Lead Botanist (Seeds of Success) Cedar City, UT

Title: Lead Botanist (Seeds of Success) Cedar City, UT
Exemption Status: Exempt
Department: Conservation Training
Reports to: Manager, Conservation Training Programs
Seasonal Full-time, approximately 27 weeks (April 1, 2024 to October 4, 2024)

Position Overview The Lead Botanist will lead a seed collection crew in the BLM Cedar City Field Office. Crew will work four 10-hour days in remote areas to find and collect native seed, while generally camping out for 3-consecutive nights due to the large area covered and long travel distances.

Duration: April 1st – October 4th, 27 weeks.

Responsibilities The primary responsibility of the Lead Botanist will be to provide oversight and implement all aspects of the Seeds of Success (SOS) program. SOS is a national native seed collection program with a mission to collect wildland native seed for research, development, germplasm conservation, and ecosystem restoration.

This position will work across land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to collect seed for habitat restoration. The BLM is the nation’s largest land management agency largely overseeing lands in the West. The goal of the BLM is to conserve land while managing multiple uses such as recreation (e.g. hiking, biking, kayaking), and economic development (e.g. grazing, mining). Collaboration with both State Office staff at the BLM, as well as field-based staff at the field office will occur through weekly meetings and coordination throughout the season.

This position will be employed by the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG) through a contract with the BLM. CBG was a founding partner of the SOS initiative in 2002, and has been active in the program since. Over the last 25 years, the primary goal of the CBG Plant Science and Conservation Department has been to improve plant conservation outcomes through: basic and applied scientific research, collegiate education, and supporting practitioners. To this end, the garden has 27 conservation scientists, over 40 students, and over 100 practitioners in 2024. Direct management and support for crews will come from the CBG Conservation Training team. A two-day training in the SOS protocol will be provided virtually by the SOS Headquarters team, and CBG will provide an in-person onboarding and training on field safety, logistics, and field botany.

The Lead Botanist will work with a senior botanist, who serves as a resource and co-manager for several crews in the area, and will help coordinate assistance and troubleshoot with the lead. The lead botanist will work with the senior botanist to develop scouting and collection hitch plans and will provide daily team leadership and oversight for a Natural Resources Specialist position. Early season duties include learning how to identify target species and identifying potential collection locations through geospatial analysis. However, as the season progresses, the team will spend a larger proportion of their time in the field. Field work will include navigating in remote field settings, collecting voucher specimens for herbaria, mapping plant populations, and collecting seed. Seed collection will continue through late summer as conditions permit. Occasional indoor work throughout the field season includes plant identification, seed cleaning and packing, preparation of herbarium specimens, data entry and management, uploading and manipulating GPS data, and some report writing.

The crew will be provided a 4WD work vehicle and supplies for field work, field safety, and seed collection. The crew will be provided a tablet, laptop, and MiFi hotspot for planning scouting and collection trips, editing and updating geospatial data through the SOS ESRI applications, creating maps, updating additional external reporting requirements, conducting data QA/QC, and report writing.  

Responsibilities and Duties:
 - Use preprocessed geospatial and temporal data to develop scouting plants for target species in your designated BLM Field Office
 - Draft and communicate weekly hitch plans to CBG and BLM staff. Use inReach satellite device to check in/check out each field day. Understand and enact field safety procedures when needed.
 - Provide oversight, organization, and guidance to safely manage a single crew member.
 - Successfully navigate to prospective sites, many of which are in remote areas, using road maps/apps/GIS and 4WD vehicles and hiking.
 - Accurately record presence or absence of target species at scouting sites.
 - On a weekly basis, coordinate with senior botanist to convey project success and challenges.
 - Assess and monitor phenology of populations to determine optimal seed collection timing
 - Collect 15 batches (80,000 ) of seed, which may take from a few hours to a few days per collection depending on species and population.
 - Collect 15 batches (30,000 ) of seed, taking from a few hours to days - Collect leaf tissue from a dozen plants at 15 populations for genetic research.
 - Collect required site level data for each seed collection including: descriptions of ecological habitat and photos, and voucher specimens for a herbaria.
 - Update and maintain all required population and geospatial data on an Ecoregional Tool through ArcGIS Online Field Maps and Survey123. Sync data at the end of each field trip.
 Maintain running Field Report spreadsheet with road and trail mileage, as well as number of sites scouted and assessed.
 - Properly dry, store, and process seed, including shipping to seed cleaning facilities.
 - Ensure QC of both digitally collected scouting and collection data, as well as herbarium specimen data.
Requirements and Qualifications:
 - Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (botany, ecology, biology, forestry, environmental science, rangeland management, etc.)
 - One season of field experience in natural resources management, or research
 - Experience identifying plants using dichotomous keys, or a thorough education in plant systematics
 - Coursework, or practical experience, using GIS software such as ESRI products (e.g. ArcMap, ArcPro)
 - Experience collecting scientific data in field settings
 - Experience in electronic data capture (e.g. Survey123, Collector)
 - Experience working on teams
 - Valid driver’s license on first day of position.
 - Experience camping, or car camping
 - Organized, self-starter, able to learn quickly and adapt to changes and challenges

Location This posting is for our team working out of Cedar City, UT If you are interested in our 4 other Southwest positions (El Centro CA, Bishop CA, Las Vegas NV, St. George AZ) please let us know in your application materials.

Chicago Botanic Garden Values & Behaviors:

Physical Demands This position is primarily fieldwork based. Field work will include long periods of driving and long periods of walking on rough, uneven ground; bending, crouching, and stooping to collect seeds. Field work often occurs in remote locations, where cellular connection is unavailable or inconsistent. Field conditions can be extreme with hot summer conditions and cold nights in the spring.

To Apply Complete an application online. Your application should include a Chicago Botanic Garden application along with a cover letter, resume, and the names of three (3) professional references. Questions about the position should be directed to Rebecca Ubalde at rubalde@chicagobotanic.org and Chris Woolridge at cwoolridge@chicagobotanic.org.

In your cover letter, be sure to address your interest in the position and how you meet the qualifications outlined in the position description. If you are interested in other locations, please also state the BLM field offices you would be interested in working in, and the localities you would be interested in being based out of. For example: 1) Montrose (Grand Junction), 2) Price (GJ, Salt Lake City), 3) Vernal (GJ, SLC), 4) Grand Junction (GJ)

Why Apply? Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, or basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Disclaimer The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Chicago Botanic Garden does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs or activities, including in employment or admissions. Please call (847) 835-8264 to contact our Title IX Coordinator should you have questions or concerns. Please do not call this number to inquire about job postings or the status of your application, or with solicitations from companies or third-party recruiters.