GSA Online Application System

 

APPLY NOW   Public Land Name: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Position Title: Dragonfly and Damselfly Biodiversity Assistant [Mosaics] Agency: NPS Position Type: Mosaics Position ID Number: 2015222 Location: Porter, IN Accepting Applications? # of current Applicants: 0 Position Description: Biological Sciences Assistant: The selected participant will work with a Great Lakes Research and Education (GLREC) staff member from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to establish sampling sites, sampling methods, and to develop the Odonata Inventory, Odonata Key and “Dragonfly Quest” app outreach materials. The participant will work with Dr. Erin Grey from Governors State University to genetically barcode selected specimens. Specifically, the participant will: • Collect and identify adult and larval odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) across a variety of habitats within the park • Collect eDNA samples from at least 5 of the sample sites • Take photographs of representative individuals for the key • Extract, amplify and sequence the COI and 16S genes from one individual of each species • Compare eDNA results to traditional survey results at the 5 sites • Develop a K-12 dragonfly survey activity, “Dragonfly Quest” through the AAAS “Active Explorer” project This position is ideal for a motivated minority student interested in biodiversity, environmental monitoring and science outreach. In addition to gaining hands on experience in field and lab research, the participant will have the opportunity to create a user-friendly key and a K-12 mobile biodiversity app, “Dragonfly Quest”, through the AAAS Active Explorer project. This app is intended to making learning fun for elementary visitors, as well as to provide citizen-science data on the distribution of dragonflies throughout the park. The Mosaics in Science Program is run in partnership with the National Park Service and The Geological Society of America. If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact GSA's GeoCorps managers.  If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please direct them to the contact(s) listed in the project description. Remember, application materials can only be submitted online. The project contact(s) will not accept application materials sent to them via e-mail, mail, fax, etc. See the full program details at the GeoCorps homepage.