Interviews Senior Level April 14, 2016 6 min read

Conservation Jobs: from grass roots to Government with Abi Blandon

This week we’re talking to Abi Blandon – Marine Assessment Scientist from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) who also volunteers for Honko Mangrove Conservation and Education. She tells us what it’s like to work in two different conservation jobs – from grass roots to Government – and shares her careers advice.  Why do you work

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level April 7, 2016 7 min read

Human nature: Protecting Indigenous resource rights in remote Australia

Dr. Marcus Barber spent a year living in a tent, tore his knee in a footy match, chopped up a pelican for dinner and directed an impromptu documentary, all in support of Indigenous water rights. Here the environmental anthropologist with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, shares the challenges, lessons and life-changing experiences of more than

Kristi Foster
Interviews Senior Level March 10, 2016 7 min read

Conservation Physiology and Black Rhinos – How Faeces Are Helping Conserve an Iconic Species

Conservation physiology, according to Dr. Rachel Santymire, is, “really about capturing how wildlife is interacting with its environment…[and] using the animal’s physiology to understand how they are interacting with their environment to better conserve them.” Dr. Rachel Santymire is now the Director of the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology at Lincoln Park Zoo in

Conservation Careers
Interviews Senior Level March 10, 2016 8 min read

Forgotten Fungi – An Interview with Pam Catcheside

It is estimated that in Australia alone there are a quarter of a million species of fungi. As our understanding of the largely undiscovered and often overlooked world of fungi grows, volunteers and researchers in mycology continue to make new and interesting discoveries that have huge impacts on conservation. One such researcher is Pam Catcheside.

Shana Ahmed
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 12 min read

From Hollywood to the Wilderness – an Interview with Mike Tomkies

Mike Tomkies was born in 1928, and following a period serving in the Coldstream Guards became a journalist, landing interviews with stars such as Elvis Presley, John Wayne, Ava Gardner and many more. After moving to the wilderness in Canada and later writing of his experiences there he emerged as one of the greatest nature writers

James Walker
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 6 min read

Julia Marton-Lefèvre: Making things happen

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist December 31, 2015 6 min read

The Bare Bones of Conservation with Ben Garrod

Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist with a huge interest in primatology and bones!  He has presented his first 6 part television series ‘Secret of Bones’ on BBC4, and has around 6 months left before he finishes his PhD in primate evolutionary biology at University College London.  He is also a part-time lecturer at Anglia

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Early Years December 31, 2015 5 min read

Nothing but the horizon, and plastic pollution

Conservation Careers Blogger Stella Diamant shares her recent work as a research scientist onboard one of The Ocean Cleanup’s ‘Mega Expedition’ vessels in the Pacific. She documents the plastic pollution in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s impact on wildlife. After 3 months spent working 24/7 in Hawaii to coordinate the ‘largest ocean research expedition in

Stella Diamant
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 7 min read

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

Conservation doesn’t have to be just about science… Derek Niemann shows how he has used his creative flair, passion, writing skills and wildlife knowledge to inject some imagination and originality into the world of science and editing, bringing wildlife and conservation into the hearts of adults and children. What is your current job title? Youth

Sarashka King
Interviews Scientist December 31, 2015 9 min read

Tackling the big conservation questions with Dr Josh Tewksbury

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

Josh Tewksbury
Interviews Early Years December 31, 2015 2 min read

Monitoring Bird Diversity in Cusuco National Park with Sam Jones

I was recently in Honduras, working as a field ornithologist on an Operation Wallacea expedition. Operation Wallacea conducts field conservation research all over the world, and provides young people with the opportunity to experience this research first hand, by bringing school students and university research assistants along with the scientific staff. Sam Jones is the

Marta Cálix
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 6 min read

Storytelling for a sustainable world – a career marketing tourism

What if you could help protect a rainforest ecosystem by telling the story of an ecolodge’s composting system? Or help safeguard a biosphere reserve by promoting a sustainable tourism initiative? The answer is, you can. In this interview, Tartan Group President Deirdre Campbell shares how communicating sustainable tourism can support environment, business and community – and

Kristi Foster
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for Manx BirdLife?

The Road Leading to Manx BirdLife – an interview with CEO Dora Querido 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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for The European Commission?

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Early Years December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for World Conservation Monitoring Centre?

What’s it like to work at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre? Emily worked as Assistant Programme Officer at The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. UNEP-WCMC is the United Nations Environment Programme’s specialist biodiversity assessment arm. They provide authoritative information about biodiversity and ecosystem services in a manner that is useful to decision-makers who are driving change in

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Early Years December 31, 2015 6 min read

Conservation Research in Indonesia with Francis Cabana

Conservation Careers Blogger Marta Cálix had the pleasure of interviewing Francis Cabana, who is a PhD student researching the nutritional requirements of slow lorises as part of the Little Fireface Project near Jakarta. Francis is also the Research Coordinator for the project and he´ll be staying there for the next 14 months. In this interview he

Marta Cálix
Interviews Animal Welfare December 31, 2015 7 min read

Ten questions with Zoo Education Curator Rick LoBello

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

Naima Montacer
Interviews Mid Career December 31, 2015 7 min read

Megan Shersby: Seasonal Assistant for Dorset Wildlife Trust

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 5 min read

Durrell Conservation Academy – helping conservationists everywhere!

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?

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for Fauna and Flora International?

What’s involved in being a conservation director for Fauna and Flora International? Paul Hotham has over 25 years of conservation experience including work in the UK National Parks and voluntary sector and international conservation NGOs. His MSc thesis was undertaken in the Amboseli and Kilimanjaro National Parks on transboundary cooperation between protected areas. Paul has

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for The RSPB?

Influencing Governmental Policies and Strategies for Conservation – Brendan Costelloe’s Story 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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Volunteer & Internships December 31, 2015 6 min read

Primate and Predators: Reaching New Research Heights

Conservation Careers Blogger Erin Williams is currently working as a volunteer Research Assistant with the Durham University Primate and Predator Project at Lajuma Research Centre in South Africa. The Principle Investigator, Dr Russell Hill is usually based at Durham University in the UK, but during a recent visit to the field site, she was able

Erin Williams
Interviews Scientist December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?

Helping Kew put Conservation on the Map with Steve Bachman 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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Animal Welfare December 31, 2015 6 min read

The Road Leading to Manx BirdLife – an interview with CEO Dora Querido

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

James Walker
Interviews Mid Career December 31, 2015 10 min read

Wild Words: A career communicating science

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

Jennah Green
Interviews Mid Career December 31, 2015 3 min read

How can the Field Studies Council help your conservation career?

Mel Cousins from the Field Studies Council talks to Conservation Careers about the Field Studies Council, and how they can help you along your chosen career path. What is the Field Studies Council? We’re an environmental education charity, offering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover and learn about the natural world

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 5 min read

Building Noah´s Arks for Panama´s Amphibians with Heidi Ross Griffith

The chytrid fungus is a deadly pathogen that is wiping out amphibian populations worldwide, and threatening many species in Panama with extinction. The El Valle de Anton Conservation Center (EVACC) is part of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation (PARC) Project, and their mission is to save these frogs. The project collects amphibians from the

Marta Cálix