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GeoCorps Positions
| Public Land Name: | BLM Royal Gorge Field Office | | Position Title: | Paleontologist | | Position ID Number: | 55 | | Location: | Canon City, CO | | Position Description: | The GeoCorps participant will research and develop information for a new website that will highlight the accomplishments of Edward Drinker Cope and O.W. Lucas. The website will focus on their dinosaur excavations in the Garden Park Fossil Area located only a few miles north of Canon City, Colorado. Of particular interest is Cope’s Camarasaurus supremus that was excavated from Cope’s Quarry No.1. Cope presented a life size drawing of this fossil during a meeting of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 21, 1877 which was a major contribution to the field of dinosaur paleontology at a time when most people did not know what a dinosaur was. To date, our field office has completed a website highlighting Marshall P. Felch and his work for O.C. Marsh, Cope’s rival in the bone wars. Cope and Marsh worked in quarries located less than a mile apart in the Garden Park Fossil Area which sets the stage for the infamous bone wars. The Cope/Lucas website will contribute to the knowledge base on cultural heritage opportunities within the local community as heritage tourism increases in popularity. Supporting heritage tourism within the community benefits the local economy and educates the public on the need to preserve our heritage for future generations.
The GeoCorps participant will research Cope's work in the Garden Park area. This research will be added to the information that has been gathered by the BLM and the Dinosaur Depot Museum. This work will include visits to the quarries. The participant will be responsible for condensing existing and new data into a format that will provide educational information and be appealing to the public. The applicant will organize the information to tell the story of Cope's work in Garden Park and highlight the significance of the Garden Park stories with respect to the science of paleontology. The participant will organize the information and then work with a webmaster to set up a new website that will highlight Cope's work in the Garden Park. Research will include online work and possibly discussions with librarians to help find news articles. In addition to the website, the field office is working on a podcast series to highlight the Cope and other quarries in the GPFA, the participant will also assist this effort by conducting research down at the Historical Museum in downtown Canon City. Additional duties will be to assist in ongoing efforts to inventory and monitor paleontologic resources in the four Wilderness Study Areas in our field office area which will include field work as well as use of our paleo database in the office that is operated in an ArcGIS environment. Prior to starting this position a government security background clearance will be required.
| | Qualifications: | Applicant must be working toward a degree in geology and have an interest in Paleontology. The applicant should be able to work well independently and have excellent computer skills. The experience working with Microsoft and Adobe software packages is necessary. | | Position Dates: | Jun 8 - Aug 28; 12 weeks; start/end dates flexible | | Payment: | $2750; plus $2000 housing allowance | | Housing Available: | The participant will be responsible for finding her/his own housing and will be given a housing allowance of $2,000 to cover the 12-week position, in addition to the $2,750 stipend. Housing in the area is relatively inexpensive. A personal vehicle will be required as there is no public transportation available in Canon City and there is limited housing within walking distance of the office. Please go to the http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com to see local housing opportunities. Field office personnel will assist in finding housing. | Physical/Natural
Environment: | The Royal Gorge Resource Area encompasses the eastern half of Colorado. The geology of the Resource Area ranges from the oil and gas producing formations of the high plains to hydrothermal gold deposits of Leadville. The terrain changes with the geology from flat grasslands to the steep, uneven terrain of the high mountains, but rolling hills with uneven terrain are dominant. Summer temperatures in Colorado can be very hot at lower elevations but conditions can change in an instant due to afternoon thunderstorms. | | Work Environment: | The participant will work out of the Royal Gorge Field Office located in Canon City Colorado. The position will include approximately 80% computer and 20% field work and will require working with 2 BLM geologists but work will be mostly independent. Field work will require hiking up and down hills on uneven terrain in hot weather (up to 100°F). Canon City is a town of 15,000 people. Amenities include 2 grocery stores, a hospital, and several other businesses including hardware stores, bookstores, and several restaurants. The larger cities of Pueblo and Colorado Springs are each approximately 35 miles away and offer expanded amenities including a regional and an international airport. | | # of current Applicants: | 6 |
If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact Anny Jones. If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please contact the primary or secondary contact below:
| | PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Melissa Smeins | | Title: | Geologist | | Street Address: | 3028 East Main Street | | City/State/Zip: | Canon City, CO 81212 | | Phone: | 719-269-8523 | | Email: | msmeins@blm.gov | | Website: | http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo.html |
| | SECONDARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Dan Grenard | | Title: | Geologist | | Street Address: | 3028 East Main Street | | City/State/Zip: | Canon City, CO 81212 | | Phone: | 719-269-8527 | | Email: | dgrenard@blm.gov | | Website: | http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo.html |
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