I am currently seeking multiple volunteers to assist me in tracking toucans for movement and home range quantification in a fragmented landscape in Turrialba, Costa Rica, as part of my dissertation research on seed dispersal at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. So far, over 30 volunteers have participated in the project since the beginning of 2012.
POSITION: Volunteer (unpaid) field assistants DURATION: Currently, I am looking for volunteers for anytime in July and August 2012 and during the fall, but I am accepting volunteers on a rotating basis as late as spring 2013. A minimum commitment of 6 weeks is appreciated. Applications will be considered immediately. STUDY SITE: The campus and adjacent farm of the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE). CATIE is located at the edge of Turrialba, at about 2,000 ft (600 m) above sea level on the Caribbean slope of the central valley in Costa Rica. Additional information on the study site can be found at: http://www.catie.ac.cr. QUALIFICATIONS: Assistants must be in good physical condition and willing to work in the field for up to 9 hours a day on weekdays, with weekends off, often in hot and humid weather. Preference will be given to applicants with the following skills and experience, but they are not necessary to apply: radio telemetry, mist-netting, tropical seed and plant identification, tropical field experience, GPS, Spanish. LIVING CONDITIONS/EXPENSES: Volunteers must be able to cover their own lodging, living expenses, and transportation to and from the study site. However, the cost of living in Turrialba is relatively inexpensive. Most volunteers are housed near campus in Turrialba in a large and comfortable shared house with internet and modern conveniences. Temperatures range from the mid 60s (F) to the mid 80s. MAIN DUTIES: Assistants will be tracking toucans in a landscape of tropical forest fragments and agricultural habitats such as pasture, sugarcane, coffee, and chocolate plantations. Additional projects are also developing, but assistants will gain valuable experience in the following methods: -radio telemetry -canopy and songbird mist-netting -behavioral sampling -tropical bird identification -GPS use Those interested should send a current CV or resume to Landon Jones at [email protected] with Volunteer Toucan Assistant in the subject line.
