The Human-Wildlife Interactions Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is recruiting one Field Technician to aid in a study of bats in the northern plains of Missouri. The Missouri Bat Project is an 8-year study and collaboration between the Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Missouri Department of Conservation. The main goal of the project is to understand how federally endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) are affected by timber management on state-owned conservation lands in northeast Missouri. Technicians will aid Drs. Clarissa Starbuck and Joy O’Keefe, and PhD students in gathering data on bat distributions, health, and population density on six conservation areas. The University of Illinois will provide housing and field vehicles to conduct the research. We anticipate long days in the field and can say with certainty that you will encounter at least one of the following on a daily basis: ticks, spiders, chiggers, venomous snakes, poison ivy, mud, hot weather, and rain. You will live and work in a team environment.
The Technician will work with another technician to track bats to day roosts. The telemetry technicians will also conduct exit counts at bat roosts and manage data. The position involves navigating in rugged and forested areas using a GPS, compass, and map, and will help with managing data for a long-term project.
Temporary, full-time position.
$520/week until mid August 2022.
Bunk housing and field vehicle will be provided.
Qualifications
Must have a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and be in good physical condition. It is also critical that you are detail-oriented and interested in collecting data for research studies.
Telemetry Technician: Ideally will have experience using radio telemetry to track wildlife and experience navigating using GPS and topographic maps. However, we are willing to hire a candidate who lacks this experience if they meet the criteria above for attitude, etc. Must possess a valid driver's license and pass a driving record check.
Contact Dr. Joy O’Keefe at jmokeefe@illinois.edu ASAP