Plant Ecology Seasonal

Salary: starting at $18 per hour

Details

• Application Deadline: 05/11/2025
• Published: 04/24/2025
• Starting Date: between 4/25/2025 and 5/19/2025
• Ending Date: between 9/15/2025 and 9/19/2025
• Hours per Week: 40
• Education Required: Some Undergraduate
• Experience Required: none

Description:

Colorado State University is hiring a seasonal Biological Science Technician to join a field crew for a project on Buffalo Gap National Grassland based out of Rapid City, SD. A general position description is below. If you are interested in this position at Colorado State University, please write a short email expressing your interest in the position and send your resume to Jacqueline Ott (Jacqueline.ott@usda.gov).

This position focuses on collecting field measurements for a drought and grazing study on Buffalo Gap National Grassland in the Northern Great Plains as part of a five-person crew from May through September. The research study is designed to give land managers and scientists a better understanding of northern mixed-grass prairie plant responses to seasonal and extreme drought in the context of grazing. In support of this mission, the successful applicant will collect plant species composition, demography, and biomass data, as well as maintain mowing treatments and rainout shelter infrastructure. As a seasonal position, funding is available to support the position for 18 weeks starting May 19, 2025 and is based in Rapid City, SD ($18.00/ hour plus housing). Duties may include:

• Collects biological and vegetation specimens and samples. Is responsible for the accumulation, coding, transcription, and processing of information; edits and corrects records; and provides quality control of automatic data processing entries.
• Tabulates results and prepares graphs and charts according to instructions. Assists in the design of new plant projects.
• Lays out experimental plots by taking measurements and marking corners and boundaries.
• Uses botanical key to identify plants encountered during field trips or surveys of forest areas.
• Compiles and summarizes the vegetation types obtained from aerial and ground surveys including forest health monitoring, biological evaluations, and pilot tests conducted as part of the project.
• Participates and conducts a variety of field studies of native and non-native botanical species and their habitats. Collects data for use in habitat and species condition analyses.
• Collects survey/inventory data to determine species identity, population characteristics, environmental conditions, and factors affecting the vigor/extent of the species and their habitat. Keeps records of all data and produces maps of survey areas.
• Lays out monitoring plots by taking measurements and marking corners and boundaries.
• Compiles and summarizes the data obtained from surveys, inventories, biological evaluations, and monitoring. Uses computer systems and associated software for recording, organizing, storing, and analyzing data.
• Performs native plant surveys.
• Performs the full range of standard technical assignments consisting of a variety of tasks involving invasive non-native plant treatment, management, inventory, and monitoring.
• Assignments involve the performance of a series of basic related technical tasks, which must be completed according to a predetermined and established routine.
• Performs highly physical labor and daily hiking often to remote locations in rugged terrain under possible adverse weather conditions.

Contact:

Jacqueline Ott

jacqueline.ott@usda.gov (preferred contact method)