Update as of March 8th, 2021:

All positions have been filled and we are no longer accepting applications for the 2021 field season.

Though all positions have been filled for the 2021 field season, please feel free to read about our projects below. Many of these will continue for several more years, so check back next year for the opportunity to work with us in 2022! These positions are typically for full-time seasonal field assistant positions to begin around June 1, 2021, or earlier, and continue for 10 to 16 weeks (depending on the position). Our lab studies the links between insects, landscapes, and their conservation in support of healthy ecosystems and human well being.  Specific projects are listed on the following page, though assistants may work across multiple projects. All positions are based in Madison with frequent travel around southern and central Wisconsin. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm for insect conservation, ecology, and/or sustainable agriculture.

Position Descriptions:

Position: Student field assistant (multiple available).

• Pay rate: $15+ / hour
• Start date/duration: Full-time seasonal position for ~10-12 weeks between May and August

Position: Non-student field technician (multiple available).

• Pay rate: $15+ / hr
• Start date/duration: Full-time seasonal position for ~12-16 weeks between May and September

Job responsibilities: 

• Handle & identify plants and insects in the field
• Collect, record, & process data 
• Maintain field equipment
• Be willing to work in challenging conditions (high temperatures, buggy, steep slopes, tall vegetation, heavy pollen, etc.)
• Work independently & collaborate with a team
• Drive to & from field sites (<50 miles of Madison)
• Some projects may require long hours or weekend work

Requirements:

• Valid US driver’s license and ability to obtain driver authorization from UW Risk Management. (https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-aut horization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/#become – see “Requirement Criteria”)
• Attention to detail and ability to stay focused on tedious or repetitive tasks
• Coursework or interest in ecology, biology, entomology, or related fields
• Ability to work independently and with others
• Experience with or willingness to learn insect handling, inclinding bees, and processing techniques
• Enjoy being outside, comfortable working in hot/humid conditions.

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Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.  Our lab aims to make science and ecology more inclusive of people of all identities, and we strongly encourage people of color, and people of all genders, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds to apply.  See our full equity and inclusion statement on our website:  http://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/equity-inclusion-statement/

We are no longer accepting applications.

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Project Descriptions:

Pollinator habitat value

• Project lead: Hannah Gaines Day
• Investigating the value of pollinator habitat to crop pollination and yield on small, mixed vegetable farms.  We will do pollinator observations, take floral measurements, and assess pollination success.

Honey bee landscape ecology and cranberries

• Project lead: Hannah Gaines Day
• Studying how habitat in the surrounding landscape influences the health and survival of commercial honey bee hives after providing pollination services to cranberry.  We will visit cranberry marshes in central Wisconsin and commercial bee yards across southwest Wisconsin to extract data from in-hive sensors and take measurements of hive health.  Beekeeping experience preferred but not required.

Butterfly landscape ecology and grazing management

• Project Lead: Skye Harnsberger
• Researching how grazing management techniques affect butterfly abundance & diversity. We will visit grazed and natural grasslands to conduct surveys on plant and butterfly communities. 

Lady beetle (“ladybug”) landscape ecology and resource complementation

• Project Lead: Ben Iuliano
• Researching how various crops and natural habitats provide different patterns of prey resources affecting  lady beetle abundance, health, and biological control potential. We will conduct insect & plant surveys on farms and in natural areas across southern Wisconsin.

Bumble bee population and landscape ecology

• Project Lead: Jade Kochanski
• Identifying bumble bee nesting habitat and exploring how populations respond to the local- and landscape-level environment. We will work with researchers from several institutions to employ a variety of methods to survey bumble bee populations and their habitat in natural areas and conservation easements across southern Wisconsin.

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