This recruitment will be used to fill one full-time Temporary Biological Sciences Research Technician 1 position for the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University (OSU). This position is located in Coos Bay, Oregon.

This position will support field data collection associated with a graduate research project focused on the effects of forest edges on Marbled Murrelet nesting habitat at the Elliott State Research Forest in the Central Coast Range of Oregon. The project PI is Meg Krawchuk, and the project team includes a diverse team of scientists. The position will join the Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society, in the College of Forestry. The goal of this project is to evaluate the effects of different forest edge types on various indicators of habitat quality in potential Marbled Murrelet stands. These indicators include canopy microclimate, nest predator abundance (such as ravens and jays), and epiphyte community characteristics. The results from this study aim to inform future management of Marbled Murrelet habitat in Oregon and present a better understanding of edge effects on the species.

The position will assist a graduate student by providing ground support for tree climbers, taking tree and vegetation measurements, and deploying and maintaining autonomous recording units (ARUs) at field sites. Field conditions for this project include steep terrain and can include navigation through challenging vegetation.

The field duties will be roughly broken down as follows:

25% – Assisting with ground support for tree climber(s), including but not limited to: assisting with transporting climbing gear from work vehicle to field sites, helping keep ropes untangled on the ground, fastening field equipment and tools to climbing rope for climber to use in the canopy (including the tying of several basic knots and hitches), and alerting tree climber of any hazards during climbing.

25% – Programming and deploying autonomous recording units (ARUs) at various field sites in the project area. This includes ensuring each unit has fully charged batteries and correct recording settings before deployment and performing maintenance checks when necessary.

30% - Performing inventories of understory composition (e.g. as a percentage of fruiting ground plants in a 10-meter radius circular plot at transect locations).

20% – Data recording using paper datasheets, following established protocols.Field work requires driving between field site locations.

This position requires the ability to work long hours outdoors in all weather conditions in a remote forested environment. The ability to traverse steep, rugged, and/or uneven terrain is required.

The anticipated required work schedule will be 4 days on and 3 days off, with workdays typically lasting 10 hours. There may be some degree of variability. The field season starts in early-April and concludes in early to mid-September.

Lodging during fieldwork for the first part of the field season (early April into May) will be in hotels or Airbnb’s near the Elliott State Research Forest (likely in Reedsport or Coos Bay). However, some overnight camping will be required later in the field season, which we will do at one of several dedicated camping sites in the forest (there are no facilities, so we will bring our own water, food, and toiletries for a given work week).