Rainforest Restoration Project Assistant for NCF — 10th Feb to 31st May, 2014, Anamalai hills, Western Ghats

The position will be open until a suitable candidate is selected.

NCF is looking for young and motivated candidates with an interest in ecological restoration and rainforest plants for joining its decade-long rainforest restoration project in the Anamalai hills, Western Ghats.

The selected candidate will be required to help manage NCF’s rainforest plant species nursery, including regular seed collection, planting, monitoring germination, and routine nursery maintenance (transplanting, watering, seed protection). The work will include preparing seedlings and saplings for planting out in restoration sites during the monsoon. S/he will need to help identify and demarcate restoration sites for planting each year, supervise workers in establishing the plot, participate in restoration planting, and maintain records of planting, vegetation status and other activities.

Opportunities for research range from seed germination and seed ecology studies to research on rainforest vegetation recovery in nearly 50 sites established in over a dozen rainforest fragments since 2001. The candidate will be expected to help in preparing reports.

Essential qualifications: a Bachelors or Masters degree, preferably in a related field such as Botany, Zoology, Ecology, Life Sciences, or Wildlife Science (or, if holding a different degree, then a demonstrable keen interest in plants, conservation, and motivation for field work). Proficiency in basic word processing and other computer applications such as Excel and PowerPoint. Should have good communication skills, speak Tamil, and be able to work in a team.

Desirable qualifications: Knowledge of basic botany, plant and seed identification skills, experience in plant nursery maintenance and management, Tamil writing skills, spoken Malayalam. Ability to manage a large ecological data-set and carry out statistical analysis for reports and manuscripts, write grant proposals and donation requests to raise funding.

A fellowship for a period of one year (extendable) will be offered to the selected candidate, based on experience. Accommodation will be provided at a field station (shared with other students and researchers) and local travel costs connected to fieldwork would be covered. Food costs will need to be shared by the candidate along with others at the field station.

The position will be open until a suitable candidate is selected. Please email trsr@ncf-india.org and divya@ncf-india.org with your CV and a statement of purpose. The selected candidate will be expected to start work within one month of being informed. Please wait for at least 4 weeks to hear back from NCF about your application before contacting them again.

Here is a booklet about their Rainforest Restoration project and a short documentary about the project.