The Great Basin Institute (GBI), in cooperation with Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (TUSK), is recruiting 1 Wildlife Technician to join GBI’s Research Associate (RA) Program and participate in preliminary research to better understand the scope and extent of wildlife on National Park Service (NPS) lands at TUSK, with priority given to Desert Tortoise, bird, and bat species. This novel wildlife survey project will help inform future resource management and research at TUSK, including future plans for wildlife protection in the area. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supporting general and species-specific plot count or transect bird surveys following regional and/or nationwide protocols;
  • Defining the study area and making recommendations for establishing plots by likelihood of species occupancy.
  • Completing baseline documentation (per regional survey protocols), including a landscape-level habitat suitability (Maxent) model for each of the target species based on historic location data and readily available environmental spatial data.
  • Updating distribution maps, breeding habitat information, and geospatial data. The results of the survey will be shared with TUSK partners/affiliates to synthesize with other regional data.
  • Creating a thrasher sensitivity map using ArcGIS, including geospatial data collected during the survey. 
  • Data collection and management, adding data to the TUSK wildlife databases and geodatabase. 
• Conducting acoustic monitoring for bat species;
  • Deploying acoustic recorders following the protocol established by the Mojave Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring Network. 
  • Assisting in the training and oversight of volunteers to conduct live acoustic monitoring via mobile acoustic detectors in the developed community adjacent to TUSK.
  • Coordinating the analysis of survey data to detect potential roosts. 
  • Following the identification of roosts, swabbing roosts for pathogenic fungi as a baseline for emerging bat disease monitoring.
• Performing wildlife inventory surveys using wildlife camera data, nets, track and scat point count data, and/or live traps;
  • Conducting presence/absence surveys for Mojave Desert Tortoise or other target species.
• Handling wildlife in specific scenarios (with appropriate PPE and training).
• Assisting with data management and with report writing related to wildlife inventory and monitoring, Mojave Desert Tortoise, or other target species;
  • Adding geospatial data into appropriate park geodatabases.
  • Updating park GIS wildlife data layers with new survey data and roost locations.
• Participating in public outreach and education activities.

Timeline: 

• 52 weeks/12 month) appointment beginning in January 2025 (pending successful completion of DOI Background Investigation)
• Full time (40 hours/week) 

Location:

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is located north of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, Nevada. The Monument was founded in December 2014 to protect and preserve Pleistocene era fossils within the Upper Las Vegas Wash. The Monument is located near the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS) and Ice Age Fossils State Park (State of Nevada). Monument offices are located in Boulder City, NV based out of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Headquarters.

Compensation and Benefits:  

• Wage:$ 21/hr
• Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Eligibility: Upon successful completion, members between the ages of 18-30 (35, if you are a veteran) are eligible to apply for non-competitive status for government hiring for two years.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums available at no cost
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance
• Paid Time off and Holidays
• 401K
• Access to prodeals

Technical requirements:

• Undergraduate or Graduate degree in Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, Natural Resources, or a closely related field in the biological sciences;
• Familiarity and knowledge of natural resource management at western National Parks, specifically wildlife;
• Experience in performing field work, and applying methodological protocols for collecting field data;
• Ability to work in extreme and remote parts of the park;
• Familiarity with ecological processes and the fauna, as well as habitats, of the Mojave Desert;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally, with a diverse audience;
• Experience using hand-held GPS equipment for data collection and navigation;
• Ability to read and navigate using topographic maps and a compass;
• Experience using ArcGIS software; 
• Willingness and ability to work, hike long distances carrying 40-50 pounds, and lift, carry and use equipment in harsh, variable desert conditions, including in extreme heat; and
• Experience with conducting Desert Tortoise, bat, and bird surveys, highly desirable.

Additional requirements: 

• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record:
• Experience operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, including unimproved roads;
• Ability to work independently to accomplish goals;
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public;
• Possess good organizational skills; and
• Must be motivated, self-directed, organized, and detail oriented in order to balance multiple tasks simultaneously.

Because the agreement under which this position is being advertised is a Public Lands Corps Youth Assistance Agreement, all applicants must meet the PLC age and citizenship requirements. Additional information on the PLC can be found on our website.