2007 MAPS INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

IBP is a small, dynamic non-profit organization established in 1989 and dedicated to fostering a global approach to research and the dissemination of information on changes in bird populations. We use a wide variety of bird survey techniques, including constant-effort mist netting, point counts, and nest monitoring to study avian demographics and population trends. We also collect climate, weather and habitat data (collected on-the-ground and by remote sensing) to determine the environmental causes of changes in bird populations, and to provide land managers with the information necessary for effective conservation.

WHAT PAST INTERNS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE PROJECT:

"I completely enjoyed my summer.. .and I cannot believe how much I learned."
"I really learned a lot from her (IBP biologist) for which I am very grateful"
"I feel very privileged to have worked with IBP. The work is very important to conservation and I really enjoyed it as well."
"We wanted to tell you what a great time we had working for IBP. . . Every intern made us feel welcome, and you and your staff were nothing short of greatly supportive...We are going away with fond memories for a lifetime."

MAPS INTERNSHIP PHOTO GALLERY:
Want to know what it's like to be a MAPS intern? Curious what you will be doing? Trying to explain to your parents and friends that you will not be chasing birds with a butterfly net all summer? Check out our MAPS Internship Photo Gallery to see images from the 2003 field season, explaining what you will learn and encounter as a MAPS intern.
MAPS Internship Photo Gallery

HOW TO APPLY: 2007 MAPS internships are available for the period May 1 (Apr 23 at southerly locations) to August 8. To apply for a position please download the forms below and return the completed application along with a cover letter, resumé and the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of two references to:

Amy Finfera , MAPS Intern Coordinator
P.O. Box 1346
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Ph: (415) 663-1436 (please call if you have questions)
Fax: (415) 663-9482
e-mail: afinfera@birdpop.org

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

2007 Application Form
2007 MAPS Internship Summary Sheet
2007 MAPS Information Packet

PROJECT DETAILS: MAPS is currently IBP's largest project. Begun in 1989, the MAPS program is based on a network of constant-effort mist-netting and banding stations throughout the U.S. and Canada and is a cooperative effort among public agencies, private organizations, and independent bird banders. MAPS is designed to provide long-term demographic information on the productivity and survivorship of North American landbirds, in an effort to aid in identifying the causes of population changes detected by other avian monitoring programs and to formulate management strategies to reverse declines. Capture rates of adults and young and the proportion of young in the catch are used as indices of population size and productivity. Between-year recapture data provide estimates of survivorship and recruitment. In 2005, there were 490 stations contributing information to the program, 111 of which were operated by IBP biologists and interns under contracts with the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, the Department of Defense, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

MAPS interns operate our "agency" stations in national forests, national parks, military installations and other lands around the country. A typical internship entails the operation of six stations at a given location (i.e., park, forest, or installation) on a rotating basis in partnership with one other intern. Thus, there are six work days during each ten-day period. Due to weather conditions we cannot promise that days off will be consecutive or can be planned in advance. Both interns are responsible for operation of the nets, processing captured birds, and conducting vegetation analyses. Typically, each pair of interns is trained and supervised by a roving IBP biologist who is responsible for a cluster of three locations and thus is present at each location about a third of the time.

 

PROJECT DATES: May 1 (Apr 23) - August 8.

TRAINING:Be warned that workloads during the training and setup period (lasting up to a month total) involve long, hard days with little, if any, time off!

RESPONSIBILITIES: A typical MAPS station consists of ten twelve-meter mist nets in the central seven or eight hectares of a 20 hectare study area. The nets are opened for six hours, beginning at sunrise, once every ten days from May (in some cases, June) to August. The nets are checked frequently and all birds captured are identified, banded, aged, sexed, and released. Additional data on skull pneumaticization, breeding condition, molt, wing length, fat, and weight also are collected on all individuals. Feather samples are collected from selected species for a genetics project being pioneered by University of California, Los Angeles' Center for Tropical Research (The Neotropical Migrant Conservation Genetics Project). A semi-quantitative description of the vegetation at each station is completed during the second month (fourth 10-day period) of operation.

A typical workday, after the training and setup period, requires arriving at the station by sunrise (this may mean waking up as early as 3:30 am). Both interns will put the nets up, open them, check them every 30-45 minutes, extract any birds captured, and take them back to a central location for processing and release. During the course of the morning, both interns must be aware of all bird species present and note signs of breeding activity. At slow stations, one intern may do some vegetation analysis while the other operates the nets. The nets are taken down after six hours (usually around noon), the last birds are processed, and all paperwork is completed before leaving the station. With travel time, work typically will be completed by around 1-2 p.m. However, vegetation analysis will be necessary on a few afternoons, thus lengthening the workday on those days. Please note that MAPS seasons can be very physically demanding.
 

REQUIREMENTS: We are looking for hard-working, enthusiastic birders in good physical condition with a background in wildlife biology or other related field. Although prior banding experience is a plus ANY candidate with a strong desire to learn more about birds and natural history and the normal rigors of fieldwork will be considered. These rigors may include (but are not limited to!) rustic and/or isolated living conditions, long work days that may be very physically taxing and may begin well before dawn, mosquitoes, ticks, bad weather, rough/difficult terrain, noxious plants, etc.

EQUIPMENT: Interns are expected to provide their own binoculars, hiking boots, rubber boots, raingear, and field guide (we recommend the Sibley Guide to Birds, Chanticleer Press, or the third or fourth edition of The National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America). Some interns will also need to provide their own camping gear (required for certain training sessions), including tent, sleeping bag and mess kit. A sturdy automobile is a strong plus, but is not strictly required. Interns who use their personal automobiles for fieldwork may be required to drive many miles on unpaved roads. A mileage reimbursement of $0.33 per mile for IBP work-related travel will be provided to offset the costs of gasoline and vehicle maintenance.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Like all IBP internships, MAPS internships are volunteer independent contractor positions that do not involve an employment relationship with IBP. Thus, IBP interns receive no salary, hourly wages, or benefits for their volunteer work. All IBP interns are reimbursed for their food and out-of-pocket expenses by means of a per diem reimbursement. This per diem ranges from $20 to $25 (depending on project and location). Calculated on a range from 84 to 90 field days, these per diem reimbursements range from a total of $1,680 to $2,250 for the summer and are paid in monthly installments (details vary for some internships- please refer to the 2007 IBP Information Packet and MAPS Internship Summary Sheet).

MAPS internships are demanding and challenging but also rewarding and exciting, as evidenced by the number of returning interns. You will learn a tremendous amount about avian ecology, behavior, and identification; and you will have the opportunity to meet fantastic people and work in some of the most beautiful areas of the country. Furthermore, prospective employers, including IBP where all staff biologists start out as interns, value the experience gained as an IBP intern. We guarantee you will find your summer as an IBP intern one of the most memorable of your life.

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