Field Assistant Posting: North American Red Squirrels in the Yukon
Position Description and Duties: We are looking for an intern to
assist with fieldwork on resource availability and caching behaviour in a
population of North American red squirrels. The intern will assist a
graduate student (Andrea Wishart, PhD student) to observe squirrel
behaviour, demarcate squirrel territories, quantify resources (white spruce
cones) and assist with data entry and verification. Tasks will include
regular live-trapping and handling of squirrels, collaring. All procedures
have ethical approval through the participant universities. Anticipated
start date is June 1, 2018 and preference will be given to those who can
start then or as soon as possible thereafter. End date is September 30,
2018. The intern must be comfortable working independently in the forest as
necessary (radios are provided).
All fieldwork is carried out in the spectacular Kluane region of
southwestern Yukon, Canada, at sites along the Alaska Highway between the
Ruby Mountains and the St Elias Mountains (some of the tallest mountains in
the country), ~2.5 hours driving from Whitehorse. The intern will directly
interact with other researchers at the field station working on a diversity
of species (Canada lynx and snowshoe hares), as well as a diversity of red
squirrel researchers from across 5 universities involved with the Kluane Red
Squirrel Project.
Skills required: The successful candidate will have previous
fieldwork experience in a similar work environment. Good organizational,
multi-tasking and communication skills are essential. The successful
applicant will also have experience in data entry. Successful applicants
will need to be able to cope under these field conditions, enjoy the
outdoors, be up-beat, positive, responsible and work well as a member of
their own team, as well as other users of the area (i.e., other
researchers). Evidence of these abilities (gained, for example, through
previous involvement on field projects or extended back-packing trips.
Terms of Employment: Salary is not provided as part of these
positions. Accommodation and food are provided. Volunteers are required to
provide for their own travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Travel between
Saskatoon and the field station is provided.
International applicants: We welcome applications from all individuals.
If applicants are not Canadians or permanent residents, there is the
opportunity to enter Canada and complete the internship as a Visiting
Research Student. To be eligible for this program, you must be an
undergraduate student, a graduate student, or be in between degrees (e.g.,
following graduation from a bachelor’s degree and looking to pursue graduate
school). As part of this program, applicants will be registered at the U of
S in a non-credit activity and it is expected that you will gain a
demonstrable educational benefit from being involved. We are particularly
interested in applicants who wish to use this opportunity to pursue an
independent research project. Applicants are eligible for this program for a
maximum of 6 months per 12 month period. Application forms and information
are available at
http://grad.usask.ca/admissions/alternate-applicants/visiting-research-student.php
If you are interested in this program, please contact us (contact details
below) and we will guide you through the process.
If you wish to apply for this position, please send a CV with a cover
letter and contact details of two references (with e-mail address), by email
to Andrea Wishart (contact info below) before May 20, 2018. Only those
selected for interview will be contacted.
Contact: Andrea Wishart, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan
[email protected]
More information: www.redsquirrel.ca www.lanelab.com
