Life Net seeks an out-going couple with backgrounds in wildlife management, property management, ecotourism, conservation biology, or related fields to steward and live at Las Tangaras, a private protected natural area in western Ecuador. Managers of Reserva Las Tangaras are needed for three months periods. Dates are somewhat flexible, but need to overlap with out-going stewards by a few days. A 3-month commitment is typical due to the readily available visa of 90 days. Longer service is an option, but stewards would need to obtain appropriate visas. The next opening is for approximately August 18 – November 18, 2014.
Applicants handy with carpentry, home repairs, and applied natural area stewardship skills are preferred. Managers must be able to maintain trails, make repairs and maintain the reserve cabin and its water system, continue organic garden efforts, and further what other previous managers have accomplished in terms of conservation research, ecotourism promotion and services, and outreach to local community.
Las Tangaras is a 49-hectare natural area and its main purpose is to provide habitat for native plants and animals, while protecting them from illegal hunting and collecting. As a buffer property on the edge of the Mindo-Namibillo Bosque Protector, Reserva Las Tangaras provides wildlife with additional habitat at elevations typically deforested for agriculture.
At Las Tangaras we encourage light levels of visitation by bird-watchers, photographers, and conservation biology students. Contributions from visitors are used to maintain the reserve. Managers should be capable with:
1. Hosting nature-oriented guests and visitors
2. Hosting volunteer programs and student trainings related to nature reserve stewardship
3. Maintaining all trails on the reserve and entrance bridge
4. Improving trail(s) and signage from Nambillo Road to Las Tangaras (with local
landowner's permission).
5. Sustaining an organic garden and orchard, including and doing tree planting to attract birds and for human use.
6. Writing a report on your experience and findings at the end of the contract period.
7. Managing a blog and completing Excel data sheets doing emails regularly
Life Net seeks well-educated, mature, very physically fit, and responsible couples with strong interests and/or educational backgrounds in reserve management, nature conservation, tropical ecology, birding, sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, environmental education (all or some) to steward the very bio-diverse nature reserve.
The reserve is an incredible place to live, and research and photographic opportunities abound. Life Net monitors and researches bird communities, and stewards and visiting scientists and students continue to describe plants, insects, hummingbird community dynamics, avian community structure in different forest types, and avian indicator species in mature tropical montane forest.
Duties include, reserve improvements and stewardship, care of trails, marking of trails, water system upkeep, septic system upkeep, managing mule transport of gas tanks, maintenance of a large cabin, care and use of tools, equipment, research materials, and inventory and upkeep of a small library. Options exist to develop visitation and earn additional income providing services to visitors. Qualifications include ability to communicate well in Spanish, one person with a university degree in a topic related to the position, related experiences with wilderness biology field work in the tropics, interests in research and nature interpretation, experience with guiding nature or birding tours, simple bio-regional living experiences, wilderness, leave no trace camping ethics, carpentry, plumbing, and building skills, financial management experience, business sense, etc.
Next position begins around August 18, 2014.
Contact Information:
Send cover letter, resume, and 3 easily contactable references to Dr. Dusti Becker at dbecker@lifenetnature.org