The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, is seeking (1) California Condor Monitoring Technician to support the California Condor Recovery Program in Southern California. This is a 26-week AmeriCorps service position during which the technician will receive a living allowance while serving on and around one of two wildlife refuges central to condor activity. Tasks may be performed independently or as a team.

Duties include:

• Assist in the management of the free-flying population of California Condors 
• Population range tracking via radio telemetry and by ground-truthing GPS transmitter data
• Observe condor behavior at feeding sites, roosts, and nests
• Camp in remote areas during inclement weather or harsh environmental conditions
• Travel via UTV, 4WD vehicle, or by foot, in steep mountainous terrain
• Carry carcasses 50lbs+ to feeding sites
• Keep detailed field notes
• Follow data collection protocols for the collection and entry of accurate and consistent data
• Assist in routine office tasks
• Assist in maintenance of project infrastructure 

Timeline:

• 26-week appointment beginning early to mid-November 2024 and ending around mid-May 2025
• Full-time 40 hours/week
• The schedule is typically hitch-based with 10 days on and then 4 days off

Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 4th, 2024, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Candidates selected to move forward with the application process will be contacted to schedule an interview.

Location:

AmeriCorps members will be stationed and will have housing available during hitch at: 

Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (Ventura County, CA): Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 for the recovery of the endangered California condor. This 2,471-acre Refuge adjoins the southern boundary of the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, a component of the U.S. Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest. The 53,000-acre Sanctuary contains critical California condor nesting and roosting habitat. Strategically located adjacent to the Sanctuary, the Refuge helps buffer these nesting and roosting areas from human disturbance and protects a portion of the foraging habitat within a much larger area where the condors have historically foraged and fed. Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge also protects a variety of plant communities that provide habitat for other species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge (Maricopa, CA): As a hub of condor activity and research opportunities, Bitter Creek NWR is a unique keystone at the nexus of two mountain ranges serving as an important corridor for condors and other wildlife. The refuge protects habitat within an important east/west running mountain range and provides movement corridors for populations of native ungulates, raptors, and other wildlife.

Condor and other wildlife movements extend beyond refuge boundaries and exemplify the Service’s contribution to a much larger conservation initiative as we partner with public and private landowners. Alongside these charismatic animals, so, too, can lesser-known and rare wildlife and plant species thrive within this intact and functioning ecosystem. Also protected on the refuge are Native American cultural resources and remnants of 19th-century homesteads.

Both refuges are remote, with the closest access to grocery stores and gas stations about 40 minutes away. Technicians should plan on bringing their food for the 10-day hitch up to refuge with them. Both refuges have bunkhouses with full kitchens, electricity, and wifi.

Compensation & Benefits:

• This is an AmeriCorps position; members receive a living allowance dependent on their length of service. The living allowance is a fixed amount, not an hourly wage or a salary. AmeriCorps benefits include:
  • Bi-Weekly Living Allowance: $850 every two weeks (pre-tax)
  • Segal Education Award: $3,967.50 which can be used to pay qualified student loans and/or current educational expenses at eligible higher education institutions

Additional Benefits: 

• No-cost onsite housing
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums fully paid for by GBI
• Holiday and paid time off
• AmeriCorps members may be eligible for SNAP benefits (food stamps)
• Eligible for ProDeals

Qualifications:

Technical requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences (e.g., biology, ecology, wildlife management, or related field) or coursework and related experience
• Previous experience following protocols for field sampling and data collection and related experience in data entry, collection and management
• Understanding of issues related to threatened and endangered species, and familiarity with the ecology of the study region preferred
  • Local applicants are highly encouraged to apply
• Previous experience in using radio telemetry to locate free-ranging animals preferred
• Experience in the use of GPS units for navigation and collecting spatial data
• Strong 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 while carrying a pack sometimes exceeding 50 lbs
• Comfortable handling animal carcasses

Additional requirements:

• Comfortable working independently, sometimes at night 
• Willingness and ability to camp at primitive sites for several consecutive nights
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals and follow safe working practices
• Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record
• Experience safely operating 4WD vehicles and UTVs
• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limit of four in a lifetime or the equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.