Title: Seasonal Botanist
Work Location: Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, Utah
Pay Rate: $14-17/hour, plus per diem and reimbursement for camping
equipment use when traveling overnight
Closing Date: Review will begin immediately and continue until a
suitable candidate is found
Employment Period ASAP (mid-June at latest) to end of September with
possible extension
Position Description: The Utah Geological Survey seeks to hire a
botanist to participate in wetland condition research. The incumbent
will work on two projects, assessing wetland health across the state of
Utah as part of the National Wetland Condition Assessment and assessing
wetland health within the Jordan River and Utah Lake watersheds. The
incumbent will work alone or with a partner to identify plant species in
the field, collect specimen, and identify unknowns in the office. The
incumbent will work with team members to evaluate hydrologic, physical,
and other components of wetland health with a series of qualitative
metrics. The incumbent will also be trained on characterizing soil
profiles and collecting water quality data. Work days will typically
consist of four 10+ hour days in the field per week and will include
some overnight stays in the field. When not in the field, the incumbent
will assist with tasks such as data entry, making site maps in ArcGIS,
contacting land owners for site access, and processing and identifying
plant specimens. The position is based out of Salt Lake City and housing
is not provided when not conducting field work. This position is a great
opportunity to visit seldom-seen parts of Utah and to develop expertise
in a variety of wetland types across the state.
We are seeking to hire someone to start as soon as possible, ideally by
June 13, though applicants able to start June 20 may also be considered.
Applicants will be evaluated based on both their potential start date as
well as their botanical qualifications.
Duties:
1. Prepare for field surveys by attending trainings, preparing site
information, and organizing and maintaining field gear.
2. Use GPS and provided maps, to drive to and from field sites and
navigate to survey sites via roads, trails, and off-road through dense
vegetation while maintaining crew safety
3. Set up field plots and collect field data on the presence and
cover of plant species
4. Reliably identify all plant species encountered in the field and
collect unknown plant specimens for later identification and storage
5. Aid in the collection of wetland condition data. Evaluate sites
for the presence of stressors. Use landscape and local site data to
evaluate hydrologic, physical, and biotic components of wetland health
following set protocols with attention to detail.
6. Use ArcGIS to evaluate sites in the office, create survey maps,
and gather preliminary data before site surveys.
7. Other duties as needed.
Qualifications:
1. Completion of at least three years of education towards a
bachelor’s degree in ecology, biology, wetland science, botany, wildlife
biology, or other related field and one of the following: 1) two or more
seasons of field experience in positions requiring identification of
plant species; 2) one field season requiring identification of plant
species and one plant identification course.
2. Ability to use dichotomous keys to identify species including
species in difficult groups such as Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Knowledge
of Utah or western US flora and of wetland flora preferred.
3. Knowledge of data collection procedures and ability to collect
data with attention to detail.
4. Ability to work independently, serve in a leadership role, and
be responsible for data and project organization
5. Willingness and ability to work long hours and unusual schedules
(including overnights), travel extensively, drive a State of Utah
vehicle, hike moderate distances through occasionally rough terrain, and
tolerate exposure to extreme heat, rain, biting insects, and other field
nuisances.
6. Experience with map making in ArcGIS, or willingness to learn
7. Preference given to candidates with experience working in
wetland or riparian systems.
To apply, submit resume, cover letter, and three references (with phone
numbers) to Diane Menuz, State Wetland Coordinator, at the Utah
Geological Survey, [email protected]. Please indicate your potential
start date in the cover letter as well as whether you will be able to
work through the end of September. You may direct all questions to this
email.
