Job Description

The Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS) seeks to hire a seasonal Youth Crew Leader for the 2011 field season.  60% of this position will be to lead the development and implementation of a non-residential high school youth crew. In coordination with RINHS leadership and an Assistant Crew Leader, the Leader will supervise paid students in invasive plant control, trail-building, and other environmental restoration projects. This follows a successful RI youth corps pilot in 2010.  Efforts will focus on early detection of invasive plants, particularly mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata).  Project partners include The Nature Conservancy, DEM, municipalities, and others.

In addition, this position will help coordinate the broader outreach effort on mile-a-minute vine among the diverse stakeholders including public utilities, watersheds groups, high schools, and others.  The position will also participate in rapid surveys for invasive plants in Rhode Island.   Finally, the crew leader will provide support to other RINHS programs and tasks from time to time

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated youth group leadership experience in an outdoor setting;
• A degree and/or background in natural sciences/environmental education;
• Familiarity with the plant species and forest communities of New England;
• Relevant field experience, including familiarity with the conditions and requirements for safe, effective work in rugged outdoor conditions;
• Demonstrated ability to work systematically towards goals using independent initiative as well as by working collaboratively with partners and peers;
• Strong organizational skills, strong writing & speaking skills, and strong problems solving skills;
• Experience supervising field assistants, student interns, contractors or equivalent a plus;
• A valid driver’s license with a clean-driving record; Reliable transportation is needed. 
• First aid certifications a plus;

This is a fieldwork position. Substantial physical exertion and/or physical strain, sometimes in remote locations, difficult terrain, and inclement weather will be required. Work environment involves exposure to job hazards where there is a possibility of injury and/or arthropod-borne disease.

The position will be based in the RINHS offices in Kingston, RI, but will travel extensively throughout the state in the course of work. Mileage will be compensated.  One week – including overnights, will be spent on Block Island. Pay is $14-18hr based on experience. This is a full-time temporary position (35 hrs/ week) for 12 weeks during summer 2011. It is not eligible for fringe benefits.

This position is funded by a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.  This position reports to the Forest Health Works Project Coordinator. RINHS is a private non-profit environmental science membership organization (see www.rinhs.org). RINHS is an equal opportunity employer, women & minorities are encouraged to apply.

Review of applications will begin March 11^th, and continue until the position is filled. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information, including email and phone number, of three persons whom RINHS may contact regarding your experience and qualifications to programadmin@rinhs.org

The Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS) seeks a part-time, temporary, Administrative Assistant. This is an approximately 15 hour/week position and pays $13 – $15.50/hour. The schedule can be flexible within regular business hours. The Administrative Assistant works closely with the Program Administrator to perform a range of office tasks: correspondence, purchasing, filing, mail, answering phones, and errands, among others. The Administrative Assistant will be expected to participate in RINHS programs and other tasks that include occasional evening and weekend hours.

The successful applicant will demonstrate writing ability and be proficient with MS Word and Excel. Other office productivity software experience is a plus. Because RINHS is a small organization, working on diverse tasks is necessary. The successful applicant will demonstrate an ability to work flexibly, creatively, and independently while contributing to a productive team environment. Because the Administrative Assistant is one of RINHS’s points of contact with members, clients, donors, and the public, the successful applicant will present evidence that they can be courteous, thorough, and reliable. Experience with non-profit administration, accounting, or environmental science or management is a plus.

The position is in the RINHS office in Kingston, RI. This position is for approximately 5 months. It is not eligible for fringe benefits and does not include health insurance. The Administrative Assistant reports to the Program Assistant. RINHS is a private non-profit environmental science membership organization (see www.rinhs.org). RINHS is an equal opportunity employer, women and minorities are encouraged to apply. This position is funded by a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the U.S. Forest Service.

Review of applications will begin February 21, 2011, and continue until the position is filled. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information, including email and phone number, of three persons whom RINHS may contact regarding your experience and qualifications to Kira Stillwell programadmin@rinhs.org.

White Nose Syndrome was first discovered to be affecting bats in northeast North America in 2007. Since then it has devastated bat populations in the region and spread substantially across the eastern United States. There are several new developments that may be of interest to Rhode Island naturalists.

The following is a news item sent to RINHS by Bob Brooks, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, Amherst, Mass.:
There has been significant documentation of WNS-associated declines in bats populations in winter hibernacula, excellently summarized by Frick et al. in their 2010 Science article. We are now starting to document the effects of this mortality in summer activity surveys. The first report was by Dzal et al. from surveys along the Upper Hudson River, NY. I am pleased to announce that an “in press” report on a 2010 re-survey of my 2004-2006 Quabbin sites is available on the Biodiversity and Conservation website.

Abstract: White-nose syndrome (WNS) was first reported in a hibernating bat population in central New York State in February 2006. Since 2006, WNS has been reported from bat hibernacula across much of eastern United States and adjacent Canada and has been associated with a dramatic decline in the populations of hibernating bats in the northeastern U.S. We are only beginning to discover how these declines are manifest in changes in summer bat abundance and activity at local scales. A 3-year (2004–2006) acoustic survey showed that the forested watershed of the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts supported an abundant and species-rich summer bat community. In 2010, 4-years following the initial occurrence of WNS, a re-survey of the same habitats and sites found a 72% reduction in bat activity on the watershed. This is the identical rate of decline reported from cave hibernacula surveys (73%). This decline in summer activity levels is most likely a consequence of WNS-caused mortality. The impacts of population losses of this magnitude of a once widespread and abundant taxa are unknown but are presumed to be ecologically significant.

If anyone is interested in the paper and is unable to access it from the journal website, I would gladly send a digital reprint. -Bob Brooks

WNS is, in all likelihood, caused by a fungus (Geomyces destructans), and has been shown to be transmissible not just from bat to bat but from G.d. spores in the environment, it is imperative that those venturing into caves or other bat habitats and those handling bats take steps to prevent movement of spores and other contamination. To that end, a decontamination protocol has been developed using the best available science. Those interested can follow this link:
WNS decontamination procedure

Here in Rhode Island, the Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish & Wildlife, has been developing bat monitoring procedures to better understand the importance of bats in our local ecosystem and any long-term changes that may result from WNS. DEM Biologist Charlie Brown has been the lead on this project and those interested what’s happening or in what they can do to help should contact him using the DEM Fish & Wildlife website.