Sophie Lewis is the Responsible Whale Watching Project Manager at the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA). The WCA is a global coalition of organisations dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises across the world. Here, Sophie discusses her career path and gives advice on how she ended up working for this wonderful organisation. Why
As we walk through life we sometimes don’t know where our current path will take us. Will it be meaningful, and what steps could we take? Seeking out and talking to people who have walked far ahead of us in a line of work that we are interested in could help shape the next steps
Founder of the World Land Trust, a charity which has been running for nearly 30 years; more than a decade as Chief Executive of Fauna & Flora International; and an experienced natural history writer and editor, John has spent his whole life immersed in the natural world and conservation. I spoke to him about his
Conservation Careers Blogger Sarah Blake shares her opinions, experiences and frustrations of hunting for a conservation job, to encourage you not to give up! We are all on the hunt for that secret sliver of information that we think must be out there. That magical and mythical key that should unlock the door to the conservation
Today is International Women’s Day (2018) and we felt it timely to celebrate the increasingly important role played by women in the conservation sector. Over the past five years we’ve spoken to over 100 professional female conservationists from recent graduates right up to the top of some of the biggest conservation organisations on the planet.
Growing up as a young boy in South Africa, aspiring to be a game ranger, Robin Cook is now contributing to a cause that is bigger than he ever imagined. Working with the most charismatic animals of the world such as elephants, is a dream come true for many conservationists and for Robin it all
Lexie Beach is the Communication Coordinator with Sea Turtle Conservancy, the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. For nearly 60 years, Sea Turtle Conservancy has worked to protect and conserve sea turtles and their habitats from extinction through research, education, and advocacy. Conservation Careers chats with Lexie about her role with Sea Turtle
Biodiversity Ranger Cassie Mealey talks about her work with some of New Zealand’s rarest kiwis. The Haast tokoeka is one of the rarest species of kiwi occurring in the Haast ranges of southern New Zealand. Here, on behalf of the governmental Department of Conservation, Cassie battles steep mountains, temperamental weather conditions and a dodgy
Oh My! Advice from Panthera’s Dr Wai-Ming Wong on producing a strong grant application. If you love your cats big (and small) then you’ll likely have heard of Panthera, an organization dedicated to the conservation of wild cats of the world. Panthera aims to secure a future for these majestic animals through scientific research and
This week Rachel Louise Gunn talks to Dr Dan Exton from Operation Wallacea (Opwall). Dan is currently Head of Research at Opwall and has worked in the marine conservation field for the past 15 years. Opwall is a network of academics who design and implement both biodiversity and conservation management research expeditions around the world. Rachel went
As we march into 2018, news from the conservation front-line is bleak. The earth is teetering towards its sixth mass global extinction – this time, as a direct result of human interference. Meanwhile, wildlife is the fourth most profitable trafficking crime after humans, weapons and drugs. And, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
In theory, the cut and thrust of the corporate world is a far cry from the ideal of the conservation industry. But, conservation is a business, and the skills that make a multi-national corporate thrive, can be utilised to boost conservation projects, too. Prior to 2014, Stuart Isham Fairbairns, the Kruger Business Manager for African
There was a point after I had graduated when I was still searching for work that the thought genuinely crossed my mind – what if I actually never get a job? While now, that thought definitely seems over dramatic the process of job hunting, the sting of rejection and the disappointment of missing out on
The fear bomb – Terror is the only way to describe what I felt the first time I had to stand up in a dusty, old, dim lecture theatre in front of my university classmates and give a 10 minute talk about my research project. A moment before I was feeling confident in what I
Parrots are exquisite creatures. It is hard not to be endlessly fascinated by their forms, colors and behaviors – parrots, along with crows, are some of the most intelligent birds. When I was a little girl I desperately wanted to have an African Grey so I could teach it to talk. That was before I
Conservation Careers is one of the fastest growing websites dedicated to helping people protect wildlife. We’re lighting up the job market by providing careers advice and information to a network of over 40,000 conservationists in 180 countries across the globe. We’re looking for five people who share our commitment to helping conservationists along their career
Amelie Knapp is a Policy Officer at European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Here she tells us what it’s like to work on fisheries policy within the European Union, and she shares her career secrets. What work do you do? I work to ensure that EU Member States collect scientific data on their fisheries.
Lucy McRobert is a talented conservation communicator, and ex-Creative Director of a network of young people in the UK looking to start their professional careers in conservation. Here she tells conservation careers her story so far, and provides advice which others can follow… Why do you work in conservation? Most people say that they loved
James Borrell is a writer, speaker and scientist, with a passion for fieldwork and expeditions. He is currently based in London, whilst studying rare species in the Scottish Highlands and promoting conservation. Read his fabulous advice on how to get a job in conservation. **Check out our Ultimate Guide for Conservation Job Seekers here ->
Conservation Careers has teamed up with an awesome team of people across the world who are passionate experts in their chosen field and will make your experience a truly unforgettable one (in a good way). Their award-winning projects receive over 2,000 participants every year, and we’re proud to say that the vast majority of them describe
A fascinating, freely available new film follows a dedicated team of local and international researchers as they study dwindling rainforest fragments in remote northern Madagascar. It showcases the team’s struggles against the elements in their efforts to gather data on habitat fragmentation and its impacts on reptiles and amphibians in one of the world’s hottest
Five years ago, conservation journalist Jeremy Hance found himself on a research project in the Dominican Republic. He was deep inside a forest and night had fallen. In his hand was a bag which contained a solenodon – a venomous shrew-like mammal, which had been caught to be collared for a research study. Typically, this
Dr Paul Stewart, the cameraman behind Planet Earth II’s BAFTA winning snake-iguana sequence, takes a break from filming his latest project in the Peruvian Amazon to share advice and stories from a thirty-year career in wildlife filmmaking. “I like Cinematographer because it sounds way more impressive” Paul jokes as we sit down at our slightly
Judith Lock is a teaching fellow at the University of Southampton. She specialises in the areas of ecology, evolution and animal behaviour. Her role also involves improving links with local organisations to promote opportunities to enhance student employ-ability within conservation careers and beyond. Why do you work in Ecology and Conservation? I grew in Somerset
WWF have 58 offices around the globe and around 6,203 staff. Mary Ellen Swenson is a Human Resources Coordinator at WWF and is based at the headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. Her role involves a lot of work in social media, promoting vacancies, shortlisting and doing interviewing. In an interview with Conservation Careers she describes what
Leila Fouda is a marine mammal conservation scientist. She is lucky enough to be able to travel to far flung and beautiful places studying whales, dolphins and other marine mammals for her job. She tells us what it’s like to work as a marine biologist, and provides advice for people looking to work in the
It was only supposed to be a month-long vacation but, for Wild Tomorrow Fund Founder and Executive Director, John Steward, a volunteer placement with Wildlife ACT in South Africa resulted in a complete re-evaluation and life overhaul. After witnessing the plight of African wildlife due to dwindling habitat and illegal poaching, Steward walked away from
Give your conservation career a huge boost with a special four day course designed to increase your chances of employment within the competitive conservation sector. Stand out from the crowd and get certified in Project Management for Wildlife Conservation (Foundation and Intermediate theory, and Trackers and Reports) from the experts at WildTeam UK. In addition, get your
The human population is growing at an alarming rate – in April this year there was an estimated 7.5 billion people living on the planet, placing a substantial burden on the earth’s resources as they compete for land and food. As such, over population is having an increasingly detrimental impact on habitat and wildlife numbers
Filling a gap Positive Change for Marine Life is a marine conservation organization based in Byron Bay and Brisbane, Australia. Their slogan ‘paving the path to change through understanding, education, and respect’ comes from their desire to work with communities and create viable economic alternatives to inhumane and unsustainable marine industries. Their campaigns cover a
