Current Position: Inventory Biologist, NC Division of Parks and Recreation
How long have you been with North Carolina Parks and in what capacity?
I have been with the Division since January 2006, as a Full-time Temporary employee.
How did you become involved in working as an Inventory Biologist?
A friend sent me a job announcement for a position that would keep me on my toes every day, learning new species of plants and animals, surveying for rare or uncommon organisms, and helping to coordinate the research in NC State Parks.
Describe a typical day at your job. (If there is no such thing as a typical day, then please tell us about your primary responsibilities and duties.)
While there is no typical day, my primary responsibilities are:
- to monitor and maintain our Natural Resources Inventory Database (NRID) with our database coordinator.
- to help park staff inventory and monitor the species found in their respective parks.
- to coordinate permitting and research in the parks.
- to survey new land acquisitions for rare and uncommon species.
- to work with other biologists in the state to address biological concerns.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
My position is a 40-hour per week position, but there are often more duties than a week will allow.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I love being in pristine environments, learning new species, becoming more familiar with the environment around me. I also love working with great biological minds to better understand what organisms live in and around our state parks. But most of all, I enjoy the challenge I receive every day when I walk out the door.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
No two days are ever the same. One day I can be surveying for hellbenders in the New River, the next I may be trudging through a swamp near the coast, looking for bats or snakes. Because of this, it becomes extremely difficult to really know each and every one of our park units.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
A degree in biology, zoology, wildlife sciences, or botany would be most helpful for this position. As far as training, any organismal studies (such as Herpetology, Entomology, Botany, etc.) with field experience is a must.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
I really wish I knew more about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) before starting this position. We use GIS quite a bit to
build maps, look at habitats, and to map rare and uncommon species. Also, I would have loved more experience with mussels. They govern a lot of our aquatic decisions.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
I have really enjoyed working on Hellbenders and Common Mudpuppies in the New River, as well as my initial surveys of four new properties. They run the gamut topographically, from the sandhills, to low pocosins and savannahs, all the way to low mountains.
If someone were interested in working as a [position], what advice could you give them?
Don’t limit yourself in your expertise. Keep your mind and options open to new things. When I first started, my goal was to learn 50 new species by the end of the year. To date, that number is about 1500. It’s a tremendous responsibility, but optimism and enthusiasm are the keys.
Any further thoughts?
Remember that dream jobs are out there. If you’re patient, and look hard enough, you’ll find yours.
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