The Seasonal Restoration Monitoring Assistant will be responsible for monitoring ecological conditions for wetland and stream compensation projects completed through the Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (Trust Fund). The Trust Fund is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy in Virginia (TNC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) that provides a form of compensatory mitigation through preservation, restoration, creation or enhancement of wetlands, streams, upland buffers, or other aquatic resources in Virginia. The Seasonal Restoration Monitoring Assistant works collaboratively with TNC’s Restoration Assistant and Field Ecologist in both the field and office. Primary responsibilities include assistance with ecological monitoring, data entry, data analysis, and reporting. Ecological monitoring tasks include identifying plant species, estimating plant community coverage and height, reading shallow groundwater wells, evaluating stream features and providing photo documentation within permanent plots. The Seasonal Restoration Monitoring Assistant is responsible for collecting and analyzing information in the field, entering data into data forms and spreadsheets, and analyzing this data to assist with the development of compliance reporting that is required by the regulatory agencies. Additionally, development of a research project that analyzes and interprets existing Trust Fund data may be a component of this position.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Will work under close supervision and receive specific and detailed instructions for required tasks.
- Will work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- May require long hours in isolated settings.
- Will require multi-day travel and work across the state. May include a very occasional weekend workday.
- May work closely and collaborate with volunteers.