Avian / Bird conservation fieldwork jobs

Position: Shrike Area Biologist (2)
Project: Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery
Organization: Wildlife Preservation Canada

Location: Carden Alvar or Napanee Limestone Plain, Ontario
Housing: field accommodation to be provided by WPC, see below

• Type of Position: Full-time (37.5hr/wk), temporary contract (ending Sept 30, 2025)
• Rate of Pay: $18.50/hr, plus 4% vacation pay; field accommodation from May through August supplied by WPC.
• Anticipated Start: 21 April 2025
• Hours of Work: Flexible daily and weekly schedule to suit project needs and weather conditions. Working weekends will be required.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Wildlife Preservation Canada is seeking two experienced biologists to implement 2025 field season activities for the Loggerhead Shrike (LOSH) Recovery Program. Two positions will be filled, one each in the Carden and Napanee Alvars. The Loggerhead Shrike is critically endangered with fewer that 50 birds found annually in Ontario in recent years. The Carden and Napanee Alvars are the two core areas where LOSH continue to breed reliably, though sightings still occur in Smiths Falls, Pembroke/Renfrew, Grey-Bruce and Manitoulin, and some work may occur in those regions. Wildlife Preservation Canada has been managing this unique recovery program since 2003; activities include wild population surveying and monitoring, captive breeding and release, and habitat stewardship.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Lead Biologist, contract biologists will be responsible for monitoring the wild population in their designated core area(s), and the care and soft-release of groups of captive-hatched juveniles (transferred to release sites from one of the program’s breeding facilities over July-August); this offers a unique opportunity to work first-hand with an endangered species and the chance to gain experience in animal care and population recovery techniques in a field setting. This may also include the supervision of a Field Assistant who will help with all program activities for a portion of the field season.

Specific duties will include:

• Road-side and on-site (with prior permission) surveys to locate breeding pairs of wild LOSH
• Remote nest monitoring to determine nest productivity
• Identification and reporting of all colour banded LOSH
• Initiating and maintaining landowner contact
• Working with local landowners to identify habitat stewardship projects
• Daily care and husbandry of captive young prior to release during July and August (behavioural observations and provision of live food)
• Care and maintenance of invertebrate food colonies (crickets and mealworms) and live mice
• Soft-release of young; post-release monitoring and supplemental feeding
• Release site and enclosure preparation and maintenance
• Assisting with banding of all captive young prior to release
• Assisting with the attachment of remote tracking devices to a subset of captive young
• Data management, monthly reports, end-of-season reports
• Effective and timely communication with program staff and partners
• General field site maintenance
• Additional tasks as required

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A post-secondary degree or diploma in a relevant discipline
• Strong interest in biology, conservation, and fieldwork
• Familiarity with grassland birds, and the ability to identify the majority of eastern grassland species by sight and sound
• Prior experience supervising field staff and/or managing field research projects
• Detail-oriented and able accurately record and manage data
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work professionally and safely in variable weather conditions with exposure to biting insects, and with minimal supervision.
• Able to navigate in the field using a map and GPS unit.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to maintain positive relationships with private landowners, coworkers, and other project partners.
• Willingness to live in rustic field quarters
• A valid G-class driver’s license, and access to a vehicle for the duration of the contract is strongly preferred.

ASSET SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Completion of a graduate degree in a biologically-related field, or equivalent level of knowledge/experience
• Experience with nest searching, colour band identification, and call playback surveys
• Previous bird handling and/or banding experience
• Familiarity and/or experience with animal husbandry practices
• Science communication skills, including virtual and in-person presentations
• Experience in volunteer coordination

TO APPLY

Please complete the application form for this position https://forms.gle/9pdd1gcT9R1KSPLRA and submit with your cover letter and resume (cover letter and resume as a single PDF or Word document) to Lead Biologist, Helmi Hess, at h.hess@wildlifepreservation.ca . Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Applications will be assessed once the application deadline has passed. Applications will not be considered after midnight (EST) March 2, 2025.

Saving endangered species requires contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, heritage, knowledge, experiences, and identities, though many of these voices have been excluded from conservation. WPC is committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in our organization, and we welcome applications from all qualified individuals. We encourage those from historically marginalized groups—including racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, those with differing abilities, and other equity-deserving groups—to self-identify in their cover letter, if they feel comfortable, so we may consider their application accordingly.

This position may be funded by government youth employment initiatives which require candidates to be:

• No more than 30 years of age at the start of employment;
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and
• legally entitled to work according to the relevant Ontario legislation and regulations.

We thank all who apply, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.