Teresa Franco

GS-5

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Lance Koch, (509)653-1439

• Co-led in collection, processing, analysis, maintenance, and mapping of biological data.
• Identified biological and physical features of multiple endangered species to perform population counts. Created, digitized, and filed formal written reports regarding field observations.
• Northern Spotted Owl Surveys: have experience using Passive Autonomous Recording Units specifically for Northern Spotted Owl surveys (Strix occidentalis caurina). Successfully deployed and retrieved all acoustic units utilized during the field season to meet Northern Spotted Owl USFWS protocols.
• Due to a decrease in population size, a survey and monitoring method is used to predefined range-wide hexagons to determine activity center, nest location, and Spotted Owl presence.
• Survey habitat and area were first determined in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest before deploying ARU units for Northern Spotted Owl observations. Each area within the whole survey area was organized by hexagon numbers and station letters. When deploying an ARU specific acoustics within the ARU were made before official deployment. Most were based off of settings, locations, schedule, SD formatting, and recording the initial deployment for SD identification when transferring data in the office. ARU tree attachment where minimal disturbance would occur on the microphone was determined by checking surroundings. If adjustments were needed tree branches were cut to prevent noise disruption to the mic.
• Each hexagon contained about four stations in average, four were either deployed or retrieved.
• Experienced in using field maps and Avenza maps to track and locate points.
• When ARUs were being deployed most of the time hiked off-trail terrain in dense forests with steep and flat areas. As well as ARU retrieval, which consisted of going to the point using field maps or Avenza maps to locate the ARU and determining what route to take by looking at elevation, and mapped trails.
• Butterfly Surveys: Conducted Mardon Skipper surveys in about six meadows most were observed in the white pass area known as 1070 Meadow 2, Minnie Meadows, Conrad Finger 2, Conrad 6, Conrad Finger 1, and Conrad Donut.
• The purpose of conducting the Mardon Skipper (Polites mardon) surveys is to determine presence and for a five-year study.
• Each survey contained site conditions, modified peak count, survey notes, site descriptions, and observations.
• Mardon surveys used a capture-and-release method to identify each species of butterfly up close.
• Species of butterflies that were identified were: Greenish blue (Icaricia saepiolus), field crescent (Phyciodes pulchella), Sara's orangetip (Anthocharis sara), Zerene fritillaries (Speyeria zerene), great artic (Oeneis nevadensis), checkered skipper, Mardon skipper (Polites mardon), woodland skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides), Sonoran skipper (Polites sonora), western branded skipper (Hesperia colorado), and echo azure (Celastrina echo).
• Bat Surveys: Due to the detection of White-nose syndrome in March 2016 bat monitoring in various caves or dwellings is conducted to evaluate the impact of WNS and to monitor the overall health of bat populations in Washington.
• Surveys were conducted 30 minutes before sunset positioned at each exit bats were counted when going in and out of the exit.
• Species in Washington identified in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), hoary bat ( Lasiurus cinereus), canyon bat (Parastrellus hesperus), pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), spotted bat (Euderma maculatum), and Myotis species.
• Bat colony emergence counts data form included survey method, sunset time, the temperature at sunset, wind conditions, precipitation, location, roost structure, species within the roost, the method used to identify species, internal count, and emergence count.
• Bumble Bee Surveys: Received training to conduct bumble bee surveys specifically for the Washington Region. The training consisted of properly catching the bees and to incubate them without harm. A mini training to identify each bee was also demonstrated by using a chart.
• Inventory checks and organization of wildlife cages. Cleaned and restocked ARUs in proper areas for 2025 deployments. As well as cleaned locks and formatted SD cards for maintenance and preparation for 2025 deployments.
• Effectively hiked and reassessed proposed routes to determine better route to get to points. Under stressful situations to solve specific problems was able to problem solve out in the field with limited direction. Specific steps were taken to fully analyze what should be done for each specific situation.
• Performed monthly vehicle checks by inspecting them and tallying any necessary mileage totals.
• Received training and performed Natural Resource Management (NRM) duties. Entered, edited,and managed Spotted Owl field data from multiple sites that consisted of area, area code, surveyor, species, method, wind, cloud, precipitation, stations called, site type, site category, total visits, and time. Co-wrote reports concerning fiscal year accomplishments.
• Demonstrated a commitment and personal responsibility to strive for excellence in the accomplishments of work assignments that aligned with and ultimately contributed to the achievement of the agency's mission and goals.
• Assisted in planning field season for a variety of TES species to determine numbers, environmental conditions, determined requirements for surveys and evaluated data to make recommendations to biologist. Surveys included northern spotted owl broadcast calling, ARU surveys, white headed woodpecker, and peregrine falcon surveys.
• Used GIS to analyze spatial data and digital imagery to determine and interpret land use, vegetation distribution and habitat type for use in ARU placement determination.
• Data management – Entered, retrieved, and manipulated data to develop an end of season summary for wildlife biologist on all surveys conducted and reviewed all survey data for accuracy and completeness.
• Processed 2024 season acoustical data using CNET and Kaleidoscope Pro.
• Ensured work assignments are achieved in a timely manner and by using all available resources to accomplish the organizational mission.
• Adhered to all safety protocols outlined in the 2024 risk assessment for wildlife field surveys and reported any hazards or accidents promptly.
• Used GIS to analyze spatial data and digital imagery to determine and interpret land use, vegetation distribution, and habitat type for use in ARU placement determination.

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Tyler Yeomans (707) 696-7755

• Worked with crew and Cal State Parks (CASP) Monterey District Staff at Andrew Molera SP on the East Molera and Trail Camp Trails brushing and tread repair. Also, worked at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on the Oak Grove Pine Ridge and Buzzards Roost Trail doing brushing and tread repair work on those trails.
• Assisted Cal State Parks (CASP) Monterey District Staff at Point Lobos Natural State Reserve along the Granite Point. Worked with crew with repair and maintenance of the Granite Point ADA trail in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Helped with trail repairs intended to focus on reduce erosion and loss of surfacing material. Work activities included loading, transport, unloading, surface scarification, spreading, compaction, of DG surface material, as well as using powered toters, wheelbarrows, hand and vibraplate compactors on the trail.
• Tools used for trail maintenance and construction, brushing, and treading: Loppers, Hand Saws, Hedgers, pic-matic, pulaski, shovel, Mcleod.
• Worked with Cal State Parks (CASP) Monterey District Staff at Point Lobos Natural State Reserve along the South Shore Trail doing storm clean up. As well as Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to work on brushing work and ADA+DG maintenance on the Nature Trail.

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Fumika Takahashi (209)597-5545

• Completed data entry for waterfowl surveys conducted on San Luis, Merced, and San Joaquin River Refuges from 2018-2023. Waterfowl surveys involved identifying shorebirds, geese, and ducks.
• List of waterfowl surveyed: snow goose (Anser caerulescens), Ross’ goose (Anser rossi), WF Goose (Anser albifrons), Aleutian Goose (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia), Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), gadwall (Mareca strepera), green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis), American wigeon (Mareca americana), northern pintail (Anas acuta), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera), ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), American coot (Fulica americana), Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis), pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), D-C cormorant (Nannopterum auritum), b-c night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), snowy egret (Egretta thula), great egret (Ardea alba), great blue heron (Ardea herodias), white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi), American avocet (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), dowitchers (Limnodromus), common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), dunlin (Calidris alpina), western sandpiper (Calidris mauri), least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), Gull spc. (Larinae), and Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia).
• Received training in Riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) trapping and handling including weighing, ear tagging, ear measurements, sexing and reproductive status, foot measurement, and vaccination. Checked and closed rabbit traps while disinfecting for RHDV2.
  
• Fixed, disinfected, and prepared broken traps for rabbit trapping and release.
• Performed monthly Sandhill crane survey sunset count multiple times at Merced NWR. These surveys mainly involved fly in counts.
• Counted white geese and swans for statewide surveys at San Joaquin NWR, Merced NWR, and San Luis NWR. I used proper protocols to distinguish and count all geese properly.
• Reviewed San Luis and San Joaquin River NWR CCP reports.
• Department of the Interior ATV and UTV certification course.
• Staffed the visitor center front desk by answering visitor questions and maintenance. Opened and closed San Luis Complex headquarters while logging visitor count, questions, and brochure count.
• Informed visitors of policies, services and historical points of interest of natural areas.
• Archived and arranged wildlife photo drive per refuge by identifying all species and grouping them by classification.
• Set up performance standards for Visitor Center Xercey's pollinator transects by maintaining and documenting monthly performance. Plants surveyed in each transect consisted of Yarrow, Western vervain, narrow-leaf milkweed, Alkali sacaton, Black sage, Buckwheat, Aster, California phacelia, and Goldenrod.
• Invasive species removal, landscaping, pruning plants black sage, and California Rose. Invasive species removal of milk thistle, common clovers, and weed control on San Luis NWR Complex.
• Used equipment and manually removed various invasive species. Such as pepper weed, milk thistle, star thistle, black mustard, and clovers. Equipment mainly used to prevent encroachment was a weed wacker, hedge trimmer, and other garden tools.
• Assisted the team with the capture, survey, and transportation of Tule elks. The enclosure is surveyed regularly to understand the population size at San Luis NWR. The purpose of taking vitals, temperature monitoring, and ear tagging before relocating a portion of the Tule Elk is to maintain the Elk enclosure lower than the carrying capacity for it to sustain the population size. Reducing the herd size lessens stress and maintains enough food to sustain the herd before the next translocation. It also helps to document the overall health of the Tule Elk enclosed before being moved to the designated release area with other herds of Tule Elk.
• Surveyed vernal pools at 2 main locations San Luis and Merced NWR areas. Most vernal pools contained tadpole fairy shrimp and other invertebrates. Species found in both vernal pools were mainly tadpole fairy shrimp; however, past data samplings found fairy shrimp, spadefoot toads, and California Tiger Salamanders. Data entered for vernal pool sampling was mainly the pool ID, average water depth, max water depth, water clarity, water temperature, and specimen found.
• RBR San Joaquin NWR flooding increased the need to relocate Riparian brush rabbits to increase survival rates. Data Entry of RBR Location, release, and location captured were documented. The purpose is to know where the RBR has been captured to keep tabs on the location to vaccinate, tag, and take measurements. Then release to areas suitable for the RBR to have a higher probability of survival due to current San Joaquin NWR flooding conditions and the ongoing threat of RHDV2.
• Maintained Biotech Riparian brush rabbit wildlife trail camera memory card and entered data by mound, date, and time. This was important to locate any rabbits not tagged yet to set up traps near these mounds for tagging and vaccinating.
• Organized 2014-2023 special use permits from Merced, and San Luis NWR complex. Special use permits are used to grant authorization and access to any property owned by the San Luis complex including the other wildlife areas to perform activities such as research. Special use permit documentation is important to maintain standards, guidelines, and authorization to the permittee that is being granted access to wildlife areas.
• Listed inventory from freezers: date observed, refuge unit, species, date collected, collector, and date. Species documented varied from bats, quails, beavers, buckwheat, and owls.
• Identified species randomly found in Biotech freezer: eggs, insects, passerines, waterfowl, and raptors.
• Surveyed wintering waterfowl twice every month. The monthly goose I surveyed were Ross’s goose, Aleutian Cackling Goose, Greater white-fronted goose, and Snow Goose. Data is used to estimating and understand population sizes monthly to yearly to compare data and provide this information to the public when needed. It’s important to document goose data to know where goose populations settle and then when they migrate.
  
• Entered mourning dove banding data to create the 2021 dove summary data report. The dove report is used to support USFWS North American Dove Management Plan. The summary section that I mainly worked on was the results by including the trapping, and banding success with a 2005-2021 graph, age, and sex ratio table, recapture information, 2021 dove site map, mourning dove daily trapping-banding totals, mortality, loss, incidental take, trap damage, and disturbance.
• Pesticide training for proper PPE, herbicide, and pesticide use.
• Created datasheets for plant performance, plant visitation, behavior, and total pollinators observed. As well as made a detailed pollinator observation protocol guide for San Luis NWR. The purpose of the observation is to understand species abundances over time, and plant associations to improve the management of the pollinator garden and plan for future plantings. The protocol guide includes conditions, datasheet information, plant keys, pollinator keys, and a pollinator chart guide.
• Performed Aleutian geese collar reading and Great Blue Heron Surveys. Aleutian geese are collared every few years to understand longevity, migration routes, and patterns. Great Blue Heron surveys focus on rookery nesting areas found around all managed refuges under the San Luis NWR Complex. Survey rookery data is entered to understand population sizes and migration nesting site patterns.
• Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines.
• Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Jennifer Hobbs (916)414-6541

• Sat in on meetings and planning sessions to better understand the scope of high to low-environmental impact projects involving California Tiger Salamander and Vernal pools. Meetings reviewed plans, potential impacts, and other implications during construction.
• Arranged data for multiple sites along rivers that included the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle protected under the ESA, associate plants, and Elderberry bush survivorship. Data varied from 2004 to 2018 to better consult for 5-10 year renewal plans and performance standards.
• Researched empirical data for Travis AFB California Tiger Salamander consultation by collecting and organizing information from various sources. These sources promote the best outcomes for species-specific consultations and analyze any favorable measures that will benefit the species.
• Entered Sacramento bank vegetation data for woody species survival, woody species vigor, native herbaceous cover, invasive species cover, and instream woody material by reviewing past monitoring reports.
• Attended informal consultations for Vernal Pools at Beale AFB regulated under Sikes Act. Assisted Biologist superior by visiting the site and by discussing impacts from construction projects on the base.
• Organized conservation measures for California Tiger Salamander, Delta Smelt, Yellow-billed cuckoo, Vernal pools, Fairy shrimp and tadpoles, and the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle.
• Survey experience from multiple National Wildlife Refuges: Delevan NWR, Antioch NWR, Pixely NWR, and Kern NWR. All involved endangered species from plants, reptiles, small mammals, and Lepidoptera.

1) Delevan NWR survey was for Palmate-bracted Birds Beak to understand population density at specific units. The survey conducted was at multiple units counting bunches per transect.

2) Antioch Dunes NWR survey targeted Lange's metalmark butterfly to understand behaviors and population. Survey entry included time, temperature, LMB behaviors, plants, and other butterflies identified. I'm relatively knowledgeable about identifying specific butterfly species that are common in California.

3) In Pixely NWR, the Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard survey included transect location, length, weight, identification of sex, and age. After training, handled BNLL appropriately. Throughout the survey, other lizards were also noted, such as horn and Side-blotched lizards. As well as a demonstration of Pixely NWR waterway control structure by taking a detour of each inline valve, well, alfalfa valve, gauge, and pipeline.

4) At Kern NWR, Kangaroo rat surveys, kit fox, and shrew camera installations occurred. The BOR restoration project survey for small mammal trappings included line ID, trap numbers, species, fate, weight, and reproduction measurements from multiple units. It involved handling small mammals from each trap and releasing without harm.

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Leticia Gonzalez (209)669-1249

• Worked season 2019 & 2020.
• List of duties were to regulate, certificate of soluble solids, material other than Grapes (MOG) and test defects from grape loads.
• Self managing, safety, and equipment procedures had to be followed to met state regulations.
• The task required the inspector to be comfortable working in extreme conditions: wet, humid, and hot.
• Tolerance towards insects, reptiles, and rodents while inspecting the grapes.
• As an inspector it was required to inform winery personals to properly follow the steps to prob each load correctly.
• Managing inventory, opener, closer at different winery locations.
• Data set up and documentation of daily inspection files submissions, inventory submissions, safety submissions, and state sanitation procedures.
• Filled out and submitted logs and paperwork on-time.
• Generated detailed reports outlining inspection and testing results.
• Developed and implemented inspection procedures, policies, best practices and competency requirements.
• Tested individual items and retrieved samples for further evaluation.
• Adhered to all applicable compliance regulations regarding processes and subject materials.

Hours per week: 40

Supervisor: Shannon McGuinness (310)669-5770

• Many task involved enforcing safety regulations among coworkers, stowing products for customers, unloading, floor support, safety layout organizer, morning shift setup, palletizing, and sorting.
• Used pallet jacks to move items to and from warehouse locations.
• Identified safety hazards and notified management to determine proper resolution of issues.