Wildlife conservation is all about protecting and celebrating biodiversity. But, when we look at the industry’s workforce, we see a heart-breaking diversity deficit. Making work in the conservation sector accessible and equitable for all will require equally diverse solutions, and improving representation is a key step. “Nature is all about spectrums and understanding differences”. I
Have you ever picked up a can of fish in the supermarket and wondered what the MSC certified symbol actually means for the tuna in the can? Most of us know it means the fish is from sustainable stocks. But how is this judged and verified and how did the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) manage
Misty MacDuffee is a biologist and program director with the Wild Salmon Program of British Columbia, Canada’s Raincoast Conservation Foundation. She focuses on fisheries ecology in salmon ecosystems; for the past 15 years she has led diverse studies examining the salmon of the BC coast, including field, lab, technical, and conservation evaluation. With the knowledge
After a long and successful career in arts design, Manon Fontaine changed the brushes and the puppets to binoculars and animals’ tags. Keep reading if you want to know why and how an artist in her 40s managed to turned into an international all-round wildlife conservationist. Who is Manon Fontaine? I am a very curious,
Have you ever found yourself reading through job applications and feeling disheartened after seeing requirements such as these? “Physically fit for the demands of this role” “A suitable level of physical fitness for assisting with the capture and restraint of animals as well as manoeuvring tools (including wheelbarrows)” “The role is physically demanding and our
Steve is the Species Conservation Assessment Officer in the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The post is based in the Geographical Information systems (GIS) Unit, which is part of the Biodiversity Informatics and Economic Botany department. Also known as Kew Gardens, the non-departmental public body is more than just a pleasure garden; it
David is chairman and founding owner of The Environment Bank Ltd which he set up in 2006 to introduce the concept of compensation, via biodiversity offsetting, habitat banking and net gain, into the UK because of his concerns at the way biodiversity was treated within the planning and development sector. In this interview for Ecology Jobs
In this interview, we speak to Vishal Ahuja, teacher turned conservationist, who has dedicated himself to protecting the sacred langurs of Chamba, a now endangered Leaf Monkey. By studying their behaviour, engaging local communities and farmers, and restoring their natural habitats, he tells us his story and why he is so passionate about conservation. When
Known for their ability to mimic humans, the Philippine cockatoo can talk, sing, and even dance, making these intelligent and beautiful parrots a much sought-after pet. However, poaching, together with habitat loss, are driving the species to the brink of extinction. With a once-thriving population over the Philippine archipelago, their numbers have dropped by a
“I don’t do pilates, I don’t do nails, I don’t do coffee with friends. All I do is my conservation group and my conservation work”. Despite studying a Bachelor of Science (Applied Sciences) and working as a physiotherapist specialising in paediatrics for many years, Lisa Harrold never lost sight of her true passion for conservation.
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
Conservation Careers Blogger Naïma Montacer speaks with Matt Wagner, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Division at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about his fascinating career… I sat in a small room overlooking the coast of Texas, listening to Matt Wagner speak about what’s new in wildlife conservation around the state. I was intrigued by Wagner’s enthusiasm, not
Welcome to this special extended edition of the podcast. Today we’re turning the tables slightly and talking about, well us; Conservation Careers. We thought it would be a good end to the year and to the decade to look back at the journey of Conservation Careers over the past six years and also to look forwards to
Do you yearn for adventure? Do you enjoy discovering hidden corners of the globe and enjoy spending time immersed in nature? Then you will love the British Exploring Society. It is an amazing organisation that takes young people to extraordinary destinations, both in terms of the places they visit and also in their own lives.
Butterfly Conservation Survey Officer Zoë Randle talks to Conservation Careers Blogger Charlotte Rixon about why moths and butterflies matter, meeting Sir David Attenborough and dispelling those jumper-munching myths. How did you get into conservation? I got into conservation by lucky accident. I’d never wanted to go to university, because as far as I was concerned
What’s it like working in conservation fundraising? Nick Askew is the Fundraising and Communications Manager for BirdLife Pacific – a flourishing network of seven national conservation organisations based in Fiji, Palau, New Zealand, Australia, Cook Islands, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. They are supported by the BirdLife Pacific Secretariat which manages regional projects and assists in
Sometimes Eve can’t quite believe where she has ended up in life. She’s the director of the Laos Conservation Trust for Wildlife set deep in the heart of rural Laos and she’s not even 30 years old. I’ve known her for years and will sometimes catch up with her online. Our conversation will go something like
When you’re working alone in the bush the last thing you want to see is the outside toilet door opening, but for Department of Conservation ranger Ricki Mitchell, this was an intrusion of the avian variety. The kakapo. New Zealand’s critically endangered flightless parrot, and a welcome relief for her to say the least! After
Mauritian conservationist and Fulbright Scholar Véronique Couttee talks about the challenges faced by local staff in conservation, her six-year scholarship journey and her blog – The Conservationist Island Girl. How did you begin your conservation career? “I always liked nature but growing up I didn’t know that could even be a career. I ended up
“Local people should be at the forefront of the solutions to the challenges facing their wildlife. Sometimes, change can only come when the people most affected and impacted take charge. Local communities play an important role in fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade, which are major threats affecting lions and other wildlife.” – Moreangels Mbizah Moreangles Mbizah
Anne-Gaëlle Carré works as the Assistant Coordinator on the pink pigeon project with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. The species she works with, and many others that the foundation supports, is dependent upon intensive conservation efforts for its survival. To put it bluntly, without constant input from Anne-Gaëlle and her team, the pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) would likely become extinct. In
Jon Paul Rodríguez is an award-winning Venezuelan conservationist who wears many hats. As Co-Founder of local NGO Provita, he spearheaded work to nearly triple the number of Endangered Yellow-Shouldered Parrots in the wild, winning the Whitley Gold Award in 2019 in the process. More recently, he was elected as the first non-European and non-North American Chair of
How would you like to help save species on the brink? Meet Rikki Gumbs, a postdoctoral research scientist the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)’s Edge of Existence programme. EDGE seeks to identify and conserve evolutionarily unique species on the verge of extinction, from pygmy hippos to pangolins, plus many evolutionary underdogs you’ve probably never heard
Wildlife ACT is an award-winning wildlife conservation organisation running Critically Endangered and priority species conservation projects in South Africa. They provide wildlife monitoring services and state-of-the-art animal tracking and anti-poaching equipment at no charge to several reserves across KwaZulu-Natal, working closely with many other global conservation organisations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Endangered
It may seem strange that an animal only discovered by science in the late 1990s is now listed as Critically Endangered. But this is the case for the Large-antlered Muntjac, a rare deer species only found in the dense rainforests of the Annamite mountains of Vietnam and Laos. Bizarrely, the species was only discovered when
This blog has been adapted from the original version published on the MareCet Medium page (Flukes for Thought). When it comes to jobs relating to wildlife and the environment, conservation always seems to be the “it” thing to do. Conservation Careers names marine conservation to be the most ‘in demand’ job type to be listed on their site,
For anyone who thinks that they can’t make a difference in the world, Dr. Andrew Weaver will convince you otherwise. As a lead author on four Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, a professor at the University of Victoria for 20 years and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, Canada, just
Dr. Jane Hill is a professor and deputy head of the Biology Department at the University of York. Her eagerness and enthusiasm to protect ecosystems led her to explore the impacts of habitat fragmentation and climate change on temperate and tropical insect biodiversity. Research in Hill’s lab does not stop there; she also works on
Emmanuel G. Smith’s role as Project Coordinator working for the Society for Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL) has been key in promoting alternative livelihood programmes such as beekeeping and sustainable cocoa farming to support local communities and protect the Gola forest of Liberia. His work has been central in helping with the establishment of a community forest, which will function as an important biodiversity corridor, linking
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
