The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute is a leader in biodiversity monitoring. We track changes in Alberta's wildlife and their habitats across Alberta, working collaboratively to provide ongoing, relevant, and scientifically credible information about our living resources.

If you are interested in other positions with the ABMI, please click here.

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Position Overview

ABMI Summer Field Technologists and Indigenous Interns work with us from May to August, and are assigned many of the same fieldwork tasks between the two roles. Both roles are intense, satisfying, and never boring. The field season offers many opportunities to experience nature and learn about our biodiversity. It’s an adventure you won’t forget.

Once hired, Summer Field Technologists and Indigenous Interns receive a tentative schedule of the shifts and days off for the duration of the summer. Fieldwork is often unpredictable, with weather and wildfires driving changes to our schedules. We require our Technologists and Interns to be very flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing schedule and tasks, though we do our best to keep days off as scheduled. Training occurs at one of our central base locations. Field work occurs across the province in crews of two. ABMI Crews typically work shifts lasting 5-to-11-days, followed by 2 to 5 days off. Technologists and Interns can expect occasional long drives to different stations and sites. Crews are often isolated during their field shifts where they are provided basic accommodation in post-secondary residences, travel trailers, or tents. During the field season and during days off, accommodation will be provided at one of the central bases for the duration of the contract. All required equipment and training necessary to access sites and complete field work are provided (e.g., 4x4 trucks, ATVs, backpacks, additional safety certificates).

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ABMI Field Crews

The ABMI's Field Crews are the core of a successful monitoring season.

Summer Field Technologists and Indigenous Interns typically spend the duration of the field season with the same field partner. Depending on the protocols being completed, members of each crew may be responsible for collecting different data. Working in pairs, field partners work together to accurately measure biodiversity at their assigned sites.

Conditions vary according to where in the province sites are situated. All Crews have the potential to work in relatively remote areas of the province, from grasslands to boreal forests. This sort of field work exposes Technologists and Interns to challenges that vary among sites: some sites may involve overgrown thickets of alder or very wet conditions, while others are open and easier to navigate. This tends to even out over the course of the season and among all sites. But in general, field work is challenging.

A full-time staff member will occasionally accompany the field crew for support and in-field quality assurance and quality control. They will also be reachable by satellite phone if no cell service is available. Though Field Crews generally work independently, a network of full-time staff is available to support them, including technicians, coordinators, an operations supervisor, and a dedicated land access team.

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Training

From safety courses to ABMI-specific data collection protocols, we invest a considerable amount of time and energy in training Technologists and Interns to ensure they have a safe and enjoyable field season! Training takes place at both of our central bases before sending Technologists out to collect data.

Prior to the start of field season, it is expected that all Technologists and Interns have completed the following training courses: Standard First Aid & CPR, Defensive Driving (online), WHMIS (online), Transportation of Dangerous Goods (online), and H2S. The cost of these courses are reimbursed following the start of the field season or paid in advance depending on the course. Receipts for the courses must be kept, as they are required for reimbursement. The first couple weeks of May are devoted to safety and basic training, including but not limited to ATV Operations, Wilderness First Aid, Truck and Trailer SWPs (Safe Work Procedures), and how to use a compass, GPS, and all other applicable field equipment. All safety gear, such as bear spray, first aid kits, etc., are provided.

Further training includes ABMI-specific data collection protocols. Training takes place in the classroom, online and in the field. Accurate data collection is a central aspect of the Summer Field Technologist and Indigenous Intern's role, and we ensure that both are comfortable with all protocols before heading into the field for their first day of data collection. All field collection equipment is also provided, such as backpacks, compass, and camping essentials. For more information on the data collection protocols performed by field staff, please see the Data Collection section.

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Food and Accommodation

Shared accommodation provided at each central base is available for the duration of the field season (including days off). In the past, accommodations have been provided at Grande Prairie College and Lac La Biche / St. Paul Portage College residences. Rooms are fully furnished, and we provide a basic kitchen set for each house. Bedding is not provided so Technologists and Interns are responsible for bringing their own. All staff, Technologists, and Interns meet on base upon commencement of the field season, as well as prior to leaving base for field shifts and completion of these shifts. Accommodation and transportation are provided when sites cannot be reached from the central base and can include holiday trailers, hotels, tenting, and oil camps.

ABMI provides a food stipend while on shift; however, Technologists and Interns are expected to prepare their own meals.

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Data Collection

ABMI programs continue to evolve and grow across the province. As a Technologist or Intern, you may find yourself collecting biodiversity data at sites within the remote boreal forests, alpine meadows, and agricultural fields on public, private, industrial, and protected land. Many of our programs work with partner organizations to complete field work, monitoring the effects of human footprint (such as industrial activities) on the environment and species of interest across a wide range of taxa.

As an ABMI Technologist or Indigenous Intern, you could be involved with any of these data collection tasks (but are not limited to):

• Soil core collection for soil chemistry analysis
• Bryophyte and lichen collection
• Forest stand measurements of species, height, and diameter
• Vascular plant surveys
• Seedling survival assessments
• Planting checks
• Tree core collection and canopy cover measurements
• Trail camera/autonomous recording unit (ARU) deployment, servicing, or collection
• Ecosite classification
• Water physio-chemistry analysis
• Ground-truthing
• Wildlife monitoring

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Indigenous Internship

The Indigenous Internship is for Indigenous-identifying individuals (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) who are interested in developing experience in western science monitoring processes and techniques. Much of the fieldwork completed by Summer Field Technologists and Indigenous Interns are the same. The goals of the internship are to:

1. Provide professional western science monitoring experience to individuals;

2. Build skills to help support the development and implementation of Indigenous-led monitoring programs, and;

3. Promote cultural exchange with non-Indigenous peers and celebrate Indigenous-based perspectives, knowledge, values, and experience.

If you are interested in applying for the Indigenous Internship, please apply using the link here.

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The ABMI respectfully acknowledges that our work takes place on the territories of Treaties 4, 6,7,8, 10 and the Métis homeland, traditional and ancestral lands of First Nations and Métis Peoples, whose histories, languages, and cultures are directly linked to the biodiversity that we monitor. We acknowledge the traditional teachings of the lands that we work on, and that reciprocal, meaningful, and respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples make our work possible. We are deeply grateful for their stewardship of these lands, and we are committed to supporting Indigenous-led monitoring programs, while learning Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.


NOTICE AND CONSENT TO COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

The information provided in this application is collected under section 33 of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purposes of determining your eligibility for employment under the ABMI program. Your information is used only for the purpose for which it was collected or for a consistent purpose. Further, we keep the information only for the length of time necessary to fulfil this purpose. Please be advised that we utilize a third party to manage our applications (Breezy HR, Inc.), and that your personal information may be stored on servers outside of Canada. You can review Breezy HR, Inc.’s privacy policy and standards by clicking here. By submitting an application, you consent to the collection, use and storage of your information as set out above. If you have any questions regarding the collection of this information, please contact Joshua.Logel@innotechalberta.ca or Kerra.Nisbet@innotechalberta.ca.


  • Food stipend provided to cover food costs

  • Accommodation provided for the entire contract

  • Receive taxonomic ID training from some of Alberta's top taxonomists

  • Travel and explore the many natural regions of Alberta

  • Meet coworkers that turn into lifelong friends

  • Collect high quality data used to understand Alberta’s environment

  • Jeanette Goulet

    Aquatic Technologist (2 seasons)

    “ Even though it’s been a few years since I’ve worked with the ABMI, I still call my field partners some of my best friends and I keep in touch with so many of the other techs I worked with. We still get together for camping adventures each summer... ”

  • Ashley Hillman

    Terrestrial Technologist (4 seasons)

    “ Working as a summer technologist was one of my best working experiences. I was able to really develop my field skills and learn new ones. The field methods I learned, such as field navigation...are widely applicable skills for any future work... ”

  • Rose Provençal-Lachance

    Aquatic Technologist (2 seasons)

    “ I participated in two field seasons with the ABMI, which brought me to see a wide variety of Albertan landscapes... ”