POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant
Park Unit: Gulf Islands National Seashore
Location: Gulf Breeze, Florida
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 04/07/2025
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $665.00
Relocation Allowance: $400.00
CURRENT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS: Under 75 (This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first.)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Natural resource monitoring activities will be conducted to determine the status and trends of selected park resources, and to evaluate the efficacy of current management practices. This SIP intern will mainly assist park staff with monitoring and management activities related to the marine sea turtle program which includes daily morning surveys, nest inventories, disorientation reports and stranding reports. The duties of the interns may also include beach mouse track tube surveys, nesting shorebird surveys, Gulf Coast Solitary Bee surveys and Diamondback Terrapin surveys. These positions require routine contact with volunteers and the public to enhance the understanding of natural resources within the park.
The interns will be responsible for collecting accurate data by adhering to established protocols, but will have the latitude to change existing protocols and data collection methods if deemed necessary. New technology acquired by the park will be given to the selected intern to create high accuracy mapping protocols to document sea turtle nesting and current shoreline locations.
Training will be provided to locate and identify sea turtle crawls/nests to species and monitor nests throughout the incubation period for signs of disturbance (i.e. predation, flooding, human interference) and hatch. The interns will also aid in the excavation and assessment of sea turtle nests post-hatch to determine success. Sea turtle stranding protocols will be taught to SIP interns to accurately document and mark deceased turtles as well as live animals entangled or caught in fishing equipment. Beach mouse track tube surveys will also be completed by the intern, and training will be provided to identify beach mouse tracks and burrows in the coastal dune habitat. Diamondback terrapin surveys will be incorporated to all other surveys to opportunistically enhance the park's dataset on terrapin nesting locations.
Additional duties may include data entry, routine upkeep of supplies and equipment, shorebird and beach mouse road mortality surveys, marine debris removal and beach stewardship. Occasional duties surrounding prescribed fire preparations, and wildfire mitigations will occur if certain field conditions are met. Interns will also become involved with community outreach events promoting the conservation and management of natural resources. Important resource management issues addressed with this internship include assisting the park in achieving its mission in protecting and preserving imperiled coastal species. This internship will ensure imperiled species such as sea turtles and beach mice are monitored to determine occupancy, nesting success and management needs throughout the park. As needs are identified through this internship, the SIP interns and park staff will work to solve immediate issues and develop new management goals to address future needs.
Finally, interns will assist with keeping daily operations running, which includes purchasing gas, recording credit card purchases, and ensuring the right supplies are in the right locations at the right times.
POSITION IMPACT
Daily monitoring for sea turtle nesting is a vital park need to address endangered species conservation. This monitoring and subsequent nest protection allows park operations to continue, allows for emergency personnel to access the beach without fear of nest impacts, and allows staff and interns to document hatching success. Green and grey personnel are spread thin with budget cuts leading to a lack of staff, therefore this position not only acts as additional hands-on deck for monitoring, but also as a coordinator for the volunteer base to maintain better communication and recruitment over the course of the season.
DELIVERABLES
The required project deliverables include creating and updating an ArcGIS Online (AGOL) map of all sea turtle nests and false crawls on all Florida units. With this map, associated Survey 123 datasheets to document nest number, species, date laid, etc. must be created and updated over the course of the season for in the field use. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sea turtle nesting and nest inventory data sheets must be completed on time (Index Nesting beaches specifically), and assistance with the end of season annual report will be required. Interns will also be expected to document and report out all stranding events and disorientations that occur on the FL units. Recently, the park acquired an NTRIP base station which allows for incredibly accurate GPS locations to be documented. This position will assist with documenting high accuracy points for sea turtle nest locations, and current shoreline locations along 3 park units.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
Successful applicants must demonstrate an understanding of basic scientific principles, data collection and analysis. Applicants should be able to follow precise procedures and established protocols with close attention to detail. Strong oral and written communication skills are desired. Experience working in the coastal system is preferred but not required. Must be comfortable with ArcGIS online and other platforms such as Field Maps and Survey 123 and be able to operate a tablet for data collection while in the field. Previous experience with driving a UTV/ATV is preferred. Training will be provided to operate park UTVs and trailers. Applicants must either be currently enrolled in a degree in biology, ecology, natural resource management, environmental science, conservation, or a closely related scientific field OR be a recent graduate of one of the before mentioned programs.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident (“Green Card holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required. The applicant must be available to participate for 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
WORK SETTING
The Florida District of Gulf Islands National Seashore contains sparkling blue waters and sugar white sandy beaches. The largest of the National Seashores, GUIS stretches for 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, bayous, and marine habitat. All units within the Florida district of GUIS are relatively close to civilization (Gulf Breeze, FL within 15 miles) and large city services are within a 30-minute drive (Pensacola, FL).
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. No park housing is provided by Gulf Islands Florida district. Local housing costs can fluctuate, but rooms can be rented for $600-$900 a month in the local community. The communities interns normally look to rent include Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Navarre.
KEYWORDS
Sea turtle, coastal, monitoring, surveys
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first. Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks Intern positions per winter. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.)
LEARN MORE
https://www.scientistsinparks.org/