Interviews Senior Level June 28, 2018 6 min read

Claire Thompson | Mindfulness and the Natural World

Claire Thompson is author of ‘Mindfulness and the Natural World’ and has dedicated her career to the protection of our natural world. She has worked World Land Trust and BirdLife International. Here she speaks to Conservation Careers about her career and the importance of reconnecting to the natural world through mindfulness, meditation, yoga and Buddhism… Why do you

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist June 14, 2018 4 min read

Working in Conservation as a Veterinarian

Veterinarians working as conservationists are classified into the field of Conservation Medicine. This field also overlaps with many other areas such as human medicine, biology, zoology, ecology, etc. As a veterinarian who has been lucky enough to study a semester of Conservation Medicine at university, I would like to give you an insight into how

soniaweber@hotmail.de' Sonja Weber
Interviews Senior Level June 4, 2018 8 min read

Dr Kerry Kriger | Sweeping in to Save The Frogs

Dr Kerry Kriger is the Founder and Executive Director of Save The Frogs. This USA based charity is on a mission to protect amphibian populations and promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. For the last 10 years, their staff and volunteers have created over 2000 educational programs in 57 countries. They

Hiral Naik
Scientist Interviews May 31, 2018 9 min read

Working with Save the Elephants (and landing a dream conservation job)

Lydia Tiller works for Save the Elephants and is the Research and Science Manager for their Human-Elephant Co-Existence Program. Save the Elephants are working to preserve vital migration corridors, maintain elephant-friendly landscapes and promote tolerant relationships between elephant and man. There is an increase in pressure on elephants due to the rising human footprint thus

Caitlin Wilkinson
Interviews Mid Career May 28, 2018 4 min read

Sarah Morgan | Eco educator and entrepreneur

Sarah Morgan studied ecology at Cardiff University, now she is a free-lance science communicator running her own business; Eco-explore education. Her business provides science workshops to schools, community groups and for events, specialising in making science accessible for children with additional needs. I spoke to her about her experiences and what it’s like to be

Catherine Hunter
Interviews Communicator May 8, 2018 6 min read

Conservation drones with Indlovu Aerial Trust’s Quin Clark

Never underestimate the impact of the 2 am wake-up call. For, in the dead of night, when there are no distractions, re-evaluations take place. In 2015, Quin Clark, then a technical programme manager in the financial sector, woke one morning and decided he did not want to be an armchair conservationist anymore. Sickened by the continued onslaught

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Scientist April 16, 2018 3 min read

Trouble in Paradise: Advice and insight from Victor Bonito on saving reefs in Fiji

Director and head scientist for Reef Explorer (Fiji) Ltd, Victor Bonito has traveled the globe studying and exploring reefs including throughout Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Territories, Southeast Asia, Hawaii and Madagascar – and of course, Fiji.  Conservation Careers fishes for career advice for anyone ‘cray-sea’ about marine conservation.  The worlds’ reefs are in deep trouble, but

Paige Winslade
Interviews Senior Level April 5, 2018 8 min read

Beach Babies, Marine Invaders and Enthusiasm!

‘Capturing our Coast’ (CoCoast) is an ongoing citizen science project aiming to discover more about the species that live in our seas and how we can protect them. CoCoast believes that the responsibility for protecting our seas and wonderful marine biodiversity belongs to all of us. Here, I speak to Dr Siobhan Vye, project officer,

Rachel Gunn
Scientist Interviews April 3, 2018 8 min read

Don’t eat penguin snow – Antarctic advice from Iain Staniland

For more than two decades Dr Iain Staniland has worked for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), carrying out research on Antarctic wildlife and producing numerous scientific publications. He created the blog – Antarctic Dad and has spent a combined total of four years living in the great white south… Keep reading, we may be some

Patrick Pester
Interviews Senior Level March 21, 2018 9 min read

Communicating the wonders of the natural world with Stephen Moss

“My passion is to communicate the wonders of the natural world to the widest possible audience”, said Stephen Moss, one of Britain’s leading nature writers, broadcasters and TV producers. He shares my passion of communicating the wonders of the natural world to people of any age wherever they might be. I talked to Stephen and asked

Stephen Thompson
Interviews Senior Level March 15, 2018 5 min read

John Burton – A lifetime working in conservation

Founder of the World Land Trust, a charity which has been running for nearly 30 years; more than a decade as Chief Executive of Fauna & Flora International; and an experienced natural history writer and editor, John has spent his whole life immersed in the natural world and conservation. I spoke to him about his

Alice Johnson
Communicator Senior Level March 7, 2018 5 min read

Communication and Conservation: an interview with Lexie Beach, Communication Coordinator of Sea Turtle Conservancy

Lexie Beach is the Communication Coordinator with Sea Turtle Conservancy, the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. For nearly 60 years, Sea Turtle Conservancy has worked to protect and conserve sea turtles and their habitats from extinction through research, education, and advocacy. Conservation Careers chats with Lexie about her role with Sea Turtle

Amber Zinser
Interviews Early Years March 6, 2018 5 min read

Flying in to save flightless birds

Biodiversity Ranger Cassie Mealey talks about her work with some of New Zealand’s rarest kiwis.                                    The Haast tokoeka is one of the rarest species of kiwi occurring in the Haast ranges of southern New Zealand. Here, on behalf of the governmental Department of Conservation, Cassie battles steep mountains, temperamental weather conditions and a dodgy

Patrick Pester
Interviews Senior Level March 6, 2018 5 min read

Grant Applications, and Tigers, and Bears

Oh My! Advice from Panthera’s Dr Wai-Ming Wong on producing a strong grant application. If you love your cats big (and small) then you’ll likely have heard of Panthera, an organization dedicated to the conservation of wild cats of the world. Panthera aims to secure a future for these majestic animals through scientific research and

Sophie May Watts
Scientist Interviews February 23, 2018 6 min read

A Caribbean murder mystery, changing perspectives, and how to kick start your conservation career

This week Rachel Louise Gunn talks to Dr Dan Exton from Operation Wallacea (Opwall). Dan is currently Head of Research at Opwall and has worked in the marine conservation field for the past 15 years.  Opwall is a network of academics who design and implement both biodiversity and conservation management research expeditions around the world. Rachel went

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level January 25, 2018 7 min read

Corporate to conservation, how business know-how can land you your dream job: An interview with African Impact’s Business Manger Stuart Isham Fairbairns

In theory, the cut and thrust of the corporate world is a far cry from the ideal of the conservation industry. But, conservation is a business, and the skills that make a multi-national corporate thrive, can be utilised to boost conservation projects, too. Prior to 2014, Stuart Isham Fairbairns, the Kruger Business Manager for African

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Senior Level December 19, 2017 5 min read

What’s it like to work in European fisheries policy?

Amelie Knapp is a Policy Officer at European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Here she tells us what it’s like to work on fisheries policy within the European Union, and she shares her career secrets. What work do you do? I work to ensure that EU Member States collect scientific data on their fisheries.

Dr Nick Askew
Mid Career Communicator December 12, 2017 4 min read

Lucy McRobert: How I started in conservation communications

Lucy McRobert is a talented conservation communicator, and ex-Creative Director of a network of young people in the UK looking to start their professional careers in conservation. Here she tells conservation careers her story so far, and provides advice which others can follow…  Why do you work in conservation? Most people say that they loved

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career December 5, 2017 6 min read

How to… Get a job in Conservation (and love your work)

James Borrell is a writer, speaker and scientist, with a passion for fieldwork and expeditions. He is currently based in London, whilst studying rare species in the Scottish Highlands and promoting conservation. Read his fabulous advice on how to get a job in conservation. **Check out our Ultimate Guide for Conservation Job Seekers here ->

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career November 6, 2017 7 min read

Want to be a conservation journalist? Find a niche or two, don’t be afraid to make a stand and strap yourself in – it’s going to be bumpy ride: An interview with conservation journalist Jeremy Hance

Five years ago, conservation journalist Jeremy Hance found himself on a research project in the Dominican Republic. He was deep inside a forest and night had fallen. In his hand was a bag which contained a solenodon – a venomous shrew-like mammal, which had been caught to be collared for a research study. Typically, this

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Senior Level October 23, 2017 8 min read

A life behind the lens

Dr Paul Stewart, the cameraman behind Planet Earth II’s BAFTA winning snake-iguana sequence, takes a break from filming his latest project in the Peruvian Amazon to share advice and stories from a thirty-year career in wildlife filmmaking. “I like Cinematographer because it sounds way more impressive” Paul jokes as we sit down at our slightly

Lindsay O'Brien
Interviews Senior Level September 26, 2017 7 min read

What’s Involved in Being a Teaching Fellow?

Judith Lock is a teaching fellow at the University of Southampton. She specialises in the areas of ecology, evolution and animal behaviour. Her role also involves improving links with local organisations to promote opportunities to enhance student employ-ability within conservation careers and beyond. Why do you work in Ecology and Conservation? I grew in Somerset

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level September 20, 2017 4 min read

What’s it like to work for WWF? (and how to get a job with them!)

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 vacancies, shortlisting and doing interviewing. In an interview with Conservation Careers she describes what

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist September 12, 2017 5 min read

How to Start a Career in Marine Biology?

Leila Fouda is a marine mammal conservation scientist. She is lucky enough to be able to travel to far flung and beautiful places studying whales, dolphins and other marine mammals for her job. She tells us what it’s like to work as a marine biologist, and provides advice for people looking to work in the

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level August 29, 2017 6 min read

Volunteering forced me to re-evaluate my life: An interview with Wild Tomorrow Fund Executive Director John Steward

It was only supposed to be a month-long vacation but, for Wild Tomorrow Fund Founder and Executive Director, John Steward, a volunteer placement with Wildlife ACT in South Africa resulted in a complete re-evaluation and life overhaul. After witnessing the plight of African wildlife due to dwindling habitat and illegal poaching, Steward walked away from

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Scientist August 5, 2017 5 min read

How to Become a Research Ecologist?

Dr Joe Chipperfield is a postdoctoral Research Ecologist working in the Biogeography department at the University of Trier in Germany.  The main focus of his research is the development and application of new techniques to ascertain the ranges of species and to try and predict what may happen to these ranges in the future. WHY DO YOU

Dr Nick Askew