About the Park

Piping Plovers 2020

Spring 2021

Job Position:  Piping Plover Recovery Program – Assistant

Friends of Nancy Island Historic Site and Wasaga Beach Park is hiring an experienced, highly motivated individual to assist with the Piping Plover Recovery Program at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.  The position is a 15-week contract, starting May 10, 2021.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Monitor the Piping Plovers daily, following their progress from courtship, nesting, incubation, hatch and migration from the Park
• Assist in recovery strategies such as installing perimeter fencing and predator enclosures
• Record and compile data (e.g., behaviour, predators, outreach, etc.) daily
• Ensure that all monitoring, outreach and educational actions follow the Recovery Strategy protocols
• Maintain Piping Plover habitat through the removal of invasive species (e.g., Phragmites australis)
• Provide beach patrons with informative, engaging and educational information about Piping Plovers and their habitat
• Should the volunteer component of the program run this season, additional responsibilities include the following: maintaining the volunteer trailer, ensuring volunteers have submitted their COVID forms, writing updates and providing direct communication with volunteers as required
• Create new virtual content in collaboration with the Park’s Discovery Program
• Provide brief biweekly updates and 2 blog articles on Piping Plover progress to be used on Friends of Nancy Island Historic Site and Wasaga Beach’s website
• Provide brief weekly updates to Friend of Nancy Island Historic Site and Wasaga Beach’s liaison contact
• Assist in other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Skills:

• A university degree in one of the following disciplines (or equivalent) is an asset: Ecology, Plant/Wildlife Biology, Ecosystem Restoration and Environmental Science
• Students are encouraged to apply
• Experience working with species at risk or shorebirds; experience or knowledge of Piping Plovers is an asset
• Experience conducting bird or wildlife surveys, implementing recovery activities
• Experience collaborating with and organizing volunteers and partners
• Collecting, managing and analyzing scientific data
• Training and/or knowledge in the identification and control of invasive species 
• Stewardship or outreach experience, pertaining to species at risk or environmental issues, and/or outreach with diverse audiences
• Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently in the field
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Conditions:

• Must be capable of carrying equipment while walking long distances on the beach
• Must be comfortable spending long days outdoors in hot conditions
• Required to work weekends and often irregular hours
• Follow all COVID-19 protocols and wear PPE as directed

Prospective candidates should submit their cover letter and resume via email to rpotter18@sympatico.ca by noon on April 20th.  Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.