Showing posts with label Montserrat. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Volunteer Opportunity in Montserrat

Volunteer Opportunity in Montserrat

Volunteer Opportunity in Montserrat
Want to get into conservation on the front line? Are you passionate, physically fit, adventurous and able to communicate well?

Durrell Wildlife are looking for a Volunteer to assist with the day to day running of the mountain chicken project on Montserrat in the Caribbean.

Volunteer activities will be focused around assisting the Project manager and staff from the Montserrat Department of Environment in managing the semicaptive mountain chicken population and live insect breeding facility, carrying out data collection within the mountain chicken enclosure and surveys for wild mountain chickens and tree frogs. Other volunteer activities include assisting with outreach activities in schools and at community events.

Ideally, applicants will have a background in amphibian and/or insect breeding and experience of the tropics. However, a determination to work, able to closely follow instruction under sometimes uncomfortable or frustrating conditions, combined with good physical fitness and careful attention to data recording are the most important attributes we look for.

The successful Volunteers flights, basic subsistence and accommodation will be catered for but vaccinations and personal equipment must be met by the successful volunteer. This volunteer position is for six months, and we ask that the volunteer is willing to commit to the entire period.

This is the ideal opportunity for someone looking for practical conservation experience working with one of the world's most threatened species. However, this is also a serious volunteer role that requires the volunteer to be independent and self-motivated. Activity hours are typically long and usually for five days per week with two days off. However, the opportunity to live and support this programme in a tropical country on real conservation projects will be more than compensation for this for the right candidate.

In the first instance to register interest please send your CV and a cover letter to daniel.craven@durrell.org with the heading ‘Mountain Chicken Volunteer’ before September 5th 2019.

Due to limited resources only the selected shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a video chat to be held the week of 9th September 2019.

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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Volunteer opportunity in Montserrat, West Indies

Volunteer opportunity in

Montserrat, West Indies

The Montserrat Mountain Chicken Project, presented by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Zoological Society of London, Chester Zoo and Montserrat Department of Environment is offering you a unique opportunity to get involved with pioneering work at the cutting-edge of conservation. Volunteers are urgently needed in the Caribbean and this could be your chance to have an impact and help save a species from extinction.

For further information click HERE

Monday, December 27, 2010

Volunteer opportunity in Montserrat, West Indies

As part of an international collaboration to save the mountain chicken frog from extinction, there is an opportunity for highly motivated volunteers to get involved and support field work on the Caribbean island of Montserrat for this Critically Endangered species.

In Feb 2009 the deadly chytrid fungus was discovered on the island of Montserrat, threatening populations of the already endangered mountain chicken frog. With the fungus already devastating populations in Dominica, the only other island in the world where these frogs are still found, a collaboration was established between Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, London Zoo, Chester Zoo, Parken Zoo and the Government of Montserrat, called the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme to take frogs into a bio-secure captive breeding programme. In Montserrat the MCRP has initiated a field conservation project, supported by the UK Government's Darwin Initiative, to study the frog and lead reintroductions. With the breeding programme being so successful, we are now ready to bring frogs back to Montserrat to trial a pioneering introduction of this species to its natural habitat.

In order to achieve this, we require the support of two volunteers to work alongside our Montserratian field team to radio track and monitor the frogs once released. We are looking for two people who are able to commit to four months starting around 15th January 2011.

Volunteer activities will be focused around intensively tracking and searching for released frogs and taking samples and data in the field. Training will be given in radio tracking, handling of amphibians and bio-secure techniques. Volunteers will also be responsible for the inputting of data and writing blog posts for the website.

Ideally, applicants will have a background in biological sciences, experience of working in the tropics and previous radio tracking experience. However, as the work will be at night and sometimes long hours involved, flexibility, commitment and determination to work, under sometimes uncomfortable or frustrating conditions, combined with good physical fitness and careful attention to data recording are the most important attributes we look for.

Volunteers will need to cover their own flights, vaccinations, personal equipment and insurance but the project will cover in-country costs for basic subsistence and accommodation.

This is the ideal opportunity for someone looking for practical conservation experience working with some of the world's most threatened species. However, the nature of this work requires the volunteer to be focussed and self-motivated. Working hours are long and fieldwork will take place 6 nights per week with one day off. However, as fieldwork is at night, volunteers have the days to rest and relax. Also the opportunity to live and work in a tropical country on real conservation projects will be more than compensation for this for the right candidates.

If you wish to apply, please contact recruitment@durrell.org with a cover letter and CV. For more information about the volunteer post, please contact: sarah-louise.smith@durrell.org A short interview will be arranged by phone with the project leader based in the region. Deadline for applications: 10th January, 2010.

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Project Coordinator - Mountain Chicken

Project Coordinator - Mountain Chicken

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcwetboy/4603313195/

Closing Date: Thursday 12 August '10

Enabling Montserrat to save the Critically Endangered mountain chicken

This UK Darwin Initiative funded project seeks to lead the restoration of the mountain chicken frog on its native island of Montserrat in the Eastern Caribbean. Found on only two islands, Montserrat and Dominica, the frog was almost completely removed from Dominica by the spread of the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis. This disease entered Montserrat in early 2009 and massive declines in the numbers of mountain chickens were identified. It was possible to remove a number of frogs from the island before the disease spread too widely to establish a captive breeding programme for future release in a number of European zoological institutions. These frogs are maintained in strict bio-secure conditions.

This project aims to study the ecology and conservation of the frogs in Montserrat, release frogs back into the island from the captive population and support the development of conservation capacity within Montserrat. It is a collaborative project between the Government of Montserrat, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Zoological Society of London

Terms and conditions

Start Date: September 2010, or as soon as possible thereafter

Duration of Contract: Fixed term contract until June 2013

Probation Period: 6 months

Salary Range: £19,500 per annum, with a 2.5% annual increase.

Location: Montserrat, West Indies

Benefits: These include:

•23 working days annual holiday entitlement plus Montserrat national public holidays

•One return flight to country of origin per year of project

Hours of Work: A full-time position of 40 hours per week, working Monday to Friday whilst based in the office in Brades. During fieldwork, flexibility on working hours will be required

Team/Department: Conservation Science

Reporting to: Director of Department of Environment, Government of Montserrat; Mountain Chicken Darwin project leader for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Main duties

•Management of a programme of field research, release and monitoring of frogs, capacity building and public awareness-raising. Development and implementation of species monitoring schemes and co-ordinating species action planning

•Organizing planning workshops in Montserrat.

•Line management of a Research Officer and 2 Field Research Assistants

•Development and maintenance of a close working relationship with a project steering committee, all project partners and stakeholders

•Management of a budget and financial reporting

•Regular reporting of activities and milestones to DoE and Durrell

•Drafting of project reports and assisting with scientific outputs

Person specification
We are looking for a highly capable and organised individual, with a proven track record of delivering conservation science in the tropics, including:

•A masters degree in a relevant biological science or equivalent experience

•At least one years’ experience of ecological field research in the tropics, with experience of surveying terrestrial vertebrates preferred

•A solid understanding of all aspects of data handling

•Good ICT skills, current driving licence

•High degree of initiative, motivation and commitment

•Excellent organisational and time management skills

•Excellent oral and written communication skills

•Ability to work under pressure and be flexible and accommodating

•Ability to work as part of a dynamic and multicultural team

•Good degree of fitness for working for extended periods in difficult terrain under tropical conditions

How to apply:
To apply for the position, please email a 2 page CV and covering letter to:

Mrs Charlotte Linney
Human Resources Manager

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,
Les Augres Manor, La Profonde Rue,
Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP

Or e-mail recruitment@durrell.org

Closing date for applications: The deadline for applications is 12th August, 2010. Candidates shortlisted for interview may be required to submit certified copies of relevant certificates of qualifications