Landscape Conservation Ecologist

The Landscape Conservation Ecologist provides scientific leadership, expertise and support to the Conservancy’s conservation teams on Long Island and New York State.  He/she is responsible for assessing the ecological integrity of, and threats to, conservation targets; recommending management and monitoring strategies to abate threats and measure success; and collecting and analyzing monitoring and inventory data.  Provides ecological information, best practices, training, and technical support to Conservancy staff and partner organizations.  Builds cooperative partnerships with other institutions and agencies to share technology, establish priorities, and coordinate actions.  Helps identify private and public funding sources and provides technical input to fundraising proposals. 

The Landscape Conservation Ecologist will work in the following focal areas for the purposes of protecting and restoring biodiversity, natural resources and ecological processes and function: terrestrial/freshwater connectivity and health, planning for climate change adaptation and climate change analyses, atmospheric deposition in the context of reducing air pollution impacts to terrestrial and freshwater systems, and urban/suburban interactions.

• Gather and interpret the scientific information needed to assess the ecological integrity, connectivity, and threats to ecological communities at priority conservation areas/preserves on Long Island.  Included are literature reviews, consulting with experts, attending professional conferences, preparing conceptual ecological models, field observations, inventory, mapping, and monitoring.
• Develop and implement monitoring protocols to assess the ecological integrity of conservation targets and to measure success at abating threats.  Train and assist staff and volunteers in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting monitoring data.
• Recommend ecological management strategies and actions to maintain the ecological integrity of targets, incorporating monitoring and management data in an adaptive management framework.
• Identify, develop, and participate in ecosystem restoration opportunities designed to restore and maintain the long-term viability of priority species, habitats, and healthy systems.
• Assist in building capacity in public agencies and local governments for ecological management and monitoring.  Work in partnership with other organizations in a collaborative or advisory role.
• Serve as support to statewide conservation teams to provide scientific and technical leadership and expertise in order to protect Freshwater, reduce the impacts of Climate Change, and improve Forest Health.
• Assist in the development of research projects to be carried out on Conservancy preserves in order to use our land holdings as “natural laboratories,” and ensure results are utilized to maximize benefit.
• Share results of threats analysis, planning, management, monitoring, research, and modeling with state/regional/global Conservancy staff, local partners, and academic community.  Publish articles and notes in peer reviewed professional journals as appropriate.
• Serve as support and participate as appropriate in urban conservation in order to protect, conserve, and restore urban natural areas, biodiversity and ecosystems.
• Review environmental impact statements and proposed projects for potential impacts to conservation areas and targets. Prepare comments and/or testify at hearings when appropriate.
• Identify partners and serve as a conduit for conservation priority research projects.
• Assist in the development of strategic plans, conservation area plans, work plans, and budgets.
• Assist in supervising short-term employees, interns, contractors, and volunteers involved in monitoring and research projects.
• Assist in developing fundraising proposals, press releases, maps, presentations, brochures, newsletter and magazine articles, and educational materials.