Seasonal Technician Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring; position

Title:

Seasonal Technician -- Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring (1 position)

FLSA Status:
Seasonal / Non-exempt / Hourly

Reports to:

Avian Ecologist and Crew Leader

Direct Reports:
None

Location:

Douglas and Boulder Counties, Colorado

Salary: $19 - $20/hour depending on previous experience. Limited overtime hours may be required. In addition to pay, reimbursement for project-related travel and lodging up will be provided.

Duration: 4-6 weeks (mid-May through June)

Benefits:
Not eligible

Start Date:

May 18th, 2025 (tentative)

Purpose:

The seasonal technician will conduct playback surveys to monitor Mexican Spotted Owl populations in the Pike-San Isabel and Arapahoe-Roosevelt National Forests, near Castle Rock and Boulder, Colorado

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies conserves birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of science, education and stewardship. Our work extends from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond. Our mission is advanced through sound science, achieved through empowering people, realized through stewardship and sustained through cross-border collaborations. We monitor and identify population trends, research habitat needs, engage landowners and managers in wildlife and habitat stewardship, and inspire audiences of all ages to be better stewards of the land.

Together, we are improving native bird populations, the land, and the lives of people. Learn more about our work and programs at our website:(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..org

Experience a season of adventure surveying for nocturnal owls on the Pike-San Isabel and Arapahoe-Roosevelt US National Forests near Castle Rock and Boulder, Colorado. All field work will be conducted with appropriate federal permits. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is hiring one field technician that will travel within a small team to conduct Spotted Owl playback surveys. Technicians follow strict protocols of broadcasting calls and listening for responses, as per USFWS, adding to a monitoring dataset that informs presence of the raptor species within forest management areas.

Mexican Spotted Owl distribution along the Front Range of Colorado is not well known, this is a unique opportunity to work on a federally-threatened species at the edge of its range. Successful candidates will be passionate about wildlife conservation, comfortable hiking long distances off-trail at night, and enjoy living and working remotely for several months at a time. Work days can be long and strenuous, and the work schedule is highly variable with extensive driving time.

Attendance to a week-long training during the beginning of the field season is mandatory. Technicians must be able to learn to identify all Colorado owls by sight and sound upon completion of the training.

The first week of the field season, you will participate in an intensive training session with the Avian Ecologist and Crew Leader. It will cover protocols, avian identification, safety protocols, GPS navigation and data entry.

• Work ~35-50 hours/week with highly variable hours (overtime pay provided); expect long hours in the field. Fieldwork conducted during a regular work week: 5 days on/2 days off, with limited flexibility for personal needs during the week.
• Travel and work with a field partner during a hitch
• Drive on remote, 4wd roads and hiking on and off trail in steep rugged terrain on a regular basis
• Navigate to survey site using combination GPS, compass and map during the day and at night
• Car camp occasionally, often without cell service or facilities, and return to camp late at night from owl surveys
• Occasionally overnight backpack in remote roadless/wilderness areas
• Enter data, update timesheets and worklogs, and research how to access survey locations
• Check in frequently with the Crew Leader and be available by cell or by satellite phone (provided)

You will need to provide your own smart phone (for data entry in the field) and laptop computer (for timesheets after a hitch), as well as backpacking camping gear. You may drive your own 4WD vehicle (with reimbursement for work-related mileage at the federal…