National Park Service seeking volunteers to pick up coyotes' excrement

LOS ANGELES, May 4 (UPI) -- The National Park Service in Los Angeles is seeking a group of volunteers that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

The service posted an online listing seeking between 10 and 30 volunteers to participate in "A Urban Coyote Project: Citizen Science Coyote Scat Survey" a project that involves studying local coyotes and examining their "scat" otherwise known as poop.

According to the listing, no prior experience is required and the position is open to anyone over the age of 16.

"We hear plenty of anecdotal evidence about what coyotes eat, but it's actually never been studied in L.A. before," biologist Justin Brown told the L.A. Times. "This study should yield basic ecology information about the urban coyote, which we hope will assist residents and policymakers in making informed decisions on coyote management."

Volunteers will work one to three full days a month for a six-month minimum dissecting scat, once it has been dried and sterilized.

Groups and families are welcome to apply by the May 15 deadline and training is set to begin on June 4.