Each field hitch length is determined by the distance of field sites from Fort Collins. Wetland types in the semi-arid CO plains are varied with saturated groundwater-fed wetlands, playas, and riparian areas. The CO eastern plains region is relatively undersurveyed, and these wetlands present many opportunities for botanical and scientific discovery! Field conditions in the plains are often exposed and can include lack of tree cover, regular high heat >100 degrees, biting insects, poison ivy, and the occasional overly friendly ranch dog running alongside your truck to greet the field team. There are ticks, mosquitoes, rattlesnake and cougar habitat, and inclement weather and thunderstorms. Field surveys in the Front Range include similar hazards but more moderate conditions and more urban wetlands, and the staff will work across the two projects.

Crew Lead position starts in advance of the field season (estimated start date is April 1) to plan field season logistics and train on the wetlands. The Crew Lead will manage crew and oversee their tasks, safety, and wellbeing, coordinating field logistics and scheduling, managing the crew’s equipment, and completing administrative paperwork. Before, during, and after field data collection, the Crew Lead will be responsible for the organization and quality control of field data collected using iPad tablets and occasional paper forms. The crew lead will have more office days than the technicians during the field season to organize field logistics but is still predominately field-based.  

CNHP is interested in finding the best candidates for these positions. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t think you meet all preferred qualifications – please use your application to let us know what excites you about this role and what transferable skills you would bring.

Qualifications

• Coursework in botany, ecology, natural resources, range management, or related field is preferred for all positions. A completed B.S. degree is required.
• A minimum of one season of field work collecting scientific data is required for all positions. Knowledge of wetland ecology, and experience working in wetlands and/or riparian areas, and vegetation survey experience is preferred.
• Plant ID experience is required, and experience using dichotomous botanical keys and field guides is preferred.
• Familiarity with the major plant families or common genera is preferred.
• Experience with aerial photography (Google Earth), navigating with a topographic map, and use of GPS preferred for all positions and required for Crew Leads. Experience with ArcGIS is preferred for Crew Lead.
• Ability to work long hours and varied schedules, regularly travel during the field season, car camp, and hike long distances (up to 6+ miles/day) on trails and in uneven wetland terrain, while carrying field gear in a backpack and a soil shovel in hand to field sites is required.
• Ability to work with a positive attitude in field conditions that include exposure to inclement weather, rugged terrain, hot weather, biting insects, and poisonous plants, all while maintaining attention to team safety are required.
• Willingness to meet with public land managers or private landowners at the field sites about the research, and talk over the phone for site access logistics, is required.
• Willingness to work collaboratively in a team setting, while conducting field work in remote field conditions is required.
• An attention to detail and written and organizational skills needed to complete lengthy electronic field forms and paper notes as needed is required.
• A valid driver’s license is required for all positions. Experience driving 4x4 vehicles on rough roads preferred.
• Wilderness First Aid or other field safety training preferred, but opportunities are available for taking or updating safety trainings.

Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are expected to have the ability to advance the Department's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Colorado State University is an EO/EA/AA employer. 
Colorado State University conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Employee Benefit information can be found on HR’s Website at  https://hr.colostate.edu/currentemployees/benefits