Life Net seeks a capable couple with backgrounds in wildlife management, property management, ecotourism, conservation biology, or related fields to steward and live at Reserva Las Tangaras, a private cloud-forest protected natural area in western Ecuador. Dates are somewhat flexible, but must overlap with out-going stewards by at least two days. At a minimum, applicants need capacity in Spanish communication skills at an intermediate level. An 88-day commitment at the reserve is typical due to visa of 90 days. Longer service is an option, but stewards must to obtain appropriate visas on their own. The next openings are apx: June 25, 2016, September 23, 2016, and January 5, 2017.
Applicants with skills in leadership, nature interpretation, and avian field biology are prefered, along with being handy at carpentry, home repairs, and applied natural area stewardship skills. Managers maintain trails, signs, make repairs and maintain the reserve cabin and its water system, sustain small organic gardens and agroforestry efforts, and further what previous managers have done including conservation research, ecotourism promotion and services, and outreach to the local community.
Las Tangaras is a 49-hectare natural area purchased to provide habitat for native plants and animals, protecting them from illegal hunting and collecting. As a buffer property on the edge of the Mindo-Namibillo Bosque Protector, Reserva Las Tangaras provides additional habitat for wildlife at elevations typically deforested for agriculture, or now, for poorly regulated and designed “adventure” tourism.
At Las Tangaras we encourage light levels of visitation by bird-watchers, nature enthusiasts, photographers, and conservation biology researchers/students. Contributions from visitors partially sustain the reserve. Managers must 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 gardens and orchards, including and doing tree planting to attract birds and for human use.
6. Writing monthly & final reports, basic financial accounting, updating and recording data
7. Managing and contributing to a blog, completing Excel data sheets, and doing emails regularly
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 transport of gas tanks to reserve, maintenance of a large cabin, care and use of reserve 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 openings for this search are late June 2016, late September 2016, and early January 2017.
In one PDF, Send joint cover letter expressing interest and qualifications, resumes (CVs), and 3 easily contactable references for each of you to Dr. Dusti Becker at dbecker@lifenetnature.org.
Salary: $300/month stipend
Start Date: 06/25/2016
Qualifications: Life Net Reserve Manager Position: Las Tangaras Nature Reserve, Mindo, Ecuador
Life Net seeks a capable couple with backgrounds in wildlife management, property management, ecotourism, conservation biology, or related fields to steward and live at Reserva Las Tangaras, a private cloud-forest protected natural area in western Ecuador. Dates are somewhat flexible, but must overlap with out-going stewards by at least two days. At a minimum, applicants need capcity in Spanish communication skills at an intermediate level. An 88-day commitment at the reserve is typical due to visa of 90 days. Longer service is an option, but stewards must to obtain appropriate visas on their own. The next openings are apx: June 25, 2016, September 23, 2016, and January 5, 2017.
Applicants with skills in leadership, nature interpretation, and avian field biology are prefered, along with being handy at carpentry, home repairs, and applied natural area stewardship skills. Managers maintain trails, signs, make repairs and maintain the reserve cabin and its water system, sustain small organic gardens and agroforestry efforts, and further what previous managers have done including conservation research, ecotourism promotion and services, and outreach to the local community.
Managers must 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 gardens and orchards, including and doing tree planting to attract birds and for human use.
6. Writing monthly & final reports, basic financial accounting, updating and recording data
7. Managing and contributing to a blog, completing Excel data sheets, and doing emails regularly.
Duties include, reserve improvements and stewardship, care of trails, marking of trails, water system upkeep, septic system upkeep, managing transport of gas tanks to reserve, maintenance of a large cabin, care and use of reserve 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 openings for this search are late June 2016, late September 2016, and early January 2017.
In one PDF, Send joint cover letter expressing interest and qualifications, resumes (CVs), and 3 easily contactable references for each of you to Dr. Dusti Becker.
Website.