Bat Research Technician - Vancouver, Canada - Wildlife Conservation Society

Wildlife Conservation Society

Verified Company

Vancouver, Canada

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Position Title:
Bat Research Technician

Position Type:
Full-time, fixed term

Term: 6 months

Office/Program:
Western Bat Program, Probiotic Project

Start Date:
May 13, 2024

Salary:
$25 per hour plus 8% Vacation pay

Position Location:
Vancouver, BC (Hybrid)

Date Written/Revised:
April 18, 2024

Reports To:
Cori Lausen, Director of Bat Conservation

Supervises (Direct Supervision Only): N/A

Position Contact:
Dana Blouin, Program Manager

Benefits:
Vacation pay, Paid sick and Personal emergency leave, Self-care days, DEIJA Team, Weekly Wellness sessions, Mentorship program.

Application Closing Date:
May 3, 2024 at 6pm EST.

Position Summary

This Bat Research Technician will assist WCS Canada biologists to monitor building-roosting bats that are part of a field experiment to test the efficacy of a 'wing probiotics', bacteria that are being applied to bats to reduce the threat of mortality from white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease of bats recently discovered in BC.

This technician will learn valuable skills needed as wildlife biologist to capture, handle, and sample bats.

the skillset required to study and monitor them is not easily acquired through a university platform, and yet is increasingly in demand as threats to bats reach unprecedented levels and the number of species being evaluated for endangered status continues to rise.

Position Objectives

The goal of the project is to evaluate a cutting-edge disease mitigation tool that could help save tens of thousands of reproductive female bats in BC.

This intern technician position will assist in the day-to-day aspects of this project, including bat capture and handling and data management, liaising directly with the Project Coordinator based on Vancouver.

Principal Responsibilities

Assist in the capture of Yuma and Little Brown myotis bats for the purpose of: inserting PIT (passive integrated transponders) tags into bats for tracking of individuals as they enter/exit roosts; and swab sampling wings to assess microbial communities including incorporation of the probiotics bacteria.
Record field data and digitize records. Collaborate with WCS Canada staff to incorporate these records into databases for government submission, analyses, and reporting.
Manage samples by keeping good records and labelling vials. Coordinate with McMaster University to properly store and transport samples for lab analysis.
Assist in the deployment, maintenance and downloading of monitoring equipment in the field including PITtag readers, temperature/humidity loggers and bat detectors.
Develop teambuilding skills during capture and tracking, where multiple field biologists will be working together.
Learn how to program bat detectors, and to view and analyze acoustics data to differentiate species and document roost occupancy. This is a highly transferrable skill used by most consulting biologists for inventory and monitoring of bats.
Make clear and detailed field notes including detailed description of samples taken from bats and roost substrates. Use shared drives to share these data with labs and the rest of the WCS Canada. It is anticipated that this record keeping, and coordination role will help the intern to develop good communication and observation skills.
Support WCS Canada's goal of transforming WCS Canada's conservation practice through reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.

Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience

Post secondary graduate in the biology/environmental field.
Funding requirements:
Physically capable to work in strenuous physical conditions and be outdoors for long periods of time at night without getting drowsy.
Be comfortable holding small animals that can bite.
Be comfortable wearing a mask for long periods.
Able to work in during the day and evenings/night when netting bats.
Covid 19 vaccination in order to handle bats (BC Animal care permit requirement).
Access to appropriate outdoor gear.

Preferred Qualifications/Skills/Experience

Up to date rabies vaccination in order to handle bats.

How to apply:

Please submit your CV with cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience.

Application closing date:
The job post will remain open until position is filled.

About WCS Canada

Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow._
WCS Canada's programs occur on the homelands of Indige