Mountain Quail Field Volunteer

Details:

• Application Deadline: 05/24/2025
• Starting Date: after 6/1/2025
• Ending Date: after 7/31/2025
• Hours per Week: at most 40
• Education Required: Some Undergraduate
• Experience Required: none
• Location: WA, USA (Rogersburg, Washington)

Description:

Mountain Quail Field Volunteer

Position description — Washington State University’s Quantitative Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Lab has openings for one (1) 2-month volunteer in our mountain quail research program. The position will run from June through July 2025.

Mountain quail are ‘Critically Imperiled’ in Washington state, and this research is designed to inform conservation strategies in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The volunteer will have the unique opportunity to track GPS-tagged resident and migratory mountain quail through the nesting season. The volunteer will work directly with a Ph.D. student and wildlife research technician to gain a variety of experiences, including:

• relocating quail
• locating nests
• setting up trail cameras and other technology to monitor nests
• raptor identification
• performing vegetation surveys.

Additionally, the volunteer will gain experience deploying acoustic recording devices and processing acoustic data to detect quail and other birds by their vocalizations, as well as trail cameras to detect quail and their predators.

Field work will be in front-country and remote, off-trail environments and require daily rigorous hiking, and possibly short backpacking trips in rugged and beautiful terrain. Shared field housing (WDFW bunkhouse) is provided, and a project vehicle is available for work-related travel. This opportunity is well-suited for students or recent graduates seeking to gain hands-on field experience in wildlife research and conservation. The nearest towns are Asotin and Clarkston, WA.

Qualifications:

Applicants should be pursuing or have completed a B.S. degree in wildlife biology, ecology, or a related field. Applicants must be able to hike off-trail 5-10 miles a day in rugged terrain, maintain a positive attitude, and communicate effectively with the crew. To apply, send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for 2 references in a single document to Georgia Isted (georgia.isted@wsu.edu). Applications will be reviewed immediately in the order received.

Contact:

• Georgia Isted
• georgia.isted@wsu.edu (preferred contact method)