Volunteer field assistant for bat research in Costa Rica

Working days (6 per week) are long and the work will be physically demanding. Field work in the tropics can be quite strenuous due to the heat and humidity and we often need to work at odd hours (e.g. very early in the morning). Poisonous snakes as well as irritating bugs are regularly encountered during field work. An anti-rabies inoculation is required because the chance of accidentally catching bats (e.g. vampire bats) which can transmit rabies is high. A field assistant who wants to work with me should be highly motivated, in good physical shape, getting along well with people, comfortable with working alone in the forest and a patient as well as accurate observer. Previous experience with bats or field work in the tropics is desirable but not required.

Work will be conducted at two field sites in Costa Rica: OTS La Selva Biological Station (lowland rain forest) and Santa Rosa National Park (Pacific dry forest). La Selva is a comfortable, well equipped international research station whereas the facilities at Santa Rosa National Park are somewhat more rustic. We will spend about an equal amount of time at each field site. An assistant must pay for the round-trip airfare to Costa Rica (transportation in Costa Rica will be provided) as well as for station fees (which include housing and food in La Selva but only housing in Santa Rosa), food, health insurance, and personal expenses. Station fees are 41.65 $ US per day in La Selva and 10 $ US per day in Santa Rosa (but we need to cook for ourselves there).

Please send me a cover letter detailing your interests, experiences and abilities, a CV (please keep it to relevant details), and the names and contact information of two references (ideally someone who has experienced you working in a research or field context) to mknoerns@biologie.uni-erlangen.de.

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