Avian Ecology Research Assistant

Job title: Avian Ecology Research Assistant

Reports to: Dr. Colleen Barber, Dept of Biology, Saint Mary’s University

Job location: 923 Robie Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3

Wage: $18.00 / hour

Hours: 35 hours per week (15-week internship)

Start Date: Expected May 20, 2025

Number of Positions: 1

Equity Hiring:  

Clean is committed to Employment Equity. Our goal is to be inclusive of a diverse workforce that is reflected at all job levels. The Clean Leadership Program welcomes candidates from diverse equity groups to apply and encourage you to self-identify on our registration form.  

About the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program 

The Clean Leadership Summer Internship program helps grow the clean economy by matching interns (age 15-30) with employers for 9- and 15-week summer work placements. Participating interns will receive paid hands-on experience, mentorship opportunities, take part in a professional development conference and training, while supporting local environmental projects.  

Program Requirements 

• Must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, person who has been granted refugee status in Canada or legally entitled to work in Canada;  

• Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the start of internship; 

• From and/or will be residing in Nova Scotia for the duration of the internship; 

• Must not be an immediate family member of host employer; 

About the host employer 

The primary office and lab are located in the Science Building (Room 110 and 111) at Saint Mary’s University. The organization is a university that offers a range of undergraduate, graduate and professional development programs and conducts research with local, regional and global impact.

Summary of position  

The host employer for this Summer Internship position through the Clean Leadership program will be Saint Mary’s University.  

Duties and Responsibilities  

• The interns will have several responsibilities that include helping to collect data on the level of anthropogenic materials in nests. They will have several responsibilities that include helping to:
  • monitor egg laying (establish first egg dates), hatching success and fledging success in nest boxes over two different breeding cycles in the spring/summer,
  • number and weigh eggs on the day they are laid,
  • conduct surveys of banded adults to establish their nest boxes,
  • quantify the amount of anthropogenic materials (garbage) incorporated into their nests,
  • conduct one-hour behavioural observations (offspring provisioning watches to determine how often parents feed their nestlings),
  • help catch adults, and handle nestlings,
  • assist with morphological measurements (mass, wing and leg lengths) on adults and nestlings,
  • record and analyze male song,
  • dissect nests to determine the amount of anthropogenic materials in them,
  • help with other aspects of the research program as required, and
  • attend weekly research group meetings to discuss the findings, any challenges, as well as assigned readings from published literature

Requirements/Qualifications

• Have an aptitude for safe work practices and the ability to multi-task in a busy work environment;

• Be able to work productively as part of a team while responding to feedback;

• Demonstrated interest in future employment in the environmental or clean sector is considered an asset;

•  Have a proactive nature with an excellent work ethic

•  Have the ability to work both independently (in the lab) and collaboratively (in the field)

• Possess patience and curiosity

• Possess good communication skills

• Be a current undergraduate Science student in Biology or Environmental Science hoping to do an Honours thesis or a recent Science graduate hoping to do a MSc.

Working Conditions
This job requires working outside in a variety of weather conditions. There is much curiosity about our work from people passing by, and so there is some amount of explaining the research to members of the public. The intern should not be afraid of climbing a ladder up to a height of about six to eight feet. Hands-on training will be provided.

Physical Requirements
This job is physically demanding. It requires some longer days in the field, working in all types of weather. It also requires climbing a ladder to a height of six to eight feet.