The Kankakee Sands Field Technician will be based at the Conservancy’s Kankakee Sands Office which is located on the 8,400-acre Kankakee Sands preserve in northwest Indiana. The preserve is part of the larger Kankakee Sands Macrosite, a 34,000-acre prairie and savanna complex in northwest Indiana and eastern Illinois, that is home to over 7,000 acres of planted prairie and TNC’s newest bison herd established in 2016. The Kankakee Sands Field Technician will function as part of a 3 to 4-person crew, supervised daily by the Kankakee Sands Land Steward and other staff, to carry out preserve operations.
Three offers will be made to fill our Field Technician crew. These are full-time, short term positions. Two positions are expected to run from the middle of February through the middle of November 2019. A third, shorter duration position, will run from the middle of February through the middle of July 2019. Optional shared housing may be available on-site.
The Kankakee Sands Field Technician has three core functions: help conduct prescribed fire, control invasive species, and collect/ process native seed. High-quality implementation of each of these tasks is critical to the success of the Kankakee Sands projects. These three functions, will account for approximately 94% of the Field Technician’s time. In an average year the Field Technician crew will help put fire on roughly 2,300 acres, spend 3,800 hours treating invasive species, and help harvest or process upwards of 400 pounds of seed.
This position may require irregular work hours and long days, particularly during spring and fall fire seasons. While the position will work primarily on the Kankakee Sands macrosite, there may be infrequent travel requiring overnight stays to other locations.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Works under close or infrequent supervision.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations for extended periods of time in isolated settings, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- Control invasive species in tallgrass prairie and oak barrens ecosystems via herbicide application from UTVs and backpack sprayers.
- Control of woody invasive species using brush cutters and chainsaws.
- Perform as part of a burn crew to implement prescribed fire.
- Transplant native plants; harvest and process native seed.
- Clean and process native seed, primarily during the final weeks of the position.
- Daily maintenance and upkeep of equipment.
- Use GPS and GIS to record and map invasive species treatments on the preserve.
- Preserve site maintenance (trails, infrastructure, etc.).
- Open and close the bison viewing area to the visiting public.
- Assist with upkeep of bison viewing area, maintenance of bison fence, and other related infrastructure.
- May participate in outreach events, interact with visitors, and work with volunteers.
- Experience operating various types of equipment in a safe and efficient manner (e.g. lawn mower, chainsaw, UTV, ATV or OHV, two-way radio, or similar equipment).
- Must either currently possess or be able to obtain qualifications of a Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2), including Introduction to ICS (I-100), Human Factors on the Fireline (L-180), Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior (S-190), and Firefighting Training (S-130). See http://www.tncfiremanual.org/firefighter.htm
- Must achieve physical fitness standard as determined by local Fire Program Manager and the TNC Fire Manual.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to follow instructions from colleagues/coworkers/team members.
- Ability to work in a team environment.
- Ability to obtain a driver’s license and maintain a safe driving record.
- Already qualified at the Fire Fighter Type 2 level.
- Ability to recognize plant and animal species to complete management activities.
- 1-2 years’ experience in land management.
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.