[ECOLOG-L] Summer undergrad field course opportunities

[Ecosystem Field Studies]

 Please help distribute the below *announcement* to your undergrads- thanks!

AMAZING SUMMER, 3-CREDIT, FIELD SCIENCE COURSES
with
* Ecosystem Field Studies *
Full Details:  www.ecofs.org 

*An opportunity to apply your classroom & textbook learning while immersed
in a spectacular & transformative educational setting! *
*Caribbean Ecosystem Field Studies*
* Study, snorkel & SCUBA dive on the Caribbean coral reef of Mexico *
June 7-27

*Colorado Ecosystem Field Studies*
* Study, camp, & hike in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado *
   July 25 - August 14

   - Gain valuable career skills in hands-on scientific field research
   - Earn 3 undergraduate academic transfer credits over summer-break
   - Join a diverse & exciting group of college students for an experiential
   learning experience of a lifetime!

*For all course information visit the website:*
*  EcoFS.org *



*Open to students from all universities & majors | Accredited by the
University of Montana, Environmental Studies Program  ENST 391- for 3
undergraduate semester transfer credits*

Direct questions to Professor Steve Johnson, EcoFS Director at
st...@ecofs.org 


-- 
*Steve Johnson*


*Director, Ecosystem Field StudiesAffiliate Professor, University of
MontanaEnvironmental Studies Program*
*www.ecofs.org *
*st...@ecofs.org *
*303 859-0173*

[ECOLOG-L] PhD studentship - Behaviour of group living animals - Plymouth, UK

[Ben Ciotti]

We are seeking an outstanding PhD candidate to study the role of 
individual heterogeneity in group-living animals.

Groups of animals, whether that be flocks of birds, schools of fish, or 
swarms of insects, provide some of the most visually dramatic spectacles 
in the natural world. However, it is only recently that we have learned 
that such phenomena arise from the emergent properties of actions and 
interactions between individuals in those groups. Many questions remain 
as to how animals, with fundamentally different attributes and 
requirements, balance their needs with those of their group. Bringing 
together tools and concepts from animal personality, physiology, social 
network analysis, and collective behaviour, this studentship will 
explore the role of differences in ‘state’ and experience in shaping 
individual – and group-level dynamics. The project will use the 
Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as a model organism, working 
both with a laboratory population at the University of Plymouth, and 
wild populations in Trinidad. The successful student will have the 
opportunity to contribute to the design of experiments and development 
of the broader research program and will be provided with unique 
opportunities for collaboration, training, and research both 
domestically (UK) and internationally.
 
Closing date for applications: 12 noon BST, 06 April 2018

Full details about the PhD, funding and application procedure can be 
found here:plymu.ni/2pd3ORc 

[ECOLOG-L] Conference funding opportunity for postdocs

[Hayley Orndorf]

The BioQUEST/QUBES Summer Workshop is looking for four highly motivated 
future faculty (postdocs or advanced graduate students) volunteers to 
participate and help with the day to day logistics of the workshop. This 
year's workshop theme is Wicked Problems: Investigating Real World Problems 
in the Science Classroom. The workshop will take place at Harvey Mudd College 
in Claremont, CA from June 18-23. Selected future faculty volunteers will 
receive a registration fee waiver to attend the workshop, but must cover 
their own travel and housing expenses. Volunteers are expected to participate 
in the full workshop. More information can be found on our website 
(https://qubeshub.org/groups/summer2018). Contact Gaby Hamerlinck 
(gaby"dot"hamerlinck"at"bioquest"dot"org) for more information. Application 
deadline is April 6.

[ECOLOG-L] Deadline approaching! BioQUEST Summer Workshop "Wicked Problems in Biology"

[Hayley Orndorf]

The application for the 2018 BioQUEST Summer Workshop closes on April 15th, 
2018! Apply now! https://qubeshub.org/groups/summer2018/application 

Climate change. Emerging infectious diseases. Water quality. Crop production. 
We invite you to explore how to use wicked problems like these to engage your 
students in your classroom, and beyond. Wicked problems are open-ended, 
complex problems without clear solutions, which involve both social and 
scientific challenges. These problems are a space to add effective 
pedagogical approaches such as case pedagogies, and community based or place-
based learning. Wicked problems also provide a rich space to include systems 
thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, and quantitative skills such as data 
science and modeling.

This workshop is appropriate for future faculty, college faculty from two and 
four year institutions, and high school faculty teaching advanced or AP 
biology. Given the breadth of the topic, all biological disciplines from 
molecular biology to ecology will find a niche. Faculty from other 
disciplines are welcome as well, and we encourage teams to apply.

[ECOLOG-L] Job Opportunity: Conservation Technician in Northern Nevada

[Amy Gladding]

POSITION TITLE: Conservation Technician
STATUS: Full Time
REPORTS TO: Conservation Field Manager
POSITIONS REPORTING TO THIS POSITION: Potentially seasonal employees, interns, 
and contracted crews
LOCATION: Yerington, NV (exact reporting location TBD based on area of focus)

BACKGROUND: Established in 2014, the Walker Basin Conservancy (WBC) is leading 
the effort to restore and maintain Walker Lake while protecting agricultural, 
environmental and recreational interests in the Walker Basin 
(www.walkerbasin.org). The nascent and dynamic 
nature of the WBC and its diverse management obligations provide unique 
opportunities to develop operations from the ground level up, working closely 
with staff who are passionate about their mission.
The WBC currently manages thousands of acres of land and assets on multiple 
properties in the Walker Basin.  Land planning activities are underway and 
focus on assessing public use opportunities, conservation values, long term 
land ownership and stewardship, active and passive revegetation and restoration 
activities.
JOB PURPOSE: The primary purpose of the Conservation Technician is to support 
field operations of the Walker Basin Conservancy to ensure the successful 
transition of retired farmlands to self-sustaining vegetation communities that 
are able to thrive in the absence of supplemental irrigation. The Conservation 
Technician will work with the Conservation Field Manager and the Land Manager 
and other staff to implement and monitor stewardship projects, and is expected 
to spend a significant amount of time in the field.
A knowledge of desert plant ecology and ecological restoration, nursery or 
horticultural practices, or agricultural systems, irrigation equipment, and 
large equipment operation is essential. The Conservation Technicians should 
also have a sincere interest in expanding their knowledge of Great Basin Desert 
ecology, restoration practices, the flora and fauna of Nevada, and agricultural 
methods and equipment.

This is an excellent opportunity to work with a young and growing yet thriving 
organization that is developing programs and operations from the ground up. WBC 
has a small, talented and dedicated staff who are passionate about our mission, 
restoration and conservation. We are looking for new people to come aboard and 
grow with us!

LOCATION: Yerington, Nevada is a beautiful rural farming community located 
approximately 95 miles south of Reno, NV in the foothills of the eastern Sierra 
mountains. Yerington is small but growing with about 3,100 residents. 
Established in 1907, the city has heritage and deep roots in agriculture, 
mining, railroads, and gaming. Some of the nearby attractions, activities and 
recreational opportunities include:

  *   Camping, biking, hiking, backpacking
  *   Fishing, hunting and boating and OHV trails
  *   Flat and white water boating (1 hour away)
  *   Rock Hounding and climbing
  *   Ghost Town Exploration
  *   Ski Resorts (1.5-2 hours away)
  *   Lake Tahoe (1.5 hours away)
  *   Lahontan Reservoir (30 minutes away)
  *   Walker Lake (45 minutes away)
  *   Topaz Reservoir (45 minutes away)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities


  *   In cooperation with the Conservation Field Manager and Land Manager, 
implement the day to day operations of conservation lands managed by WBC and 
track progress of assigned field projects.
  *   Assist with all aspects of successful stewardship implementation. Duties 
may include ground preparation, seeding, planting, irrigation, weed control, or 
other tasks as necessary.
  *   Assist with the control of vegetation and noxious weeds by fire, hand or 
mechanical removal; herbicide application; or direction of weed control 
contractors.
  *   Install and maintain drip, handline, trench, and wheel line irrigation 
systems.
  *   Assist with planting shrubs, grasses and forbs from containerized stock 
and seed as part of the WBC's re-vegetation program on retired farmlands.
  *   Collect and compile field data with program data forms, GPS, cameras and 
other equipment. Ensure that accurate records of planting and seeding activity, 
herbicide applications, and irrigation activity are kept and delivered to the 
appropriate parties.
  *   Develop a deep working knowledge off all equipment, irrigation 
infrastructure, project partners, and vegetation management techniques used by 
the Program.
  *   Responsible for safely operating, maintaining and transporting a variety 
of small to heavy equipment (hand tools, power tools, tractors, mowers, 
trimmers, chainsaws, backhoe, water truck, and road grader).

Qualifications

  *   3+ years of experience in a natural resources or agricultural or 
landscaping setting.
  *   General experience with and knowledge of irrigation equipment and 
operations.
  *   Ability to safely operate large machinery and vehicles including 
tractors, ATVs, trucks, and trailers.
  *   Ability to use a dichotomous 

[ECOLOG-L] Research Technician (Lab Manager) in aquatic ecosystem ecology lab

[Jess Corman]

Jessica Corman is hiring a Research Technician (Lab Manager) for her lab in
the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I'm
looking for someone with a B.S. or M.S. and interested in ecosystem
ecology. Please see the posting for details,
https://employment.unl.edu/postings/58434, and feel free to contact her if
you are interested, jcorm...@unl.edu.

[ECOLOG-L] Deadline extended! SSE Huxley award

[Hayley Orndorf]

The deadline has been extended to April 6th for the Society for the Study of 
Evolution's Huxley award! The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) 
Education Committee is pleased to announce the T. H. Huxley award, named in 
honor of Charles Darwin's very public supporter, which recognizes and 
promotes the development of high quality evolution education resources. If 
you have an interesting project or educational activity to share, consider 
applying for this award. Information on previous awards is available here: 
http://bit.ly/2kP2pPM. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are 
encouraged to apply. This award provides funding for an SSE member to present 
evolution education resources at the National Association of Biology Teachers 
(http://nabt.org/) annual conference. This year’s NABT conference will be 
held Nov. 8-11, 2018 in San Diego, CA. The deadline for applying for the 
Huxley award has been extended! Apply by April 6th, 2018. Apply here: 
https://goo.gl/forms/vm9DDTabepV2PuCu2.
Questions? Contact Phil Gibson (jpgibson “at” ou.edu) or Gaby Hamerlinck 
(gaby.hamerlinck “at” bioquest.org).

[ECOLOG-L] Summer 2018 Field Technician Position (Invasive Plant Control)

[Steph Frederick]

The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) is currently seeking one 
(1) invasive plant technician for a five person crew to work in the 
Elko, NV District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  

INVASIVE PLANT TECHNICIAN DUTIES: Field crews will work with an 
experienced crew lead while assisting in inventory and management of 
invasive plants on public lands. Inventory duties include correctly 
identifying invasive plant species and infestations, surveying, 
recording and managing data. Invasive plant control will predominantly 
consist of herbicide application and manual control (hand pulling/hand 
tools). All technicians will be responsible for driving  large, federal 
pick-ups (often towing trailers), operating ATVs and UTVs and hiking to 
treatment/inventory sites. It is also suggested that technicians have 
navigational skills and can read locations of township and range maps.  
Technicians are also required to wear appropriate Personal Protective 
Equipment (PPE). Some PPE (neoprene gloves, safety glasses, etc) will be 
provided by the BLM;closed-toed shoes, long pants, and long sleeved 
shirts must be provided by applicant. Technicians must be comfortable 
with truck camping in the backcountry for up to 4 days at a time and 
MUST be physically able to hike while wearing a 40 lb. backpack sprayer 
over rough and steep terrain.  

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Qualified applicants should have experience and/or 
education in invasive plant management, biological sciences, natural 
resources, plant identification, GIS, rangeland management, or general 
plant taxonomy and the ability to follow directions and safety 
protocols. Applicants must be experienced with 4WD vehicles and should 
have a clean driving record for the past 3 years. Experience with 
utilizing GPS units and programs (Trimble units and ArcPad) and 
ATVs/UTVs is a plus. Preference is also given to applicants with 
mechanical experience and those with experience identifying native and 
invasive/noxious plants of the Great Basin. 

SALARY: $14-16/hour, depending on experience (plus $38/day per diem when 
camping) 

SCHEDULE: Positions run from late April/early May (start date flexible) 
through the end of September and follow a 10-hour day/four-day work 
week. Crews will generally return to Elko in the evenings, though 
camping near a project site for 4 days at a time will be required for up 
to two pay periods.  

Technicians are responsible for providing their own housing in Elko. 

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and the contact 
information for at least three references to Steph Frederick 
sfreder...@envlc.org. Please include “Invasive Plant Technician” in the 
email subject line. Materials will be accepted until position is filled. 
For more information, please visit our website (http://www.envlc.org) or 
email Steph.

About ENLC and the Elko Area

Located in Ely, Nevada, ENLC is a non-profit conservation organization 
comprised of public, private, and non-profit partners dedicated to the 
restoration of the Western ecosystems through collaborative teamwork. 

Elko is located in the remote, northeastern corner of Nevada. The area 
has a unique blend of Northern Basin and Range and sage brush steppe 
attributes including beautiful expanses of sagebrush flats and many 
mountain ranges available for exploring and recreating. The rugged Ruby 
Mountains lie 20 miles to the southeast of Elko and offer unique hiking, 
backpacking, climbing, fishing and camping experiences. The city of Elko 
has a lively downtown area and hosts cultural events throughout the 
summer (including the International Basque festival, rodeos and the Ruby 
Mountain Relay). 

[ECOLOG-L] Summer 2018 Field Technician Position (Invasive Plant Inventory)

[Steph Frederick]

The Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) is currently hiring one 
(1) invasive plant inventory technician to work in the Elko, NV District 
of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on a two person field crew.   

INVASIVE PLANT INVENTORY TECHNICIAN DUTIES: Field crews will identify 
and inventory invasive and noxious weeds on public lands, focusing on 
fire rehab areas that burned in 2017. Inventory duties include 
identifying invasive plant infestations, surveying, recording and 
managing data.  

All technicians will be responsible for driving large, 4-wheel drive 
pick-up trucks while towing trailers. Utilizing UTVs and/or ATV’s for 
inventorying large infestations is also required, as well as hiking to 
and around inventory sites on steep and rocky terrain. Technicians are 
required to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 
Technicians must be comfortable with truck camping in the backcountry 
for up to eight (8) days at a time and MUST be physically able to hike 
while wearing a backpack over rough and steep terrain.  

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Qualified applicants should have experience and/or 
education in invasive plant management, biological sciences, natural 
resources, botany, GIS, rangeland management, or general plant taxonomy 
and the ability to follow directions and safety protocols. Applicants 
must be experienced with 4WD vehicles and should have a clean driving 
record for the past 3 years. Preference is given to applicants with 
experience utilizing GPS units and programs (Trimble units and ArcPad) 
and identifying invasive and state listed noxious weeds of the Great 
Basin.

SALARY: $14.50-$16/hour, depending on experience (plus $38/day per diem 
when camping) 

SCHEDULE: Positions run from early May through July (3 months) and the 
work schedule will occur on an 8-days-on/6-days-off schedule (10-hour 
days, Thursday-Thursday). The crew will camp near the inventory sites 
for the eight days of work- returning to town mid-way through hitch to 
take care of data uploading and to replenish H2O, gear, and fuel.  

Crew members are responsible for their own housing while working on this 
project.

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and the contact 
information for at least three references to Steph Frederick- 
sfreder...@envlc.org. Please put “Elko Inventory Technician” in the 
email subject line. Applications are accepted until positions are 
filled. Visit http://www.envlc.org/ for more info. 

About ENLC & The Elko Area

Located in Ely, Nevada, ENLC is a non-profit conservation organization 
comprised of public, private, and non-profit partners dedicated to the 
restoration of the Western ecosystems through collaborative teamwork. 

Elko is located in the remote, northeastern corner of Nevada. The area 
has a unique blend of Northern Basin and Range and sage brush steppe 
attributes including beautiful expanses of sagebrush flats and many 
mountain ranges available for exploring and recreating. The rugged Ruby 
Mountains lie 20 miles to the southeast of Elko and offer unique hiking, 
backpacking, climbing, fishing and camping experiences. The city of Elko 
has a lively downtown area and hosts cultural events throughout the 
summer (including the International Basque festival, rodeos and the Ruby 
Mountain Relay). 

[ECOLOG-L] SUMMER FIELD COURSE IN NEOTROPICAL HERPETOLOGY

[Peter Lahanas]

2018 SUMMER COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT (June 15-July 10)
 
FIELD COURSE IN NEOTROPICAL HERPETOLOGY (NEH B-18)
 
COURSE LOCATION: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla
Colon, Republic of Panama.  The biological station is located on a hill
facing the Caribbean Sea.  Coral reef and sea grass ecosystems lie in front
of the station and lowland tropical rain forests surround us. This
juxtaposition of the two most biologically diverse ecosystems provides
tremendous opportunities for education and research. See:
http://www.itec-edu.org/ for details.
 
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Peter N. Lahanas, Institute for Tropical Ecology and
Conservation (ITEC), Northeastern University,  tel: 352-367-9128, email:
laha...@itec-edu.org, web:
http://itec-edu.org/itec-field-courses-2/tropical-herpetology/,  Specialty:
Neotropical herpetology, forest ecology, animal behavior, biogeography,
molecular genetics of sea turtles.
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will emphasize the ecology, behavior,
biogeography and systematics of the amazingly diverse Neotropical
herpetofauna. The material covered is equivalent to a university upper-level
course in herpetology.  The course is divided into three parts.  During the
first few days students will become familiar with the many ecosystems found
in our area and with the trail systems during "orientation" walks.  The bulk
of the first 10 days will be spent learning field techniques, working with
collections and carrying out various group projects or exercises (see
below).  Midway through the course the entire station community will take a
field trip to the cloud forests of Boquete (see details below).  On
returning to the field station, students work on their individual research
projects and continue to receive lectures or other activities in the
evening.
 
Formal lectures:  Formal lectures will take place in the classroom and will
include the use of PowerPoint presentations and chalkboard. Lectures will
generally be given in the evening so that more daylight hours can be spent
in the field.  Lecture topics will include:
 
-History of Neotropical herpetology
-Evolution of amphibians and reptiles
-Overview and classification of amphibians
-Overview and classification of reptiles
-Historical biogeographic relationships
-Reproduction strategies and mating systems
-Ecology, reproduction and genetics in marine turtles
-Life history strategies
-Evolution of polymorphism in poison dart frogs
-Herp-human interactions
-Conservation issues
 
Informal Lectures:  Informal lectures will be provided periodically during
orientation walks, during group field projects or in discussion groups.
These will cover a wide variety of topics and will generally be prompted by
what we encounter in the field, or by the direction taken during group
discussions.
 
READINGS:  Readings corresponding to lecture subjects will be assigned in
the texts.  We will also read and critique papers brought by students and
faculty and additional readings may be assigned from time to time.
 
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Vitt, Laurie J. and Janalee P. Caldwell. 2014.  Herpetology.  4rd ed.
Elsevier and
Academic Press.
Köhler, Gunther. 2008. Reptiles of Central America, 2nd edition. Herpeton,
verlag
Elke Köhler.
Köhler, Gunther. 2011. Amphibians of Central America, 2nd edition. Herpeton,
verlag Elke Köhler.
 
NOTE: These books are expensive but will enhance your herping experience
during the course.  Copies are maintained in the field station library.
 
FIELD BOOK:  A water-proof field notebook will be required in the course.
The field book will contain all data related to group projects and
independent research project.  The field book should also contain all other
incidental observations such as species lists, behavioral notes, etc., and
contain detailed location information.
 
GROUP FIELD PROJECTS:  These projects, exercises, demonstrations and
excursions are designed by the faculty and worked on in groups of four or
six students.  The purpose of these projects is to familiarize students with
an array of field sampling techniques and equipment commonly used in field
studies.  With help from a faculty member, students set up projects, collect
data, and generally (depends on the project), analyze data, present the
results to the class, and write a report.
 
GROUP ACTIVITY AND PROJECT TOPICS:
-Forest night hikes
-Population biology in poison-dart frogs
-Tail flicking behavior in geckos
-Comparative leaf litter herpetofuana
-Soropta Beach, nesting leatherbacks
-Canopy herpetofauna (canopy access techniques)
-Cave ecology, bats, rats & snakes
-Soropta canal, iguanas, caimans and crocodiles
-Herpetofuanal biodiversity analysis
-Mainland herp excursion
-Resource partitioning in frog breeding colonies
 
Individual Research Projects:  Working closely with faculty, students will
be responsible for designing and completing an original herpetological
research project of 

[ECOLOG-L] Three week paid field biology opportunity for current and future high school teachers

[Susana Wadgymar]

Dr. Jill Anderson at the University of Georgia is searching for 2-5 
enthusiastic graduate 
students in education or current high school teachers to participate in field 
research 
and a high school field ecology course from late July to mid-August 2018 (3 
weeks) in 
the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  This NSF-funded project aims to expose grad 
students 
in education to a diversity of research approaches, and provide them with tools 
and 
activities they can execute in their future classrooms. Interacting with other 
researchers 
at the Colorado field site will immerse prospective teachers in science, and 
foster 
exchanges that could provide inspiration for future curriculum development. The 
program takes place around the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab 
(http://www.rmbl.org/), 
which is located in Gothic, Colorado near the wildflower capital of Colorado 
(Crested 
Butte). Fieldwork will involve hiking through rough terrain at high elevations; 
the field 
site is located at 9448 feet above sea level.   

During the first week of the program (July 23-27, 2018), the successful 
candidates will 
assist with ongoing fieldwork to gain experience in experimental plant ecology. 
We 
study the ecological and evolutionary consequences of climate change for 
plants. We 
focus on research on Drummond’s rockcress (Boechera stricta in the plant family 
Brassicaceae), a mustard plant native to the Rocky Mountains. We quantify plant 
fitness 
and traits to ask whether climate change could disrupt long-standing patterns 
of local 
adaptation, and to test whether phenotypic plasticity will enable populations 
to persist 
in the short-term. We will train the candidates in aspects of experimental 
design, data 
collection, and database management.

During the second two weeks of the program (July 30-August 10, 2018), the 
successful 
candidates will participate in a high school field ecology course 
(http://www.rmbl.org/students/high-school-course/) that typically has 10-12 
rising 
juniors and seniors. In the first week of the class, researchers from the field 
site lead 
programs in designing research questions and experiments and teach students 
research techniques for a variety of systems from terrestrial plant ecology to 
studies of 
aquatic invertebrates. In the second week, high school students carry out 
independent 
(or small group) projects, giving them experience in asking questions, devising 
hypotheses and predictions, conducting research, and analyzing their data. They 
present talks about their research on the final day of the class. Successful 
candidates 
will work daily with the high school students to help them develop their 
independent 
projects, will participate in all activities for the course, and will have the 
opportunity to 
lead their own activities. 

The budget includes a $1000 stipend for the three-week experience, as well room 
and 
board. We will reimburse travel expenses up to $500. There is an option for 
graduate 
students to continue to collaborate with us during the academic year to develop 
lesson 
plans based on the field activities. That collaboration would be no more than 
10 
hours/month, and would come with a $400 stipend on successful completion of 
lesson 
plans.
 
The application consists of a cover letter detailing your qualifications and 
interest, a CV/ 
résumé and contact information for two references, all of which can be emailed 
to Dr. 
Anderson at: jt...@uga.edu 

Applications are due by April 16, 2018.

Feel free to contact Jill if you have any questions about the program. If you 
would like to 
participate, but you are not available for the full 3-week duration, please 
apply. We may 
be able to accommodate your schedule.

Additional information about our work can be found at: 
http://andersonlab.genetics.uga.edu/Home.html

[ECOLOG-L] Summer Courses on the Louisiana Coast

[Murt Conover]

 LUMCON (Louisiana Universities Universities Marine Consortium) is offering
summer courses at the DeFelice Marine Center.  If you enjoy immersive
experiential learning opportunities this is the program for you!

LUMCON offers 3-credit courses and non-credit skill-based courses.  Every
course is designed to help you build valuable skill-sets, a unique and
well-rounded marine science education, and academic and professional
networks.

For more information about our courses or about how to apply, visit
https://lumcon.edu/2018-summer-courses/

*Credit Courses*

*Session I:  May 28-June 16, 2018*


   - *Coastal Protection & Restoration* – Dr. Alex Kolker (LUMCON) and Dr.
   Matthew Bethel (LA Sea Grant)
  - 3 Biology Credits
  - Cost - $2700 (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)


   - *Narratives in Coastal Environment and Culture* – Dr. Heather Stone
   (UL@Lafayette):
  -  3 Humanities Credits
  -  Cost - $2700 (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)


*Session II:  July 9-July 28, 2018*


   - *Marine Ecosystem Ecology* – Dr. Brian Roberts (LUMCON), Dr. James
   Nelson (ULL) and Dr. Beth Stauffer (ULL)
  -  3 Biology Credits
  -  Cost - $2700 (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)


   - *Marine Microbial Ecology * – Dr. Aimee Hollander (Nicholls State
   Univ.) and Dr. Marshall Bowels (LUMCON)
  - 3 Biology Credits
  - Cost - $2700 (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)


*Sill-based Courses*

Session I: June 18-22, 2018

   - Small Boat Operations (NASBLA certification, Louisiana State
   certification): non-credit
  - Cost -$1250  (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)
   - Science Communication through Social Media: non-credit
  - Cost - $975  (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)


Session II: June 25-29, 2018

   - Introduction to Field GIS (Geographic Information System): non-credit
   - Cost - $975  (total, includes R, tuition, course materials, activity
  fees)
   - Dive Operations ((AAUS Dive certification, NAUI certification):
   non-credit
  - Cost - $975  (total, includes R, tuition, course materials,
  activity fees)



-- 

Jennifer "Murt" Conover
Associate Director of Education and Outreach & Aquarist
mcono...@lumcon.edu
(985) 851-2860
><º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><º>¸.
·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><º>

[ECOLOG-L] How common is to include or request a "similarity report" for submitted papers?

[Jorge A. Santiago-Blay]

How common is to include or request a "similarity report" for submitted
papers?

Dear Colleagues:

In the last few months, two colleagues, who happen to be from the same
country, have either submitted (in the case of authors) or requested (in
the case of a reviewer) a "similarity report" for different submitted
manuscripts.

Is this a new trend in scientific publication?

If you have any constructive comments, please send them directly to me.

blayjo...@gmail.com

Apologies for potentially repeated emails.

Sincerely,

Jorge

Jorge A. Santiago-Blay, PhD
blaypublishers.com

1. Positive experiences for authors of papers published in *LEB*
http://blaypublishers.com/testimonials/

2. Free examples of papers published in *LEB*: http://blaypublishers.
com/category/previous-issues/.

3. *Guidelines for Authors* and page charges of *LEB*:
http://blaypublishers.com/archives/ *.*

4. Want to subscribe to *LEB*? http://blaypublishers.com/subscriptions/


http://blayjorge.wordpress.com/
http://paleobiology.si.edu/staff/individuals/santiagoblay.cfm

[ECOLOG-L] MasterProject-Birds and Bees

[Jörg Stephan]

Master Project

“The Birds and the bees - facultative feeding of birds on dead honeybees“

_Background
_Birds: Several bird species have been observed to occasionally use 
honeybees as food source, like great tits, blue tits, and sparrows. 
These species mostly feed on dead honeybees and have no apparent 
negative consequences for the bee colony.



Bees: Especially at the beginning of the year dead bees are removed by 
younger workers (undertaker behavior). This behavior is also more 
frequent in unhealthy colonies as a mechanism to limiting prevalence of 
diseases. During the season the majority of old bees just do not return 
from their flight (self-removal behavior). Both behaviors lead to dead 
bees outside the colony.



Birds + Bees: Regardless if the majority of dead bees ends up at 
distance (self-removal) or more in the vicinity (undertaker) of a 
colony, there is a continuously “production” of dead bees. Dead bees 
offer a nutritious (e.g. many amino acids) and easy to access food 
source for birds, especially at the beginning of the year when 
undertaker bees remove the dead bees that accumulated during the winter.


_Aims and methods
_The projects aims to quantify the anecdotal description of the behavior 
of birds feeding on honeybees. This will be accomplished using camera 
traps at several colonies and live observations with event logging 
software. Additionally the project offers a divers set of angles that 
can be perused, depending on the student’s interest. Among them are: 
potential modulators of bird visitations (urban vs rural landscape, 
colony size and health); “dead-bee traps” to quantify where the majority 
of dead bees are discarded; calculations of the potential large scale 
ecosystem effect (public bee keeping data, literature survey); include 
other mammals (mouse, bear) that may benefit from human beekeeping.


_Work environment
_The project will be performed in the vicinity of Uppsala, Sweden. The 
Department of Ecology offers a friendly and divers environment. It has a 
strong background in bird ecology, bee diseases with good contacts to 
Swedish beekeepers, and modeling of data the student will benefit from.


_Project time frame
_The project is intended as master project, which is 20 weeks full time 
and equivalent to 30 credits at my university (it could be possible to 
do it as a Bachelor project of 15 credits and 10 weeks). As this is a 
project with field observations we are constrained by the activity of 
the bees, which is around April to around September. The project has one 
part that is fixed (camera traps at colonies and some live observations) 
and another part that depends on the students interest. Otherwise how 
the student would like to organize the project is up to himself/herself 
(e.g. sampling this summer, writing the thesis in the winter). However I 
would suggest am examination date end of the year or early next year. 
There is no need to start in April, but the latest is July.



_Requirements
_Driver’s license. Experience in the statistical software R is meriting, 
as are field work experience.


_Contact
_Jörg Stephan (jorg.step...@slu.se)


--

JörgG. Stephan
PhD

*Sveriges**lantbruksuniversitet
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences*

Department of Ecology
PO Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala
Visiting address: Ulls väg 16, 75651 Uppsala
Phone: +46 018-67 24 08

Mail: jorg.step...@slu.se  
jogstep...@googlemail.com 


Web site: stephan-joerg.webnode.com  
www.slu.se/ecology/jorgstephan 

[ECOLOG-L] [Gubbi Labs][Workshop on Ecology] : Primer in Methods and Ecological Research (PRiMER)

[Vidisha Kulkarni]

 Dear All,
Greetings from Gubbi Labs. We are offering a certificate and credit course
in *Primer** in Methods and Ecological Research *in *May 2018* in India.
Last date for application is *23rd April 2018. *Please go through the
details below and apply online at http://bit.ly/2FQOXag.
-

PRiMER: Primer in Methods and Ecological Research

What is PRiMER?

PRimer in Methods and Ecological Research is a certificate course designed
and offered by Gubbi Labs to provide experiential learning on how to
appreciate and pursue research in ecology. This is first of a kind
intensive programme aimed at inspiring participants to be an ecologist, and
imparting essential skills.

The course enables the participants to venture into fields of natural
history, environmental biology and theoretical ecology.

PRiMER is a two credit course with over 40 hours of contact teaching. It
will be facilitated by faculty members comprising of an expert panel of
ecologists and research scientists, with extensive experience in field
ecology. Core faculty members include Sudhira HS and Seshadri KS. We will
also draw insights and relevant skills from other subject experts.

Broad themes dealt in PRiMER

1. Introduction to Ecological Research: Fundamentals of research; planning
and management of independent research; literature review; seeing the big
picture and framing objective. The course will provide hands-on exposure to
mind-mapping tool (Freemind) and reference manager (Mendeley®).

2. Ecological Statistics: Fundamentals of data collection, database
management and exploratory analysis; nature of data and data types
(parametric and non-parametric); data visualization; descriptive
statistics; diversity indices; probability distributions; statistical
hypothesis testing; choosing and using appropriate statistical tests.
Introduction to tools for statistical analysis viz., Biodiversity Pro®,
PAST®, R, RStudio™.

3. Mapping and Modelling: Fundamentals of mapping and remote sensing; use
of navigation gadgets (Garmin eTrex 30; Smartphone based tools);
geo-spatial analysis; species distribution modelling; geo-visualization;
hands-on training in making maps. Tools exposed: QGIS®, MaxEnt, Google
Earth®

4. Ecological Census and Monitoring techniques: Fundamentals of field data
collection techniques; hands-on training in sampling techniques such as
line and belt transects, point, quadrat, time-constrained, audio-visual
encounter surveys; mark–re-capture techniques and camera trapping. Usage of
automated data collecting devices (acoustics and weather monitoring).

5. Communicating Research: Fundamentals of science communication; art of
storytelling; the nuances of presentation skills and techniques, writing
scientific and popular articles, and research grant proposals. Basics of
science journalism; developing a communication message; writing a press
release; pitching to reporters and giving effective sound and video bytes.


PRiMER provides you the tools necessary to synthesise field observations,
analyse data, interpret, visualize and report findings in a succinct
scientific framework. This intense field course will be beneficial to
aspiring biologists, researchers, forest managers, teachers, environmental
management consultants, nature enthusiasts and photographers. The training
and skill sets inculcated in PRiMER are necessary tenets for a career in
ecology and helpful in trans-disciplinary research.

Certificates will be awarded to all participants upon course completion.
Credits are subject to successful completion of the course and evaluation.

Venue: Chingaara Estate House/Honey Valley, Kabbinakad, Coorg District,
Karnataka

Course Dates:  21st May to 26th May 2018.

*Important Dates: *Apply from 23rd March until 23rd April 2018
First list will be announced on 27th April 2018
Second list will be announced on 30th April 2017

Course Fee:

*Students (Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PhD & PostDoctoral) : ₹20,000/-   *

*Professionals: ₹ 30,000/- *

*Foreign nationals: US $ 600*


Course fees includes vegetarian food and a basic accommodation on sharing
basis.

Participants have to bring their own laptop.

Apply online at *http://bit.ly/2FQOXag *

Contact Us:

Gubbi Labs LLP

#2-182, 2nd Cross Extension, Gubbi—572216,  Tumkuru District, Karnataka
State,  India

Email: cour...@gubbilabs.in

Web: http://gubbilabs.in/PRiMER_MAY_2018

P: +91 8884261204



Best Regards
Vidisha Kulkarni
+91-8884261204

*Trust your own instinct.*

[ECOLOG-L] Graduate Center CUNY Lecture (free) "Let Us Teach You Geography: The Politics of Difference and Belonging in South Asia's Borderlands"

[Joy Cytryn]

GEOS Colloquium Series
Earth and Environmental Sciences Doctoral Program
The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Presents a Lecture by

Dr. Mabel Denzin Gergen
Environmental Humanities, Georgetown University

Let Us Teach You Geography: The Politics of Difference and Belonging in
South Asia's Borderlands

Annually thousands of students flood India's metropolitan cities in pursuit
of higher education but for those marked as racial 'others', the transition
to city life is significantly more precarious. On January 30, 2014, 19-year
old Nido Taniam, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, a mountainous borderland
state in North-Eastern India, died after a violent altercation with
shopkeepers in Delhi. As linguistic, religious, and racial minorities,
Himalayan youth are often targets of hate crimes, racial discrimination, and
are routinely denied housing. Their bodies and affect
mark them as not quite of the nation, at the margins of citizenship and
belonging.

Thursday, March 29, at 5:30 PM
Science Center, Room 4102
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
(not recorded)

Mabel Denzin Gergen,  Ph.D, Geography, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, 2016. Mabel is a geographer with special interest in ecological
precarity, environmental justice, indigenous youth, and
postcolonial/decolonial critiques of the Anthropocene. So far her work has
focused on the relationship between the Indian state and its Himalayan
borderlands through the lens of large infrastructure, hazards, and
indigenous youth activism. As Mellon-Sawyer postdoctoral fellow in
Environmental Humanities in addition to seminar responsibilities, she will
be developing two main themes of research i) postcolonial approaches to
climate change and the Anthropocene ii) indigenous youth led environmental
justice movements in postcolonial and settler colonial contexts. She is from
the Himalayan region and has a B.A. from Delhi University and an M.A. from
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

[ECOLOG-L] Botany Field Team Lead - Las Vegas, NV on the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

[Augustine Sughrua]

*Description:*

In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National
Forest, the Great Basin Institute is recruiting a Botany Field Team Lead to
join our AmeriCorps program to work cooperatively with the GBI Research
Coordinator while responsible for a crew consisting of 1-4 botany
technicians and working with a larger crew of up to 10 members. The Field
Lead will help to coordinate and implement a variety of project-specific
biological surveys and habitat restoration projects. The Field Lead will be
responsible for the working directly with the Research Coordinator
conducting project activities, including ensuring adherence to protocols
and procedures, serving as a positive role model for other field team
members, and facilitating accurate completion and documentation of project
efforts.



The Field Team will conduct Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive plant
surveys across a large project area, as well as identify larval host and
nectar plants for butterflies of interest. Native seed collection for
ongoing restoration work may be conducted following Federal “Seeds of
Success” protocols. Restoration and enhancement activities may include:
identification and documentation of disturbed locations in sensitive
habitats; collecting seed of local genotypes of native plant species;
documenting encounters of State listed noxious weeds. Collectively, the
team is responsible for data collection, entry and analysis; report
writing; project planning and mapping; and other tasks assigned by SMNRA
resource biologists. Camping is required and may include both 4 days on
(with 3 days off) and 8 days on (with 6 days off) in remote areas of Nevada.
Opportunities to participate in training (e.g. GIS, Wilderness 1st Aid,
off-road driving) during the season may be available.



The crew member must be able to work in difficult terrain that may include
steep, rocky slopes, areas of dense trees, and lower elevation desert.
Exposure to a variety of adverse weather conditions are likely with average
day time temperatures above 100 degrees, night time temperature as low as
30, extreme sun exposure, and monsoonal rain events should all be expected.
This work is physically demanding and requires long hours of off-trail
hiking (up to 14 miles) while conducting surveys.



*Compensation & Timeline:*

One Position Available -24-week appointment (April 16 – September 29, 2018)

$ 10,215.00 Living Allowance

$2907.50 Education Award*

Student loan forbearance*

$15 field per diem

$75 weekly Housing Stipend



*Location:*

The base of operations for this opportunity is northwest of Las Vegas, NV
on the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. The successful applicant
will experience a tremendous diversity of habitat types from the Mojave
Desert habitat surrounding the SMNRA to the alpine ecosystem of Mt
Charleston (11,916 feet). Many developed and undeveloped recreational
opportunities are available in the region ranging from rock climbing and
bouldering, to mountain biking, hiking, and fishing.



*Qualifications:*

Technical requirements:

   - Bachelor’s degree in biology (botany, natural resource conservation,
   ecology, ect.) or a related field;
  - Coursework in and applied knowledge of plant taxonomy and ecology,
  including use of technical botanical keys (dichotomous plant key without
  pictures);

oExperience (one year) conducting floristic field surveys or vegetation
monitoring (e.g. repeat photography, or transect and quadrat systematic
sampling);

   - Experience working with hand-held GPS equipment for navigation and
   data collection;

oExperiencing collecting, preserving and mounting herbarium and voucher
specimens;

   - Familiarity with plants of the area, including rare, sensitive,
   threatened and endangered, preferable;

oExperience conducting restoration monitoring and maintenance work
(e.g., seed collection, hand tool use) preferred;

oFamiliarity with, or proven ability and desire to learn specific State
and Federal laws and Forest Service policies related to plants;

   - Knowledge of GIS software, preferred;
   - Experience with technical writing and/or producing written project
   reports; and
   - Possess strong leadership and organizational skills with the ability
   to lead and coordinate a four person crew in a remote setting.



Additional requirements:

   - Ability to complete a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Background
   Investigation (BI) or submit paperwork to US Forest Service indicating an
   active and fully adjudicated BI has been completed prior to beginning the
   position.
   - Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving
   record;
   - Ability to safely drive a 4WD vehicle on unpaved roads that can be
   steep and rutted;
   - Ability to work in harsh and rapidly changing environments, work in
   all types of weather conditions, traverse uneven terrain, carry upwards of
   40 pounds in a backpack, and otherwise 

[ECOLOG-L] Rangeland Management Crew Supervisor - Elko, Nevada

[Augustine Sughrua]

 Rangeland Management Crew Supervisor
Great Basin Institute / U.S. Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

*Description:*

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, is recruiting three (3) Rangeland
Management Crew Supervisors to lead botanical survey, monitoring, and
treatment projects for the forest's statewide noxious weed control program.
The primary duties for this position include coordinating the crew
schedule; assisting USFS staff with the logistics of monitoring and
treatment projects, overseeing USFS vehicle and UTV preventive maintenance,
and managing monitoring and treatment data entry into the Forest Service
FACTS database on a bi-weekly basis. The Crew Supervisor will also serve as
a mentor to the Field Technicians and is responsible for ensuring that
safety and field protocols are followed on a daily basis, and
administrative assignments (e.g. completing timesheets and evaluations) are
accurate and submitted in a timely manner.



Additional duties include treating noxious weed populations by hand or
through chemical application of herbicides, inventorying wilderness and
non-wilderness forestlands for noxious weed populations, and mapping
treatment areas and plant populations using a hand-held PDR (personal data
recorder) and GPS unit. The majority of this work is conducted using UTV
and large 4WD spray rigs (trucks) traveling on remote 4WD roads. A
multi-week training session including invasive plant and noxious weed
identification, herbicide safety (including applicator certification),
technical training with PDRs and associated software, UTV and 4WD
operation, and first aid will be provided at the beginning of the field
season.



*Location:*

*Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest*

Rising from the floor of the Great Basin—the vast expanse between the Rocky
and Sierra Nevada Mountains where creeks and rivers flow inland rather than
to the ocean—the steep, green mountains of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National
Forest provide critical water, wildlife habitat, and incredible adventures
for visitors and residents. Ghost towns and historic mining cabins dot
these vast, largely undiscovered sky islands that offer freedom, solitude,
and a sense of discovery and adventure for the self-reliant.  Although
mostly remote, the Forest also borders some of the busiest urban areas in
the country—Las Vegas and Reno. For more information about this incredible
landscape, please visit the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest fact sheet
.



*Location:  *Elko, Nevada



*Timeline: *

   - ASAP– November 1, 2018
  - 33 weeks
   - 40 hours/week



*Compensation:  *

   - $16.00/hour



   - $15/day field camping per diem when applicable
   - ACA Compliant MEC Health Insurance (medical, dental, vision,
   prescription) benefits at no cost to employee
   - USFS barrack housing will be provided at no cost from March 19th, 2018
   through April 30th, 2018 prior to Field Technician Orientation.  After
   orientation is complete, Crew Supervisors and Technicians will be assigned
   to their respective ranger district for the remainder of the 2018 field
   season.  USFS housing will be available on each district at a rate of
   $5.25/day.



*Qualifications:*

Technical requirements:

   - Prior leadership experience including leading/guiding field
   technicians and/or volunteer groups to complete field tasks;
   - The successful candidates will possess knowledge and interest in
   botany and plant identification - prior experience with invasive plant
   management preferred;
   - Willingness to utilize chemical herbicide treatment methods, and
   ability to pass Nevada State Applicator exam;
   - Experience utilizing hand-held GPS units and/or PDRs for navigation
   and/or data collections, along with basic computer skills;
   - Ability to carry backpack sprayer or up to 40 pounds in a backpack,
   and otherwise maintain good physical condition;
   - Experience operating 4WD trucks on and off-road, including mountain
   forest roads;
   - Knowledge and experience in operating off highway vehicles, which
   includes Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV), and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV),
   desirable; and
   - Experience with towing and backing-up a trailer, desirable.



Additional requirements:

   - Ability to self-direct and self-motivate;
   - Possess good organizational skills;
   - Tolerant of working in variable weather conditions, willing and able
   to work outdoors in adverse weather conditions, and able to hike 2-5+ miles
   daily on uneven terrain;


   - Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual
   goals and follow safe working practices;
   - Previous USFS Link Pass access, preferred;
   - Communicate effectively with a diverse public; and
   - Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving
   record.
   - The successful applicant(s) must