Seasonal Fisheries Technician

The mission of Save the Sound is to protect and improve the land, air, and water of Connecticut and Long Island Sound. We use legal and scientific expertise and bring people together to achieve results that benefit our environment for current and future generations. Our vision is of a Connecticut and Sound region where the vitality of nature will be protected for people and wildlife, now and for many decades to come. A region in which citizens from all walks of life can unite in transforming struggling habitats, polluted waters, endangered wildlife, and a threatened planet into resilient, healthy, vibrant, and inspiring places that sustain communities. Save the Sound is committed to justice in environmental action, and our team is constantly looking for ways to ensure both our internal operations and our programming support a diverse and equitable world. Learn more in our president’s update on our journey. Save the Sound works to ensure that:

Long Island Sound, rivers, and lakes are safe for swimming, fishing, and boating, and our waters and coastal habitats support thriving populations of fish, shellfish, whales, turtles, seals, and birds;
Your family has clean air to breathe, communities are healthy and vibrant, and Connecticut leads the nation in slowing climate change and building a clean energy economy;
Our last great open spaces and the lands that filter your drinking water are protected from over-development, and critical natural areas can support wildlife, recreation, and clean water; and
The laws that protect natural resources, public health, and environmental justice are strong, and the region’s residents are empowered to use them.

With your passion and our experience, together we will take action to keep our air healthy, our water clean, and the natural places and neighborhoods you love safe across Connecticut and throughout the Long Island Sound Region—now and for future generations.

Industry

Conservation

min experience

0 years (Fresh)

salary range

$1000 - $1.4k / month

Additional Job Details

International Applicants Allowed?: No

Work Visa Sponsoring Available: No

Job Overview

Do you have a passion for fish and love spending time outdoors in the rivers and streams of Connecticut? The Ecological Restoration team at Save the Sound is seeking a Seasonal Fisheries Technician to assist with River Herring monitoring and other project specific field work. Monitoring will take place periodically at various pre and post dam removal sites along the Connecticut coastline
(specific sites may include New Haven, North Branford, Darien, Wilton). Fish monitoring will start in early March and end in early June lasting 10-20 hours per week. The purpose of this monitoring is to evaluate migratory fish response to dam removal. From late June through August, the position will be sustained at 20 hours per week, and will assist the Ecological Restoration team with field work related to various other active projects.

The Seasonal Fisheries Technician will be a part-time, temporary employee of Save the Sound, compensated hourly for time spent in the field and mileage to/from the field sites.

Who We Are

Save the Sound leads environmental action in your region. We fight climate change and build resilient communities, save endangered lands, protect the Sound, and restore its rivers. We do this in many ways, from legislative advocacy and legal action to engineering, environmental monitoring, and hands-on
volunteer efforts. For more than 40 years we’ve been ensuring people can enjoy the healthy, clean, and thriving environment they deserve—today and for generations to come.

The Ecological Restoration Team at Save the Sound creates lasting physical change that strengthens natural ecosystems to benefit both wildlife and communities. Our team of ecological engineers, biologists, and project managers mobilizes partners and resources to restore the conditions for natural processes to take their course, so ecosystems can rebound and support abundant life. This work is integrated into our larger action strategies to protect and restore Long Island Sound and the rivers that flow into it.

Our organizational leadership and staff are working to deepen Save the Sound’s diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek to attract a more diverse applicant pool. We seek to add and retain more outstanding people of color to all levels of our team. We work in diverse communities and landscapes, and are actively working to increase our focus on driving environmental justice action for equitable outcomes within diverse communities through our work.

Duties

The Seasonal Fisheries Technician is responsible for the following activities from March through May:

Assist in setting up funnel trap with Save the Sound and CT DEEP Fisheries staff.
Check trap 5 days out of 7, ideally Monday through Friday from March through May [schedule may be adjusted with approval of the Save the Sound Fish Biologist.]
Each time the trap is visited, remove any debris and repair damage to keep trap in operating condition.
Net fish out of the trap by dip net. Technician is responsible for ensuring that each fish is identified, counted, tallied and released unharmed upstream of the trap. Species that are undetermined can be photographed and sent for identification by Save the Sound Fish Biologist.
Enter daily fish count data into Excel spreadsheet and send weekly to Save the Sound staff.
Following the end of the spring fish run, the Seasonal Fisheries Technician will assist Ecological Restoration staff in the field. Duties may include but are not limited electrofishing surveys, stocking of diadromous fish, vegetation surveys, green infrastructure installation and maintenance, streamwalk surveys and culvert assessments.

Required Qualifications and Characteristics:

Background in fisheries or field ecology/biology, including a familiarity with GIS;
Ability to carry forty-pound fish traps from truck to river;
Possession of a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle;*
Excitement about working outside, at times in inclement weather, including prolonged periods in rivers and streams;
Ability to successfully navigate to specific locations in remote field settings;
Experience safely handling wildlife, including fish and turtles;
Proficiency in identifying freshwater and diadromous fishes;
Comfortable working both as part of a team and individually, and interacting with the public as a representative of Save the Sound;

*If this is a limiting factor but you are otherwise a strong candidate for this position, please reach out to us.

Common Organizational Job Responsibilities:

Common organizational job responsibilities include

• Maintaining positive and productive working relationships with all Save the Sound staff members, including providing and receiving constructive feedback,
• Participating in building productive relationships with Save the Sound’s members, external partners, policy makers, and the general public and
• Completing all administrative work on time, such as time sheets, purchase orders, project reports and planning documents.

COVID-19 Considerations:

This position is primarily field-based. Any required office time will be based in Save the Sound’s New Haven, CT office—but please note that our whole team is primarily working remotely at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel is required.

Compensation:

This is a part-time, 10-20 hours/week position, and compensation is based on experience. The following benefits are included; paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and opportunities for professional development.

This is a temporary seasonal position, and dates of employment will be March-August 2021. This is a grant-driven, at-will position.

We will be in touch to acknowledge receipt of your application and to schedule selected applicants for an interview. You will be informed when the hiring process is complete. Please be patient.

Save the Sound is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on age, color, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws

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