How do you become a nature reserve officer?

Jenny MacKay is Reserves Officer for The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The Trust manages 128 nature reserves (covering 2,400 hectares of land) for the benefit of people and wildlife in the UK. It also works to make these wildlife havens bigger, better and more joined-up – vital to help wildlife to adapt to a

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‘Giving back to Nature’: A conversation with Helen Neave, co-founder of ‘Make it Wild’

The majority of environmental news is dominated by depressing, defeatist narratives that describe the decline of nature in every corner of the planet, with humans commonly blamed for this destruction. Helen and Christopher Neave challenge this, as 14 years ago, distressed by the environmental situation, they decided to take action. Although now ‘Make it Wild’

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Nature through the lens: An interview with award-winning wildlife photographer Lara Jackson

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” – Anne-Marie Bonneau. Conservationist, zoologist and award-winning wildlife photographer Lara Jackson is an inspirational female patron, who is passionate about using her unique skills in photography to tell stories about critically endangered species. Throughout her global

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Landing your dream job: A success story from The Nature Conservancy’s Eddie Game

An introduction to conservation Eddie Game was working for Australia’s fisheries department in the sub-Antarctic when he realized that he wanted to become a conservation scientist. Unlike many others who are drawn to the field after having experienced some form of environmental destruction, he was drawn to conservation after observing the success of protected areas.

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International Nature Volunteers – Volunteering that Won’t Cost the Earth

Olivia Congdon speaks with Toby Malcolm about the International Nature Volunteers. The eternal struggle that accompanies being a conservation volunteer is the financial burden. How frustrating is it when you find that amazing international volunteer project, but then realise that the project fee, on top of travel costs and life expenses, just won’t be feasible? As

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Communicating conservation – Double life or delicate dance?

Scientific writing requires details, data and absolutely no emotion, fostering credibility within journals. This approach ensures a rigorous foundation but often lacks the inspirational quality needed to engage a broader audience in conservation efforts. This is where Amber Hopgood bridges the gap between fact-based conservation and the need for greater understanding and support from the

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Working together to fight species extinction | An interview with Asian Species Action Partnership

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

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“Allow yourself to be surprised and you will find beauty in the simplicity – be grateful and share” – Advice from the clouds

“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

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Changing the world through digital technology and communications | A conservation leader’s career switch

Campaigning, communications and engagement are key tools in conservation work today, and they almost always rely on digital technology! Emma Marsh is the Executive Director of Digital Technology and Communications at RSPB, where she oversees the charity’s global digital technology, communications, campaigning, and engagement work. Emma shared her experience of switching careers into conservation as

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Conservation Careers | Highlights from 2021

In 2021, Conservation Careers celebrated its eighth year helping conservationists achieve career success. We’re proud to say that we supported nearly 700,000 conservationists this year on their path to helping wildlife thrive. 2021 has been quite a ride, but we’ve seen lots of momentum building. Many aspiring conservationists, career switchers and professional conservationists have used

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Habitat Creation with Robbie Hawkins

Do you like the sound of creating new habitats, leaving a positive legacy of nature behind you? That is soon to be the reality of working as an ecological consultant, as the upcoming Environment Bill will make it a legal requirement for new construction developments to have a positive impact – a ‘net gain’ –

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Bringing an end to illegal wildlife trade in the Horn of Africa: An interview with Greta Francesca Iori

Greta Francesca lori is the Director of Program Development for the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation and advises various African governments, International Organisations and NGOs on issues of wildlife crime and conservation. We discussed the importance of trusting your gut instinct and championing small wins. Could you explain what your role is now? I would say

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