Saint Mary's University
Job title: Biodiversity Research Technician
Reports to: Associate professor, Environmental Science
Job location: 923 Robie St., Halifax, NS
Wage: $20.00
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 mission of Saint Mary’s University is to:
- Offer undergraduate, graduate and life-long learning programs.
- Engage in research and disseminate its results.
- Serve the community from the local to the international level.
Summary of position
The host employer for this Summer Internship position through the Clean Leadership program will be Saint Mary’s University. In this position, you will be mainly responsible for assisting with research on global change effects on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The primary goals are to: 1) examine the effects of grazing on soil organisms and ecosystem functioning, 2) examine effects of human activities (e.g., forestry, road development) on distributions and spread of invasive earthworms and native soil organisms, and 3) synthesize data on soil biodiversity to identify knowledge gaps and map threats to soil biodiversity in Nova Scotia. The type of work being done will vary over the course of the summer. On field days, we will spend most of the day in the field collecting data on soil biodiversity and soil properties. When we are not in the field, the intern will work on identifying specimens, analyzing soil samples, helping conduct literature surveys, or making maps/finding spatial data for maps. Some of this work can be done remotely if the intern prefers. The successful candidate needs to be in (or have already completed) an undergrad program relating to biology, environmental science, or geography.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Sampling earthworms and other soil invertebrates in the field.
- Collecting soil samples in the field.
- Identifying specimens and measuring soil properties (e.g., pH, soil C) in the lab.
- Screening papers and extracting data for a literature review.
- Finding/mapping spatial data on threats such as climate change.
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 studied biology, environmental science, or geography at the undergraduate level (can be a current student, or a graduate).
- Experience using GIS (not required).
- Must be able to pay close attention to detail.
Working Conditions
- Must be willing to work outdoors for full days, in a variety of weather conditions (e.g., rain).
- Must be willing to interact with the public.
Physical Requirements
Need to be able to walk moderate distances to sites and assist with digging holes/taking soil cores.
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