HAWK PROJECT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS – Ridgway’s Hawk

at The Peregrine Fund

Location:
Dominican Republic

Duration:
4-6 months; March – June or April – September

Job Type:
Volunteer

Job Description:
Volunteers are needed to assist with both field studies and releases of the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic, as part of The Peregrine Fund’s and Sociedad Ornitologica de la Hispaniola’s (SOH) conservation program for this species. Volunteers may apply and be accepted for one or both positions. FIELD STUDY VOLUNTEER, March – June, 2012. Volunteers will work in teams of two to conduct nest searches and to monitor already known nests for productivity, hatch dates, nestling survival and fledging, and hunting success, among other things, and take detailed notes on their observations. This position requires long hours in the field, and strenuous hikes through uneven terrain. Extreme heat, heavy rain, and biting insects are common. HACK SITE ATTENDANT VOLUNTEER, April – September, 2012. Releases will begin in April, and may go through August or September, depending upon activation of the sites. Starting dates are dependent upon when the young hatch in the wild. Volunteer Hack Site Attendants will be responsible for feeding and monitoring, through visual observations and tracking with telemetry, from six to fourteen young hawks from the time they are placed at the site until they reach independence. A typed report (format supplied) will be required upon completion of the project. This position requires long hours in the field. Extreme heat, heavy rain, and biting insects are common. Most of your time will be spent observing the birds from a blind. The success of the study and release effort will depend on the effort of the individual as well as the team. Applicants receiving positions will participate in a unique study and assisted dispersal effort for the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk and gain valuable skills in nest finding, behavioral observations, telemetry, and field note taking. Field housing will be provided for both positions and successful applicants will be sharing a room with at least one other person and a house with several crew members. Depending upon at which site successful candidates are placed, electricity may be spotty and there may be no running water. The project will supply each site with a spotting scope and tripod which must be returned at the completion of the study. Each person receiving a position will be responsible for their own round trip transportation from their home country to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A per diem will be supplied to cover food costs. Volunteer positions will be given only to those over 18 years old. Some ornithological or other wildlife experience, as well as experience working outdoors in hot climates is desirable. All positions will require long, challenging hours. The short time in which the study can be completed, and the remote locations, precludes "time off" unless arrangements are made in advance.

To Apply:
Applications sent after 20 February 2012 should be addressed to RUSSELL THORSTROM, West Indies Project Director (EM: rthorstrom AT peregrinefund.org).