Bat Conservation International (BCI) in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) is recruiting 2 technicians for a 24-week split field season to assist with spring white-nose syndrome (WNS) surveillance and fall telemetry.
Spring WNS Surveillance (Mar 18-May 31). From March 18 to April 12, crew members will be based out of Boulder City, NV (NPS Mojave Desert Network) and conduct disease surveillance at national parks in S. CA, NV, and AZ. From April 14 to May 31, the crew will be based out of Ashland, OR (NPS Klamath Network) and conduct surveillance at sites in Oregon and N. California. Duties include: Capturing bats using mist-nets, H-nets, funnel traps, and other methods; Handling bats and collecting basic biometric data; Emergence counts and roost checks; WNS decontamination protocols.
Fall Telemetry (Aug 5 – Nov 1). This project will focus on fall roost behavior of Myotid bats via telemetry (radio-tracking). The field site will likely be in Northern California. Duties include: Capturing bats and tagging with radio transmitters; Using radio telemetry to locate fall bat roosts, including manual tracking by vehicle/foot, automated telemetry stations, with potential for aerial telemetry and telemetry drones; Backcountry navigation, and travel in rough terrain via 4WD vehicle and on foot; Deploying acoustic detectors.
Other Details Hourly pay is negotiated based on candidate experience. During spring surveillance work, crew members travel to and from the office to various field sites. Crews will camp while in the field, ranging from primitive car camping to front country car camping with amenities. When traveling away from the duty station meal expenses are eligible for reimbursement per project policy.
Required qualifications include: Experience with bat capture and handling; Current rabies pre-exposure vaccination status (Titer check record within last 2 years); Ability to navigate to sites off -trail through difficult terrain using map, compass, and GPS; Ability to move and/or carry heavy equipment (up to 50 lb) and hike long daily distances through mountainous terrain with a heavy backpack.
Desired prior experience includes: WNS surveillance, following standardized swab sampling protocols; Radio-tracking wildlife, especially bats; Operating 4WD or AWD vehicles on paved and unpaved roads; Deploying automated acoustic monitoring equipment.
How to Apply: The official job announcement and application details will be posted at BCI’s Job Opportunity page (https://www.batcon.org/about-