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  • Health and Stress of Urban Wildlife Intern, Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL)

    Feb 14, 2017 4:15 pm by Piper HodsonInternshipsJobs

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    GENERAL SUMMARY

    This position will assist in the Davee Center’s activities in health and stress of urban wildlife initiative. Specifically, this person will assist with small mammal, bat, amphibian, motion-triggered camera, and other projects including field, camera, and some lab work.  There will be occasional work on zoo grounds, but the internship is primarily field-based with early mornings and late afternoons around the city for some projects.

    Essential Job Functions: 

    • Provide fieldwork support to existing health and stress projects including live-trapping, handling, marking/ear tagging, swabbing, and identification of small mammals or amphibians.
    • Perform wildlife disease monitoring through tick dragging techniques.
    • Assist with equipment maintenance including cleaning field equipment.
    • Assist with data entry including entering data into current databases.
    • Provide lab support to existing projects including processing wildlife hair for DNA analysis.

    Additional Responsibilities: 

    • Participate in other Davee Center projects as needed.
    • Provide general organizational assistance with all Davee Center activities.
    • Perform other duties as assigned by Matthew Mulligan of the Davee Center and Urban Wildlife Institute.
    • Maintain a positive and flexible approach to daily responsibilities. Trap checks will commence early in the day, and time of day may change as weather changes (with earlier trap checks as temperatures get warmer). The ideal candidates will be comfortable working long hours in the outdoors with little shade, and with abundant biting insects, ticks, and potential poison ivy.
    • Works well in a team environment as well as independently.
    • Must be available for occasional work on nights and weekends.
    • Job will require a substantial amount of travel. Ideal candidates will have their own means of transportation in order to meet at select sites if requested.

    Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

    • Possess expertise in the specific areas covered in ‘essential job functions’.
    • Demonstrate a basic understanding of endocrinology and ecology including Midwestern fauna.
    • Successful candidates would ideally have experience in field procedures.
    • Possess strong computer, organizational, and communication skills (written and spoken).
    • Ability to represent Lincoln Park Zoo in a professional manner at all times.
    • Ability to interact courteously and respectfully with supervisors and fellow employees, volunteers, zoo visitors, and general public.
    • Demonstrate a commitment to wildlife conservation through management of wild and captive populations, and willingness to participate in the department’s team approach to conservation research projects.

    Education Requirements: 

    • A recent Bachelor’s degree in biology or closely related scientific discipline (within the last 2 years or expected May 2017).

    Experience Requirements: 

    • Previous experience working with wildlife and/or conducting scientific research.
    • Preference for those that have animal handling experience.
    • Experience conducting or assisting with wildlife ecological studies, including mammal and amphibian live-trapping and monitoring.
    • Possess knowledge of Illinois fauna, particularly mammals and herps.
    • Rabies vaccination.

    Physical Requirements: 

    • Must be available for occasional work on weekends.
    • Must be able to lift and carry field equipment (metal live traps, seine nets) weighing up to 40 lbs through habitat by foot.
    • Willingness to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, rain, heat, cold, etc.
    • Must be tolerant of insect bites (because of its toxicity, DEET-based repellents cannot be used when working with amphibians).

    Additional Requirements: 

    • Must possess a valid driver’s license
    • A strong work ethic and a good sense of humor are ideal, especially while aiding in trap cleaning.

    All employment queries should be directed to:

    Human Resources
    hrjobs@lpzoo.org

    To complete an application for employment at Lincoln Park Zoo, download and open this PDF, fill in your information, save the form and e-mail it to hrjobs@lpzoo.org. We require a cover letter, resume, and application for all positions. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed. Lincoln Park Zoo is an equal opportunity employer.

    Full information and APPLY

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