Today@Dal

We are looking for a senior undergraduate student or graduate student to take on a leadership role in organizing the annual Dal Biodiversity Day event. This event will be held on Friday September 29th. Dal Biodiversity Day is a learning event for students and the wider Dal community. It consists of a day long biological survey of species found within designated spaces on the Studley and Truro Dalhousie campuses. Student groups work with taxonomic experts to document the variety of species found on our campuses using the iNaturlast app. The event is aimed at engaging students and the Dal community in outdoor biodiversity education with between 400-600 students participating annually. 

The event coordinator would be responsible for the following tasks: 

• Create, update, organize introduction to/how-to videos that can be used across all of the courses 
• Create an iNaturalist.ca project for the event 
• Create EventBrite page – and organize student registrants into groups after the event registration closes 
• Organize the event schedule 
• Work with course instructors to ensure schedule and participant registration meets the needs of each participating class 
• Identify and invite taxonomic experts to lead student groups during the event 
• Communicate with experts leading up to the event 
• Reach out to and invite senior student group leaders and student volunteers   
• Run a training workshop for senior student group leaders 
• Coordinate student volunteers on the day of the event 
• Create, print, and put-up posters to invite wider Dal community to participate in the event 
• Prepare and maintain field equipment  
• Coordinate sign-out and return of field equipment 
• Set up and coordinate the welcome desk at the event or coordinate volunteers to run the welcome desk 
• Facilitate student feedback on the event 

Qualifications  

• Excellent organizational and communication skills 
• Completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree in Biology, Marine Biology, Environmental Science or a related discipline 
• Previous event organizing experience an asset 
• Previous experience participating in a BioBlitz or similar event an asset 

This is a 45-hour position which pays $25/hr and begins ASAP after August 1^st. Work will be completed by October 15^th. The coordinator will report to Sue Gass (Earth and Environmental Sciences) and Lara Gibson (Biology). The hours worked are flexible and can be completed remotely with the exception that the coordinator will be expected to be on campus to complete some of the tasks listed above such as running training workshops, preparing equipment, and attendance the event itself on September 29^th. 

If you’d like to apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Dr. Sue Gass sue.gass@dal.ca by July 31st, 2023.