Dec 4 2017
Position type: Wolverine Research Assistant (short-term contract)
Employer: Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada)
Supervised by: Wolverine Conservation Scientist
Term: 12 weeks
Start date: 15 January 2018
Salary: $7,000
Deadline for application: 11 December 2017
Position Summary:
WCS Canada is seeking a research assistant to assist the Wolverine Conservation Scientist with a wolverine radiotelemetry study near Ear Falls, Ontario. This is a short-term position that will support WCS Canada’s Wolverine Conservation Program in Ontario’s Northern Boreal landscape. Fieldwork will be based out of Ear Falls (non-negotiable) and will focus on establishing and maintaining a system of wolverine live-traps, chemically immobilizing and attaching radio collars to wolverines, and tracking wolverines. Office tasks at the field site will include field-data management in Excel and plotting and managing spatial data in a geographic information system (GIS).
Housing and food will be provided during fieldwork periods in Ear Falls. The fieldwork schedule is anticipated to be a two-weeks full-time followed by a two-week break. The departure point for fieldwork in Ear Falls will be Thunder Bay. Transportation between Ear Falls and Thunder Bay for break periods will be provided.
Position Objectives:
This position supports the WCS Canada Wolverine Conservation Program which has the following primary objectives:
- Develop methods to monitor the abundance of wolverines throughout the Ontario Shield
- Develop best management practices for wolverine habitats
- Develop methods for reducing incidental harvest of wolverines
Principal Responsibilities:
- Daily organization and maintenance of field equipment
- Construction of wolverine live-traps
- Checking wolverine live-traps and maintaining traps as needed
- Assist with the chemical immobilization and processing of wolverines
- Track wolverines on foot and snowmobile, collect scat and document sign at wolverine foraging sites (e.g., GPS clusters)
- Transfer field-collected data to an Excel database
- Use GIS to plot wolverine GPS relocations
Qualifications:
- An interest in wildlife and nature
- Wildlife-handling experience and/or training
- First aid and bear safety training
- Proficient with Microsoft Excel
- Experience visualizing spatial data in GIS
- Ability to work in remote and cold environments
- Experience operating a snowmobile, specifically off groomed trails or packed snow
- Experience with small construction projects
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter with a resume/cv and three references in a single PDF by email to: wcscanadahr@wcs.org<mailto:wcscanadahr@wcs.org> with the subject “WOLVERINE ASSISTANT”
About WCS Canada:
WCS Canada (<http://www.wcscanada.org>) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. Our mission is to conserve wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of stakeholders. We also provide technical assistance and biological expertise to local groups and agencies that lack the resources to tackle conservation concerns. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.