Have you ever considered a career helping businesses manage natural resources, conserve biodiversity, adapt to climate change or become more sustainable? Tracey Edwards is a Sustainability Coach and Entrepreneur from Jamaica and founder of Plakortis, an environmental sustainability coaching service for businesses across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. With over 15 years experience in the
Interviewing early career environmentalists there’s a common challenge in moving from being a student to a paid career. Gaining experience alongside your studies or immediately after, often as a volunteer, is core to almost all the life stories of people I talk to. Kat Machin managed to get her life changing experience as part of
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’
Increasingly, the private sector is taking a growing interest in their impact on wildlife, and this could lead to a much-needed step change in conservation efforts. But why do companies care about nature? How can they assess and minimise their impacts? And what sort of jobs are opening up for conservationists seeking to work in
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
Often, we see the blame for global warming or ecosystem destruction being placed onto large companies and corporations, governments or even entire countries. So, if they are the largest issue, who is addressing them to create fundamental change? Is it the activists who protest in the streets? Maybe. But Consultant Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data
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
Professor Jane Hill, OBE (Order of the British Empire), is a Professor of Ecology at the University of York in England. She is President and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a trustee of the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership and, formerly, a trustee of the British Ecological Society. Her research primarily
What role does ‘urban greening’ have in the world of conservation? This is one question that Angus Cunningham, horticulturalist and CEO of Scotscape, considers, as he shares his enthusiasm for this new and burgeoning industry. While Scotscape is amongst the market leaders in the UK, the phenomenon is worldwide. “Wherever you are in the world”
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
“If we want to conserve wildlife, maybe we need to eat it.” This is a surprising and provocative statement to my ears, but perfectly logical to Francis Vorhies, a Conservation Economist of more than three decades. Having worked in multiple countries, from private enterprises to NGOs and international agencies including the International Union for Conservation
“Some of the choices that you make are conscious and pre-planned. Very often, they’re by happenstance, and it’s taking advantage of those opportunities when they come through.” Paul Gosling is a specialist environment and sustainability recruiter with over 25 years of experience. He currently works as the National Director for Sustainability at Hays recruitment company,
Flavia Tirelli is a Brazilian research scientist and conservationist focused on mammalian carnivores especially small wildcats. After completing her Masters at Federal University of Rio Grande o Sul (UFRGS) and her PhD at the private university (PUCRS) in Brazil, Flavia continues to follow her passion by monitoring wildcats and addressing issues of human-wildlife conflict that
“I had a yellow rain jacket that was just white with guano, and I learnt pretty quickly that I had to close my mouth when looking up”. They do not teach you everything in school; sometimes the field turns into your school. Mathieu Charette, an ornithologist from Montreal, Canada, and director of the Toucan Ridge
Jetske Bouma is a Dutch environmental economist working for PBL, the Environmental Assessment Agency the Netherlands (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving). With over twenty years of experience in research and policy evaluation in this field, Jetske has worked internationally on important environmental economic projects from Costa Rica to India. As a teenager wanting to make a
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
“The future depends on what we do in the present”- Mahatma Gandhi There are many ways in which individuals can make a difference in turning the tide against the biodiversity and climate crisis, from becoming politically active to eating less meat and with the seasons, riding a bike to work or staying local for holidays
Xavi Reñé is a Barcelona-based illustrator with over ten years of experience. He illustrates in the field of wildlife conservation art, having worked for various commissioners from sanctuaries to foundations. Xavi currently works as a conservation illustrator and artist for Rewilding Europe, a non-profit foundation working on rewilding on the local, national, and continental level
“At first, I loved. Then I observed. Finally, I photographed” Some years ago, I was visiting an important photography contest in Milan, when my attention was caught by a photo on display showing a Marsican bear crossing a street in a small village inside Abruzzo National Park. It was a beautiful wildlife portrait but also
Mara Huang is a Master’s student in Animal and Rangeland Science at University of Nevada in Reno, United States. Her focus is on rangelands and currently she is carrying out research on Snowstorm Kochia, a non-native plant species in the Western US. Her field work positions as a technician and field crew lead in several
In recent years business leaders and board rooms across the globe have put sustainability and environmental towards the very top of their priorities. In response an industry is forming rapidly to service their needs, both in house or as consultants. With generalist and specialist roles evolving all the time to keep up with the growing
Isidoro Hazbun is a conservationist whose career focuses on preserving biodiversity, and empowering communities of the Amazon rainforest that have protected some of the wildest places on earth for centuries. Many people enter careers in conservation as they want to work with wildlife and are driven by their love for animals or natural habitats. These
What unique challenges do women in conservation face? How can women better manage ‘imposter syndrome’? Is perfectionism a form of self-sabotage? Can women have it ALL – career, personal and family life? Explore the barriers and opportunities for the women who’ve dedicated their careers to conserving ‘mother Earth’! Join us for Women in Conservation Part
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
Dr Fabiola Quesada is a veterinarian and wildlife conservationist based in South Africa. As the CEO of Wild Spirit and co-founder of Wild Spirit Fund, Fabiola used her veterinary background to pave the way for veterinarians interested in wildlife conservation. Read more to hear about Fabiola’s work with Masai tribes, her life as an entrepreneur
In the quest to safeguard our oceans, it’s vital that we understand marine life so that we know the best ways to protect it. Academics are crucial to this mission, providing the expertise and research that ultimately informs local, national and international policy. Prof. Steve Simpson, currently a professor at the University of Exeter, is
Read on to hear the journey of Sibylle Riedmiller, founder of Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP) – the world’s first privately managed marine protected area (MPA) fully funded by ecotourism. In her words, this is the “career of an activist”, and her journey is one which has been achieved through pure passion and relentless drive.
Understanding and safeguarding our oceans has never been more important. We now know Jacques Cousteau of marine legend was wrong to call our oceans “a silent world”. Thanks to the research of Prof. Steve Simpson, we’re realising just how vital sound is in the lives of marine creatures. Currently a professor at the University of
If you’re like me, you’ve been missing exploring new landscapes and cultures during the pandemic, and you’re itching to travel again. But have you ever struggled with how to travel ethically? Travel has come under the global spotlight recently – and for good reason. There is growing awareness about the negative impacts travel can have
Conservation Careers Blogger Beth Beale shares some positive impacts COVID-19 has had on the planet, and how we can keep supporting nature after the pandemic. 2020… What a year it has been! Despite concern over the uncertainty of what might happen to us all, the lockdowns caused by the Pandemic have actually been a welcome
