Project Volunteer | Mapping of invasive plants in Galápagos

Project Volunteer: Mapping of invasive plants in Galápagos

Application deadline: December 15th 2018
Start date: January 15th 2019 (or later)
Duration: 3 months (minimum)

We are looking for a volunteer who can assist us in flying a drone (DJI Mavic Pro & Inspire 1) in the humid zone of the inhabited islands of Galapagos. Following the drone flights, we need support generating 3D models and orthophotos to map the distribution of invasive plants. The remote sensors we use are othophotos generated with drones and high resolution satellite images and therefore we require the volunteer to have experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and R-scripting.

Responsibilities of the volunteer
•       Carry out field trips to obtain in-situ data, geo-referencing plant species
•       Assist in the logistics of field trips to perform drone flights
•       Process aerial drone images to orthophotos
•       Continue using and developing a Random Forest model using QGis, GDAL and R
•       Document the applied methodology, as well as results and challenges encountered

Required profile
•       Experience in flying multirotor drones
•       Experience in the photogrammetric processing of aerial images captured with drones to generate 3D spatial data.
•       Experience with the programing R language. The volunteer should be able to read and understand R Scripts and implement new scripts to
continues with the modelling process
•       Experience with GIS, preferably QGIS and GDAL
•       Availability, experience and motivation to work in the field under difficult conditions, such as reaching areas of difficult access. This involves
the planning and execution of field trips to geo-reference invasive plant species and to fly the drone

Terms
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) will provide the equipment and materials needed for the project and field trips. The volunteer will be under the supervision of the scientists responsible for the project and will comply with the daily working schedule. The volunteer is expected to work 40 hours per week, from 07:30 – 12:00 and from 13:30 – 17:00. Due to certain project activities, such as field trips, this schedule may be altered. The volunteer must faithfully comply with the internal rules of the CDF and will conduct fieldwork strictly following the rules and regulations of the Galapagos National Park.

How to apply
Applicants are asked to send all documents in one single PDF-file, which includes the CDF application forms and the required documents. Please send the application to the following
e-mail address: (vol@fcdarwin.org.ec). The application deadline is 15th December 2018.

The application forms are available on our website at www.darwinfoundation.org : Get Involved > Vacancies > Volunteers. If you have any questions, please contact the Volunteers and Scholars Program or request the application form at: vol@fcdarwin.org.ec
or heinke.jaeger@fcdarwin.org.ec