Title: Lead Wetland Botanist Work Location: Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT Pay Rate: $18-20/hour, plus per diem and reimbursement for camping equipment use Closing Date: March 14, 2016 Employment Period: This temporary position will begin in mid-May and last for approximately eight months
Position Description: The Utah Geological Survey seeks to hire a lead botanist to participate in wetland condition research. The incumbent will work on two projects, assessing wetland health across the state of Utah as part of the National Wetland Condition Assessment and assessing wetland health within the Jordan River and Utah Lake watersheds. The incumbent will participate in national protocol training in Fort Collins in mid-May and then spend most of June through September conducting field work in both front country and remote settings. The incumbent will serve as the lead field botanist, responsible for identifying plant specimen in the field and office and overseeing identifications made by other crew members. The incumbent will also work with a team member to evaluate hydrologic, physical, and other components of wetland health with a series of qualitative metrics. The incumbent will be trained on characterizing soil profiles and collecting water quality data and may sometimes be responsible for these measurements in the field. The employee will be expected to take a leadership role in the field and help facilitate decision-making and planning. Work days will typically consist of four 10+ hour days/week and will include frequent overnight stays in the field. During the rest of the year, the incumbent will work on a variety of tasks including contacting landowners about site access and evaluating sites in ArcGIS, but will primarily be responsible for identifying plant collections in the office or at an herbarium. The position is based out of Salt Lake City and housing is not provided when not conducting field work. This position is a great opportunity to visit seldom-seen parts of Utah and to develop expertise in a variety of wetland types across the state. Duties: 1. Take a leadership position on projects and in the office, including responsibility for data accuracy and completeness and supervising plant identification by other staff. 2. Reliably identify plants (both in field and with a microscope) and plant communities within Utah wetlands. Collect and prepare unknown plant specimens for later identification and storage. 3. Aid in the collection of wetland condition data. Evaluate sites for the presence of stressors. Use landscape and local site data to evaluate hydrologic, physical, and biotic components of wetland health following set protocols with attention to detail. 4. Prepare for field surveys by attending trainings, preparing site information, organizing field gear, and planning field travel. 5. Use GPS and provided maps, to drive to and from field sites and navigate to survey sites via roads, trails, and off-road through dense vegetation while maintaining crew safety 6. Other duties as needed. Qualifications: 1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree in botany, ecology, biology, wetland science, or other related field. 2. Three or more seasons of field experience in positions requiring identification of plant species; one season can be substituted by plant taxonomy coursework. 3. Ability to use dichotomous keys to identify species including species in difficult groups such as Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Knowledge of Utah or western US flora and of wetland flora preferred. 4. Ability to work independently, serve in a leadership role, and be responsible for data and project organization 5. Knowledge of data collection procedures and ability to collect data with attention to detail. 6. Willingness and ability to work long hours and unusual schedules (including overnights), travel extensively, drive a State of Utah vehicle, hike moderate distances through occasionally rough terrain, and tolerate exposure to extreme heat, rain, biting insects, and other field nuisances. 7. Experience with map making in ArcGIS, or willingness to learn 8. Preference given to candidates with experience working in wetland or riparian systems. To apply, submit resume, cover letter, and three references (with phone numbers) to Diane Menuz, State Wetland Coordinator, at the Utah Geological Survey, dme...@utah.gov. Please indicate the title of the position you are applying for and whether you have any constraints on your availability. You may direct all questions to this email. Applications will be accepted through March 14.
