Defining Successful Habitat Restoration Influences

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Student Internship

Environmental Systems Program University of California at San Diego Physical Sciences Program And HELIX Environmental Planning: San Diego Office

INTRODUCTION

The student intern will assist ecologists and habitat restoration professionals with collection and analysis of physical site factors which influence the success of habitat restoration projects in Southern California. The intern will serve as a field assistant, collect data, analyze data and assist with producing a final delivery system for the data, which will be updated on an ongoing basis. The goal will be to identify those factors that influence the success of habitat restoration efforts for use in design and planning of future projects.

This will be a paid internship and will begin in October 2016 and end in March 2017, at approximately 10 hours per week.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The design and implementation of habitat restoration projects is a substantial undertaking, both as a measure of effort and funding. Time spent during the planning phase of such projects is valuable in that a well planned project can result in substantial savings of time and money during implementation, particularly if success can be achieved with a minimal number of project changes. There are a spectrum of factors to consider during project design that may affect the timeframe in which success may be achieved, or even if the effort is successful at all.

This effort will collect information during field investigation, analyze that data and pair it with information collected over years of prior investigation. We will be looking for correlations between these various sets of data to identify those factors and ranges which most strongly influence the success of habitat restoration projects in Southern California. Examples of factors which be evaluated include vegetation density, types of vegetation, hydrology, soils composition and types of irrigation, among others.

MAJOR DUTIES

 Work with HELIX biologists and habitat restoration professionals to collect data relevant to the overall goal of this project.  Visit project sites to collect data necessary, and ensure proper methodologies are used.  Perform data entry and analysis.  Work with HELIX staff to determine the best format for data presentation and organization. DELIVERABLES

A final report and/or poster describing the result of the student’s work. The report/poster will describe the methodologies implemented and the general observations. Additionally, the project will produce a searchable data set which will be updated on an ongoing basis.

FACTOR 1: KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY THE POSITION

 Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive attitude. You will be interacting with a number of different people, both internal to HELIX and external.  Basic field skills to work independently in remote situations. Ability to navigate to and from project sites.  Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work load in concert with other demanding schedules.  Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. The success of this effort will depend on the ability to communicate successfully to ensure data is collected according to protocols.  Possess a valid state driver license. o Use of company vehicle will be authorized.

FACTOR 2: SUPERVISORY CONTROLS

The intern will work under the general supervision of the HELIX Habitat Restoration Practice lead. While most work will be completed independently, this position will integrate with the HELIX Restoration Practice and the professionals involved in that work. This effort is one of a number of ongoing efforts related to the advancement of habitat restoration knowledge and, as such, the intern will have access to staff with a range of experience related to this scope. The intern is encouraged to solicit guidance and advice from University faculty in relation to the project goals.

FACTOR 3: GUIDELINES

Guidelines include performance standards established by the Environmental Systems Program at the University of California at San Diego. The intern will be closely advised by University faculty in concert with HELIX management.

FACTOR 4: COMPLEXITY

This effort will afford the intern an opportunity to participate in design, implementation and analysis of data which will affect real world habitat restoration efforts. The study will be designed such that the number of factors evaluated may be increased as our understanding of relevant factors increases. The complexity is therefore scalable, and limited only to the effort we are willing to contribute at this point in time. This effort will be most appropriate for someone who wants to actively participate in collaboration with experienced staff to develop study parameters and then actively pursue the study guidelines somewhat independently. At the conclusion of this stage of data collection, the intern will work with senior staff to interpret the study results and format those results for future use. FACTOR 5: PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The majority of the field work can be physically demanding including hiking, climbing, bending, crouching, stooping, digging, lifting and similar activities. The intern must be able to work alone in the field.

FACTOR 6: WORK ENVIRONMENT

Although work may be performed both indoors and outdoors, the majority of work will be performed indoors in an office setting. When outdoor work is required, the intern will be subject to various weather conditions. HELIX will supply the intern with a work space, in the HELIX La Mesa Office. Work will generally occur during the work week, during daylight hours, although weekend work may be necessary on occasion.

For additional information, please contact Shanna Brown, Human Resources Director at (619) 462- 1515. Any interested persons should send a cover letter and resume to: Shanna Brown at [email protected]