Field Volunteer – University of Washington, Penguin Project (Punta Tombo, Argentina)

Deadline: July 16th 

Field Volunteer Opportunity with the Penguin Project, Boersma Lab

We seek one or two unpaid volunteers that can spend 6 to 7 months in the field at Punta Tombo, Argentina, starting in September 2012. Airfare and food and housing in Argentina will be provided. Ideally, the volunteer would be willing to come back to Seattle and be paid to enter data collected during the field season for a few months.

To apply, send the following to Rebecca Sheridan (sheridre@uw.edu):

(1) Description of why you want to volunteer for the Penguin Project:

-What do you think you can contribute to the Project?

-What you hope to gain from this experience both in terms of your short term and long term goals?

-Describe your experience with computers, data collection, data entry, and data analysis.

(2) CV detailing your field and research experience. We are looking for people who can work well in a small isolated team and are very careful gathering and entering data. Applicants should be energetic, independent, hard-working, physically strong, good natured, enjoy being outdoors in all weather, have good observational skills, and able to read bands at a distance. To be happy it is important that you are willing to do more than your share of work, that you get along well with others, and that you think ahead to see what needs to be done and volunteer to do it. Characteristics required: 1. energetic, strong and can walk quickly - to carry equipment and weigh penguins 2. patient and persevering with boring and repetitive tasks 3. care and attention to detail in collecting and entering data 4. tolerant of cold, hot, windy and rainy conditions 5. willing to spend long hours outdoors- this is a 7 day a week job with no days off 6. with robust knees - all that hiking and kneeling at the colony takes its toll! 7. good communication and team work in a small group 8. happy living in camp conditions with others 9. cheerful 10. some knowledge of Spanish (advanced Spanish skills desirable) 11. not mind showering only once a week (water is precious and trucked in from town) 12. ready to grab penguins (some bird handling skills desirable) 13. comfortable with only periodic contact with outside world – no phones or internet at the colony; emergency phone use only 14. a love of fieldwork and wilderness!

We will conduct interviews the week of July 16-20, and strongly prefer in-person interviews. Questions? Contact Rebecca Sheridan, sheridre@uw.edu