Wildlife Monitoring – Bander in Charge

Bander-in-Charge:
Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory

CONTRACTEE
Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance
SITE
Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory
LOCATION
Okanagan Falls, BC, Canada
PLEASE APPLY BEFORE
June 15, 2023

Description:
The Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA) seeks applications for one contract Bander-in-Charge (BIC) position.
Site
Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory (VLBO). VLBO is a moderate-volume banding station running continuously since 2000. The station is located on the west side of Hwy. 97, 1 km north of Vaseux Lake and 4 km south of Okanagan Falls, BC. The station is located on land owned by Environment Canada (Vaseux Bighorn National Wildlife Area) and BC Ministry of Environment.  Birds are sampled through capture and banding with 14 mist nets, a daily census, and general observations.

Banders will work outdoors in all weather. The banding station is either a trailer or screened tent. Volunteers will assist with site set-up, census and banding activities. Since banding concludes early each day, applicants will have ample free time to enjoy all the nearby recreational opportunities of the South Okanagan.

The station is open to visitors including students and members of the public. An additional stipend is paid for assisting with on-site school programs and post-secondary tours.

See further information on the field station and banding protocols at https://vlbo.wordpress.com/about/ and Facebook page @vaseuxlakebirds (https://www.facebook.com/vaseuxlakebirds?mibextid=LQQJ4d )
Contract period
Work at the site starts July 30 and ends October 16, and includes three days for site set up and take down, including brush removal for the net lanes, banding area and trails.  Banding operations commence August 1 and ends October 15th and starts 30 minutes before sunrise daily for a period of 7 hours.

Applicants must be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid Canadian work visa.
Bander-in-Charge Responsibilities
The bander in charge will be responsible for:
–        site setup and take down
–        banding, processing, and the daily censusing of birds.
–        Maintaining nets, lanes, equipment and the banding station trailer or tent.
–        Recording data according to migration monitoring and VLBO protocols.
–        Supervising and scheduling volunteers.
–        Interacting with the public and offering demonstration and explanation of the banding process to the public and school groups
–        Drafting a final report for the VLBO committee by November 30, 2023 and submitting the final report and banding data to Canada Wildlife Services by December 15, 2023.
Bander-in-Charge Requirements, Skills, and Experience
Applicants must demonstrate the following:
ü  Hold, or qualify for, a Scientific permit to capture and band migratory birds
ü  Proficiency in the safe extraction and banding of birds from mist nets having banded at least 1,000 birds.
ü  Can identify, age and sex most commonly occurring passerines found in Western Canada.
ü  Good communication and public speaking skills
ü  Willing to work in inclement weather
ü  Ideally has at least one season’s banding experience during high-volume fall migration
Contract fees:
$10,600 for 11.5 weeks plus completion of banding reports and data submission.

To assist renumeration, shared field housing near the station is provided at no cost.
To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information of three academic or professional references to vaseuxlakebird@gmail.com   Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled, but please continue to submit resumes even if you are concerned you missed our cutoff, as we plan to grow the station in the future.

Questions should be directed to vaseuxlakebird@gmail.com

VLBO is one of the important endeavors of the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance.