Tender for Contract for LIFE on Machair – Nest Protection Warden. 3 positions: in Donegal, North Mayo-Achill, South Mayo & Connemara

Tender description

The LIFE On Machair Project of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is looking for suitable person/s to protect breeding waders on machair habitat, through the Nest Protection Warden role. There are three Warden Areas covering nine LIFE On Machair Project Sites: • Donegal, • North Mayo-Achill and • South Mayo & Connemara. Each Warden Area requires dedicated nest protection and warden effort. Within each Warden Area there are a number of breeding wader sites, all of which are associated with machair – dune coastal systems. The Nest Protection Warden (NPW) role is a crucial element of the LIFE On Machair Project and will involve building up knowledge of the sites, working closely with the rest of the LIFE On Machair team, assessing predator risk, carry out predator control actions and site management to reduce predator risk, assisting in setting up temporary predator exclusion fencing, fence maintenance and setting up mammal trail camera’s along with local engagement, education and awareness about the nest protection programme. The aim of the nest protection programme is to increase the number of young successful reared by breeding waders on each site. This will be the key metric by which success of the programme will be measured. An important element of the LIFE On Machair project is trialling innovative approaches to nest protection and learning from each approach undertaken. An important element of the NPW role will be the collection of data in terms of effort, actions and outcome. At all times existing laws and regulations and established standard protocols will be followed, and upheld to the highest ethical and professional standards All or one Warden Area can be tendered for, however the tenderer must demonstrate capacity to provide full time, systematic and sustained high intensity wardening within each Target Area for the contract duration.