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Student working at Putah Creek

Student Job Opportunity: Putah Creek Natural Reserve Technicians

The Putah Creek Natural Reserve Technicians (Technicians) will work with Arboretum and Public Garden (APG) staff within the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve and the Campus Naturalized Lands to execute a wide variety of natural resource stewardship tasks associated with the ongoing management and maintenance of the these diverse public spaces. Activities performed will include native plant installation, irrigation installation, invasive weed control, fence installation and removal, and other physical improvements related to natural land management both within the UC Davis Campus footprint and the surrounding landscape.

Apply

To apply, please send a Letter of Interest and copy of current resume to Miles DaPrato, madaprato@ucdavis.edu, by Sunday May 2, 2021 at 11:59PM

Position Details

  • Schedule: Typically Mon-Thurs, 7AM-2PM, 30hrs/wk.
  • Start date: Week of June 21st,2021 (flexible)
  • End date: Week of September 6th, 2021 (flexible)
  • Pay rate: $14.50/hr

Job Description

The Technicians will assist in designing and maintaining habitat enhancement projects throughout the Reserve. Working alongside APG staff, the Technicians will be part of a team that will create weed management plans and help to prioritize and execute those plans utilizing a combination of physical, mechanical, and chemical control methods within the different natural areas. Additional job duties will include:

  • Helping to clear and remove limbs and debris to maintain the elaborate hiking, walking, and waterway trail network throughout the Riparian Reserve
  • Assisting with ongoing work in the Arboretum Waterway; performing water quality monitoring, revegetating banks and improving wildlife habitat, executing weed control and removing trash and algae
  • Working with the Putah Creek Council (PCC) and Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) summer interns in the One Creek collaborative internship program. This will entail performing habitat restoration activities along Putah Creek at multiple site locations (both on and off campus) as well as executing propagation work at the native plant nursery managed by PCC and SCWA
  • Collecting, processing, and cataloguing a variety of native plant materials used in ongoing revegetation and climate adaptation projects on campus and throughout the watershed to improve wildlife habitat connectivity and biological diversity.

The Technicians will interact will professional land managers and restoration ecologists from different organizations and agencies as well as private landowners along the Putah Creek Corridor. The Technicians can expect to gain extensive knowledge and practical skills in vegetation management, community-based restoration, and regional plant and wildlife identification.

Qualifications

  • Verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills to interact with people from diverse backgrounds.
  • Ability to build an effective and inclusive team culture and environment.
  • Decision making, and problem solving skills to provide accurate and timely feedback, and identify and resolve conflicts.
  • Organizational skills to establish priorities and handle multiple tasks and deadlines.
  • Experience/working knowledge of principles and practices in restoration ecology, environmental science and education, horticulture, and/or wildlife, fish and conservation biology.
  • Ability to effectively serve as both a member and leader of a field team.
  • Ability to work independently without direct supervision to follow through on assignments and projects.
  • Must be able to stand or sit for extended periods of time, and able to lift and maneuver up to 50 pounds.
  • Must be able to work on uneven terrain and work outdoors in both cold temperatures and summer heat.
  • Must be willing to work with a variety of hand and small power tools as well as operate small field vehicles like ATV’s, gators, and small tractors (training provided).
  • Must have a valid Driver’s license or demonstrate ability to effectively get between different project sites.
  • Must be able to work flexible hours to safely execute field tasks in variable summer weather conditions.

Job Expectations

  • Read, follow and model the UC Davis Principles of Community.
  • Read, follow and model the APG Covid-19 Work Protocols and Procedures.
  • Exhibit strong professional ethics and accountability.
  • Follow all safety protocols put in place to protect the individual and the team.
  • Lead by example and foster leadership and teamwork.
  • Be sensitive with and understand complex relationships between individuals/organizations and the University and use good judgment in resolving issues impacting the Public Garden and the University.
  • Maintain a strong commitment to high quality customer service.
  • Understand the importance of cultivating relationships within and outside of the organization to represent the Arboretum and Public Garden with a high degree of professionalism and integrity; seek to accomplish goals with measurable results and empower others to do the same; create a vision of achievement.