Megan Shersby is an aspiring naturalist and science communicator. She is based in Dorset, working as a Seasonal Assistant for Dorset Wildlife Trust at two of their centres and is passionate about inspiring others to explore the natural world, and can usually be found in nature reserve examining the local wildlife. Here she shares her fascinating career
Roz Evans is a wildlife science communicator and community events organiser, who recently featured in Exeter University’s 41 most inspirational women in science. She is also the brains behind the amazing new nature magazine BIOSPHERE, which reports on the latest discoveries from the fields of ecology, conservation, climate, behaviour, evolution and physiology. Conservation Careers chatted
When you hear the word ‘primatology,’ there’s a good chance you’re picturing either Jane Goodall nose-to-nose with a chimp, or Sir David Attenborough huddled amongst mountain gorillas in Rwanda. But beneath its romantic portrayal is a field so challenging, so diverse and so close to our own hearts (and DNA) that it couldn’t possibly be
Cusuco National Park in Honduras is one of the strangest places I have ever visited. A cloud forest habitat, there are large pines amidst broadleaf trees and huge tree ferns, that together with the often-present white mist made me feel like I was a Jurassic jungle. The forest is teeming with wildlife, and no group
I first met wildlife artist Martin Aveling at the beginning of 2015 when I was working in South Africa. Anyone with this much talent coupled with a commitment to mitigating the plight of endangered species, is someone you need to know about in the conservation world. Martin grew up in the savannah of Central and East
Katie Rooke holds a BSc in Zoology and Marine Biology from Aberdeen University and an MRes from Bristol University in Brown Hyaena translocation. She currently works in South Africa, running the Askari Wilderness Volunteer Programme. She is an ideal advocate for anyone trying to pursue a career in conservation within Southern Africa. Here she gives an
If you think dream jobs don’t exist, read no further. There are limitless reasons to set aside our true passions: the job market is too poor, competition is too fierce (surely no one can acquire that many degrees and that much experience by age 25?) and social pressure cautions us against idealistic pursuits. Safe decisions
With responsibility for conservation programmes and partnerships in Madagascar, Mozambique, the Comoros, Belize and Timor-Leste, Frances Humber, Conservation Programmes Manager, Blue Ventures is the London-based ‘fixer’ who makes sure that projects are on track, looking after the critical behind-the-scenes work of providing technical support to staff in the field and managing relationships with funders. Having completed
Theo Blossom is the Training Coordinator for Durrell Conservation Academy based in Jersey, UK. Durrell are world leaders in conservation training – offering a unique learning experience wherever you are in your career. Theo kindly takes some time out of his busy schedule to tell us about Durrell Conservation Academy… What is Durrell Conservation Academy?
The RSPB offer a diverse range of roles from internships to post-grad opportunities to permanent positions. In this short video, Professor Rhys Green tells us about his RSPB career in conservation science. [vimeo 85252022 w=560 h=315] If you’d like to read more about working for the RSPB, and their paid voluntary and internship opportunities, please click
Ed Drewitt is a naturalist, author, broadcaster, tour leader, birder, photographer, public speaker, bird ringer, zoologist, diver, feather expert, and Peregrin researcher. Here Ed kindly shares his conservation careers advice… Why do you work in conservation? I´ve always been interested in wildlife, particularly birds, since I was six or seven – and was encouraged by my family
Conservation Careers Blogger Christine Pereira interviews Aaron Weil – Federal Conservation Advocate for Environment America – about his fascinating career story… Why do you work in conservation? As a child, I didn’t really have much opportunity to enjoy nature as I would have liked, so I spent many of my summers at a camp where I was in
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
Julia Marton-Lefèvre is the Director-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s largest conservation membership organization, which brings together states, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, scientists and experts in a unique worldwide partnership. She is the longest serving Director General, and has led the organization for over 7 years. Julia shares with us
Brendan Costelloe is the Senior Policy Officer at the largest nature conservation charity in the UK; the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). Here he tells us how and why he got into conservation, some of the important work he has done and some advice on how to get into this line of
Alexandra Lamontagne is one of the founders of Carewildlife who put volunteers in touch with the right project for them. Here is more about her vision and where her passion started. Where does your passion for animals and conservation come from? I have always loved animals and had pet dogs and cats, I have been
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
Dr Colman O’Criodain is the wildlife trade specialist at WWF. He trained as a botanist and spent much of his university days look at fens in Ireland. After a bout with the Irish civil service and the European Commission, he now represents WWF at CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species – the
Today we meet Lindsey West, Director of marine conservation organisation Sea Sense. The NGO, initially established in Mafia Island, Tanzania, in 2001, works closely with coastal communities in Tanzania to conserve and protect endangered species, including sea turtles, dugongs, whales, dolphins, and whale sharks. Lindsey is also a member of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist
From Scuba Diver to Drone Operator with Steve Roest. Steve has over 20 years of experience in conservation and is one of the co-founders of Shadowview Foundation, a company specializing in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) – or drones – and using them for conservation. He is also an UAV Operator and has been involved in projects
Dr Josh Tewksbury is Director of the WWF Luc Hoffmann Institute. The Luc Hoffmann Institute was created by WWF, one of the world’s largest and most experienced global conservation organizations, to respond to the most important questions facing conservation and sustainable development. How would you describe the Luc Hoffmann Institute to someone who’s never heard
While he is probably best known for his research with marine turtles, Brendan Godley is also the Course Director for the Biodiversity and Conservation MSc at the University of Exeter Penryn campus. Brendan co-coordinates two modules on that course (Africa field-course and marine biodiversity and conservation), as well as one module on the undergraduate level. Conservation
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
James Walker is currently employed as a summer bird surveyor for Manx BirdLife, so for his first assignment as a Conservation Careers Blogger he decided to interview their new CEO Dora Querido. Dora originally hails from Portugal and has worked on conservation projects in several countries. Why did you choose conservation as a career? It is actually quite
Pablo Elizondo partners up with local communities to protect endemic species in Costa Rica. Conservation Careers Blogger and former Costa Rica Bird Observatories volunteer Stella Diamant speaks with Pablo about his daily work, the importance of reaching out to local people and why budding conservationists should not give up. What is CRBO? CRBO stands for
Rab Nawaz is WWF Pakistan’s Director of the Sindh Region. Here he shares his passion for conservation, the Western Tragopan and Pakistan’s wildlife with Conservation Careers Blogger, Zehra Zawawi. What is your role at WWF Pakistan and what are your main duties? My title at WWF Pakistan is Director Sindh but I also look after
Internationally renowned wildlife photographer David Cottridge has travelled the world, photographed most of Europe’s bird species and worked with the likes of Bill Oddie, Nick Baker and Chris Packham. He tells Conservation Careers Blogger Charlotte Rixon why wildlife photography matters and how to follow in his footsteps. How did you get started as a wildlife photographer?
After meeting Dr. Julian Bayliss at Cambridge University back in 2011, shortly after he discovered what is known as the Google Forest, he inspired me to study Zoology after telling me about some of his adventures. Now featuring in his own Google explorer advert he’s inspiring others by showing that new discoveries are still out
What’s it like to work for WWF? 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 our vacancies, shortlisting and doing interviewing. In
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
