Salary: $16/hour, plus housing/wifi/utilities

Dates: 5/27/26 – 8/15/26 (flexible start and end dates)

Job Description: We are seeking a motivated technician to assist with data collection on butterfly and bee research projects. This individual will aid in surveying butterflies, bees, flowering plants, and components of vegetation composition and structural data in mixed-grass prairie communities in the Prairie Pothole Region. 

The technician will be trained in the following skills for this position:

• Identifying and counting grassland floral species
• Conducting line-transect distance sampling for butterflies
• Photographing and ID-ing live butterflies
• Catching bees with sweep nets and handling bees with catch jars
• Photographing and ID-ing live bees
• Conducting quadrat-based cover class vegetation surveys
• Conducting structural data collection (Robel poles, litter depth)
• Data entry and management
• Opportunities may be available for lab bee ID  

Field work will be conducted at the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center, which is made up of approximately 5,300 acres of mixed-grass prairie and cropland. The individual’s work will focus on critical mixed-grass prairie habitats and will utilize sites with various cattle grazing strategies. The REC’s location in the globally significant Prairie Pothole Region offers an unparalleled opportunity for field experience in a unique ecosystem which provides critical grassland habitat for an incredible diversity of wildlife and plants. Spending a summer immersed in what was once one of the largest grassland-wetland ecosystems is an exceptional experience for any candidate interested in conservation, range management, or wildlife/pollinator ecology!  

Typical challenges associated with working in grasslands do apply, as field work will take place outdoors. Expect wide-ranging weather conditions, intense sun, mosquitos, ticks, long days working in the field, lots of walking, and exposure to intense sun, mosquitos, ticks, cattle, and hot/humid weather. Weekly-schedule will be variable. 

The technician will be directly supervised by Taleigh Adrian, a PhD student, and will interact with NDSU faculty, students, and other research technicians. Housing will be provided. Start and end dates are flexible. 

Qualifications: Candidate must possess strong organizational and logistical skills, a commitment to data accuracy, and the ability to work independently for long hours under challenging field conditions. Candidate must be willing to work 40 hours per week on a variable schedule that will be dictated by weather (varying hours/day, varying days of the week). Candidate must be able and willing to work on a variable schedule and with challenges associated with grassland field work.  

The successful candidate will be expected to live and work very closely with other team members, so the ability to work well as part of a team and a positive attitude are important. Candidate must be willing to relocate to Streeter, ND for the summer from their current location- reimbursement for this would not be provided, but housing for the summer is provided. 

Preferred qualifications include field work experience, plant, pollinator, or insect identification experience, insect capture experience, or experience conducting/assisting with scientific field research. However, highly motivated candidates that don’t meet all (or any) of these qualifications are still encouraged to apply! Training will be provided. 

Applicants must have a valid driver’s license. A work vehicle will be provided for travel to and from survey sites, but all non-work driving (grocery, shopping, etc.) must be done in a personal vehicle (thus a personal vehicle is highly recommended).