Do you remember the first time your passion for the environment felt nurtured? Was it after an education workshop or outdoor experience with an educator? Did you make a change of habit after it? If you do, chances are those educators are thrilled the same way Yolanda Sánchez is, every time she finishes an activity!
You may notice the landscape of conservation is evolving, becoming increasingly diverse each day, with a growing number of people expressing their interest in getting involved. Numerous opportunities are available, indicating a positive outlook for the future of ocean health. However, amid this positivity, a challenging reality remains – the task of enhancing ocean literacy
What role do schoolchildren play in conservation efforts? Why target them specifically, and how do you successfully establish and grow a conservation enterprise from scratch – now empowering over 13,000 young people to help tackle climate change and wildlife conservation. That’s what today’s inspiring guest – Laura Dempsey – has achieved with Volunteers for Future.
There is no doubt sea turtles are one of the most marvellous but most endangered animals in our oceans. A study in Uruguay showed that 70% of green turtles had marine debris in at least one section of their digestive tract 1 – which is shocking. However, what if you can educate children, teenagers and
When I embarked on my journey into conservation, Che’s bright, beautiful, and catchy posts on Instagram immediately caught my eye. His content spoke to me in a way that is fun, relatable and oh so powerful. His engaging content is exactly how people like to connect with nature; a light read, a funny quip to
Kirsty Shakespeare is the head of the Traidhos Barge Program in Bangkok, Thailand which aims to educate and connect people with their environment and raise awareness of environmental issues. In this interview Kirsty talks about what her role entails, how she got to where she is and her advice for others. Can you start by
Conservation Careers Blogger Naima Montacer was excited to speak to her friend and former boss Rick LoBello about his past. Rick LoBello is Education Curator at the El Paso Zoo. He has also worked in several National Parks including Big Bend, Yellowstone, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns and now is the current Education Curator at the
How can the Field Studies Council help your conservation career? Mel Cousins from the Field Studies Council talks to Conservation Careers about the Field Studies Council, and how they can help you along your chosen career path. What is the Field Studies Council? We’re an environmental education charity, offering opportunities for people of all ages
An island Nature Reserve where environmental conservation and industrial resource extraction go hand-in-hand? This may be hard to imagine but such a place does exist, and this is where Adam McVeigh calls home for two weeks, every month. As a Senior Environmental Scientist for Stantec consultancy in Australia, Adam works on a particularly unique island,
“I would love to see more wildlife influencers, and for them to be as popular and cool as fashion/lifestyle influencers” As of January 2024, around 62.3% of the world’s population are social media users. Communications have always been crucial for spreading conservation messages across the globe, but it seems that now, more than ever before,
Have you ever felt like escaping the rat race and travelling the world? Seeking impact, adventure and new experiences? Perhaps volunteering for nature conservation organisations, and setting yourself for a career change or education when you return? But with the world as your playground … where do you start? How do you plan such a
Picture a wild savanna, teeming with life. Millions of insects hum in the dense undergrowth, birds flock in the skies, and elusive mammals can be glimpsed through the tall grasses. You might be picturing lions and giraffes, but this is not Africa. It’s the Cerrado savanna in central Brazil, and it’s in critical danger. Brazil’s
Have you ever looked back on your life and wondered how you ended up where you are now? You too? Join Charlotte Daniels, then! Charlotte is a Primatologist based in Nairobi, Kenya. She currently works as a United Nations Volunteer for the UN Environment Programme, working on the Vanishing Treasures project and supporting the Secretariat
Tucked away in a remote corner of southwestern Uganda lies a hidden gem, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional biodiversity, it is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. A forest oasis in the midst of one of Uganda’s poorest and most densely
How do you raise nearly $169,000,000 per year to protect and conserve America’s 420+ National Park Sites? Sites important for recreation, education, and the conservation of endangered landscapes, natural communities and species. We discuss this, amongst many other things, with Lise Aangeenbrug. Lise is the Chief Program Officer at America’s National Park Foundation, the official
There are many threatened species in the world, but Southeast Asia’s Critically Endangered species are particularly vulnerable to extinction. With limited conservation attention on these species in the region, the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) was formed to end species extinctions of birds, amphibians, mammals, freshwater fish, and reptiles. ASAP is a partnership
After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2005, Canadian Aram Kazandjian took the expected route into the corporate sector. Fast forward 12 years and he was living in a national park in Sierra Leone as Manager of Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Aram shares his route into conservation and discusses how typical ‘business’ skills are
Dr Caitlin Eschmann is Executive Director of Conservation Allies, a small non-profit organisation based in America that offers a true and unique partnership for local conservationists who are unable to easily tap into the donor world. Conservation Allies works with vetted partners in Madagascar and Latin America to support their critical work of conserving endangered species and
Conservation organizations are a big puzzle. Every piece, whether it is a department, board of directors, staff, or volunteer, has a role to play in the big picture. But, as a young staff member, what is the best way to discover new roles within your organisation? For Gui Proença, Associate Director of Development at Loggerhead
In his final year as a university undergraduate, Kumar Paudel founded the non-profit organisation Greenhood Nepal. It created a platform for young people like himself who lacked experience but wanted to contribute to the conservation field. Kumar shares how since its foundation in 2012 Greenhood Nepal and its team have ‘grown up’ together to become
“Ultimately environmental protection is about the protection of human rights – you can’t separate the two.” Tatenda Muponde is an environmental lawyer at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), a non-profit organisation and law clinic based in Cape Town, South Africa. She is part of a team of activist lawyers who defend the rights of
“To work with nature, we need to understand the systems that are in play. The key to success is systems thinking. Taking all parts of the equation into consideration, and looking at how project’s goals fit into and can work with those systems, not fighting against them”. Joshua Muñoz Jiménez is a specialist in regenerative
Nadia Sherif is an early career conservationist from Alexandria, Egypt, working for Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) as a Conservation Officer. Having always been passionate about the wildlife that surrounded her in Egypt, Nadia knew from a young age she wanted to forge herself a career in conservation, an unheard of career option in Egypt at
“I love the water, a little bit of wind and clouds, so, it’s a good place for me to stay”, says Greilin Fallas Rodriguez, a proud Costa Rican biologist working in the mysterious Cloudbridge Reserve. She excitedly shares that she has found her slice of paradise, having grown up in the beautiful countryside of San
“I think everyone’s conservation career paths are very different.” Ross de Bruin works in large carnivore conservation as a Field Researcher for Panthera, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the world’s 40 species of wild cats. Prior to this, he worked for the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), a South African based leader in African leopard
The Bénoué ecosystem in northern Cameroon is the hotspot for lions in West and Central Africa. However in this area, which includes three national parks – Faro, Bénoué and Bouba-Ndjidda – and 32 hunting zones, only 250 lions remain across the vast 30,000 km² landscape. The region has faced severe threats from habitat loss and
In the world of primate research, few scientists get the opportunity to research both Chimps and Bonobos (our least studied close relative) in the wild. Here researchers Miguel Adán Pascual and Daiane Galdino talk about their incredible field experiences in the African forests. They also discuss finding fieldwork opportunities together as a couple, as well
If you needed a campaigner, Frances Goodrum is exactly the kind of person you would want on your side. Personable, articulate and accomplished, she would, without a doubt, get the job done and get it done right. So, as conservationists, we’re lucky that early on she chose to pursue a different path to her training
Listening to activist Ofir Drori speak, it is impossible not to be energised by the strength of his passion and determination when discussing his work. Back in 2002 he founded West and Central Africa’s first anti-corruption and wildlife law enforcement NGO, and within seven months his dedicated team of volunteer activists had achieved the region’s
In the realm of nature conservation, few individuals possess the dedication and passion exhibited by Maggie Muurmans, a lecturer that teaches on the Master of Conservation Biology at the University of Queensland, Australia. Aside from teaching and pursuing a PhD in community engagement, Maggie is also the co-founder of the NGO Ocean Connect based on
