About Mohonk Preserve:

Located in the beautiful Hudson River Valley, Mohonk Preserve is New York’s largest nonprofit nature preserve. Our mission is to protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world. We manage over 8,000 acres of mountain cliffs, forests, fields and streams through four integrated programs – Conservation, Education, Stewardship, and Visitor Experience – and welcome over 300,000 members and visitors each year who come to hike, run, rock climb, boulder, bike, cross-country ski, snowshoe and enjoy and experience nature.

Based in a vibrant university community, Mohonk Preserve offers a great working environment in one of New York’s greenest counties, with all-season recreation, access to Preserve lands, a dynamic, committed team of conservation professionals and long legacy of conducting ecological research and environmental education. The Preserve is also the home of one of America’s premier rock-climbing destinations.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Mohonk Preserve is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to creating an inclusive culture where employees from diverse backgrounds can thrive and support our mission. Successful candidates will be equity-minded and committed to furthering our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice (DEIJ) goals. Mohonk Preserve encourages applications from women, minorities and/or other underrepresented groups.

About the Position:

As a member of the Conservation Programs team, the Ecological Field Technician will be responsible for conducting vegetation (forest and grassland) and insect (grassland) surveys. Field data collection on vegetation includes monitoring composition, structure, and White-tailed deer browse-impact. Field data collection on insects includes monitoring for density, richness, and diversity. The Technician will follow established field protocols in both new and existing monitoring sites.

The Technician will also be responsible for entering and managing the collected data and preparing a project assessment report summarizing seasonal findings. This position will support departmental initiatives, outreach opportunities, and carrying out the Preserve’s mission.

The position is supervised by the Research Ecologist and requires working closely with other Conservation Programs and Mohonk Preserve staff. This hourly, grant-funded position runs for approximately 10-12 weeks, June-August 2022, for a maximum of 400 hours.

Essential Functions:

· Revisit sampling plots and collect data following existing protocols (NETN’s Long-term Forest Health Monitoring, EMMA’s deer exclosure project, and Cornell University’s AVID)

· Assist with placement of new vegetation and insect monitoring plots/transects

· Vegetation surveying (including species identification & inventory as well as data collection of plant heights/percent cover, tree dbh, canopy cover, deer-browse presence, and habitat quality)

· Grassland insect surveying (including the use of malaise traps and sweep-nets, as well as specimen collection, sorting, and identification)

· Record, manage, enter, and perform quality checks on scientific data

· Prepare project assessment report summarizing seasonal findings

· Perform other related duties to support department and Preserve as assigned by the Conservation Programs Department

Desired Skills and Experience:

· Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Forestry, Ecology, or related field

· Experience conducting field research essential

· Ability to identify Northeastern vegetation, especially woody species

· Familiarity with Northeastern insect identification

· Experience using forestry equipment including but not limited to tape measures, DBH tape, densitometer, compass, clinometer, and quadrats

· Experience orienteering using a GPS unit

· Proficient computer skills - Microsoft Office 365 applications, remote work platforms (e.g., Teams, Zoom).

· Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with both field work and managing data

· Ability to navigate off-trail to sampling sites

· Capability of occasionally walking several miles through forests in a given day carrying a backpack over uneven terrain in potentially adverse field conditions (biting insects, rain, heat, humidity, etc.)

· Must be able to work independently and interact professionally with a variety of Preserve stakeholders

· Must have a valid driver’s license

· Ability to work some irregular hours, including some weekends

· Bonus skills

o Experience conducting forest vegetation surveys

o Experience with ArcGIS software

o Bi-lingual

How to Apply:

Applications accepted via e-mail only. Please submit as a single PDF: cover letter, resume, and names and contact information for 3 professional references by 5PM EST March 25th, 2022 to: research@mohonkpreserve.org

Include “Ecological Field Technician” in email subject line.

Additional details: https://www.mohonkpreserve.org/who-we-are/jobs-fellowships-and-internships/