Volunteer Mountain Chicken Programme, Dominica

Volunteer Mountain Chicken Programme Dominica

Conservation Programmes

Role Opportunity Overview:

Experienced herpetologist wanted to volunteer on an amphibian conservation project in the Caribbean for a minimum of 6 months, all expenses paid. The successful applicant will join the high profile Mountain Chicken Frog (Leptodactylus Fallax) Conservation Project on the Caribbean island of Dominica 

(see www.mountainchicken.org ). 

Over recent years, this species has been decimated on the island by the lethal disease, amphibian chytridiomycosis. You will assist the Dominican Forestry and Wildlife Division in the captive management of mountain chicken frogs in a dedicated conservation breeding facility in Roseau. There are likely to be opportunities to be involved in assisting mountain chicken conservation outreach activities (e.g. to local schools) and assisting in field surveys.

Applicants must have a proven track record of working with amphibians in captivity and experience working on amphibian monitoring programmes in the field using transect methodologies is desirable. Applicants must possess a valid driving license and be physically fit.

 To Apply:

Short-listed applicants will be interviewed at the Zoological Society of London and will depart for Dominica shortly thereafter. Travel and medical insurance will be provided. To apply, please send a covering letter stating your experience, interest, and availability, plus a copy of your curriculum vitae, to ben.tapley@zsl.org.

 Closing date for applications: Midnight Monday 24th August

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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

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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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

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Volunteer vacancy in the Caribbean - Live-food technician

Volunteer vacancy in the Caribbean - Live-food technician and assistant to
mountain chicken programme, Dominica, West Indies

The Dominican mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax) conservation programme
http://www.mountainchicken.org co-managed by
the Zoological Society of London and Chester Zoo in collaboration with the
Government of Dominica is seeking a dedicated, energetic and self-motivated
invertebrate/herpetology specialist to spend a period of one year in Dominica,
West Indies.

The main objective will be to assist Dominica Forestry and Wildlife personnel in establishing and developing large-scale invertebrate food cultures
(crickets/cockroaches/snails/worms etc) and invertebrate harvesting techniques
to feed a proposed captive assurance colony of the Critically Endangered frog
Leptodactylus fallax. Husbandry and monitoring of the initial captive frogs may
also become part of the remit depending upon progress with the food source and
readiness to initiate the frog breeding programme.

The successful candidate will have a proven background in invertebrate care and
culturing and/or a demonstrable aptitude for the same. Experience in the
management of amphibians, especially large frogs, would be an advantage but is
not essential.

The position is based in Roseau, capital of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles,
Eastern Caribbean. International air travel and a monthly stipend to cover
living expenses will be provided.

Applications should be received by 26th August 2008. Unfortunately, we are
unable to send individual replies to all who apply, so if you do not hear from
us within two weeks of the closing date, we regret that your application has not been successful.

Please send a letter of application, emphasising relevant experience, and a
recent Curriculum Vitae to:

Andrew A. Cunningham or
Ian Stephen

Head of Wildlife Epidemiology
Assistant Curator, Herpetology
Institute of Zoology
Zoological Society of London
Regent's Park
London NW1 4RY

Email: Ian.Stephen@zsl.org


For full details please go to http://www.zoonewsdigest.com

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