This position as a research assistant will require me to monitor and track Mojave Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Mojave Desert of California. It is offered through San Diego Zoo global and part of their Desert Tortoise Recovery Program. The requirements for it are numerous. I will need to have a background in Tortoise husbandry (or at least husbandry of a similar animal), have a Bachelor’s degree, have a driver’s license, be able to repair mechanical equipment especially research equipment, be comfortable working with other members of management and research team, coordinate volunteers, order supplies, have experience working with data entry, and have experience tracking animals using GPS units, VHF telemetry equipment, and electronic tablets.

I have some experience already with many of these requirements. I have coordinated volunteers and ordered supplies for habitat restoration and native plant garden projects in California for example and have helped coordinate other volunteers, lesson plans, and gotten supplies for summer camps at Country Montessori School in Poway California. The main things I need are more experience working with and coordinating groups of people, my driver’s license, experience working with and managing GPS units, VHF telemetry equipment, and electronic tablets, and my Bachelor’s degree.

I can gain more experience with that in college by volunteering on other programs. I will have my driver’s license by the end of the summer because I will be practicing by going to different sites around Coastal California doing photography with the native reptiles. One of my main targets to photograph this Summer is the Mojave Desert tortoise. This will also allow me to gain some field experience in finding this species in its natural habitat. Gaining experience working with tortoise husbandry will be difficult, but I plan to try to volunteer at some similar research groups with this species and other members of the genus Gopherus. If I can gain experience working with members of the genus Gopherus, I will be better prepared to work with Mojave desert tortoises. Most importantly, I need to gain experience with tracking animals with the radio tracking equipment listed above. I will be applying to various programs over the next few years that work with that type of equipment. Additionally, these will help me gain experience fixing this type of equipment as well. Some of these will include programs working with various reptiles including various rattlesnakes and turtles, allowing me to gain more experience with reptiles as a whole. Lastly, I need my bachelor’s degree. I am planning on attending grad school and working for my PHD. This will allow me to work in programs like these

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