Post duration: Feb/Mar 2025 to Nov/Dec 2025.

The volunteer will provide essential support in the Aldabra rat and cat eradication (RaCE) preparation and feasibility phase. The volunteer will assist the RaCE team in conducting all fieldwork for feasibility trials, including trapping, marking, culling, measuring and dissections of target species (rats and cats), baiting trials, setting camera traps, and establishing and maintaining transects. The volunteer will also assist with ecological monitoring and field work on non-target species. Office work will include data entry, image uploading/checking/ summarising, and contributions to reports. The candidates will need to ensure strict adherence to project protocols, meticulous data entry, and reporting of field data/observations and challenges or problems in a timely way to the team leader. The volunteer will receive advanced on-the-job training in all aspects of the work but previous experience is also required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

These positions require:

• Passionate and competent young conservation professionals with an excellent work ethic and a strong interest in and passion for island restoration and IAS management (essential)

• Graduate-level education in environmental science/conservation (essential), or equivalent

• 2+ years of remote fieldwork experience of ecological monitoring and/or IAS control and research (ideally in Seychelles/Indian Ocean) (essential)

• Experience entering and checking data (essential)  

• Experience handling/marking animals (desirable)

• Experience with baiting, camera trapping and/or rodent trapping (desirable)

• Experience writing reports and/or media content and/or other formats (desirable)

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Strong interest in and awareness of conservation and especially IAS practice (essential)

• Excellent work ethic (essential)

• Demonstrated problem-solving and can-do attitude and a passion to learn and develop their skills in conservation and IAS management (essential)

• Understanding of the importance of meticulous adherence to protocols including animal ethical procedures (essential) 

• Thorough and careful approach to data entry and cleaning (essential)

• Excellent physical fitness and ability to swim (essential)

• Good communication skills (essential)

• First aid qualification (desirable)

• Small tiller boat license (desirable)

Apply now with an application form (which can be downloaded from our website, or collected at Mont Fleuri or Vallé e de Mai Visitor Centre), your C.V. & a cover letter sent to hr@sif.sc and nancy.bunbury@sif.sc. Kindly note deadline for application is 4th December 2024.