Interviews Scientist December 31, 2015 6 min read

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 public body is more than just a pleasure garden; it

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

What’s it like to work for the WWF?

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

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

What’s it like to Work for El Paso Zoo?

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 6 min read

Getting your debate on: a career in conservation policy

With the power to protect local species, control national deforestation, or guide sustainable development globally, environmental policy is one of the most influential fields a conservationist can pursue. Conservation Careers talks with Nick Phillips of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) about what it takes to work in policy and why it’s

Kristi Foster
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 4 min read

Introducing the International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists

This week we’re talking to Dr Peter Søgaard Jørgensen and the working group from the International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists (INNGE). Peter Søgaard Jørgensen is a biologist studying the macroecological consequences of global environmental change and sustainable solutions that may improve biological food, resource, health and environmental systems in the 21st century. This is currently studied

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Volunteer & Internships December 31, 2015 5 min read

A career helping whales and dolphins with Catarina Fonseca

Catarina Fonseca is the Researcher and Volunteer Coordinator for AIMM – Associação para Investigação do Meio Marinho / Marine Environment Research Association – in Portugal. Here she tells Conservation Careers her watery story… Why do you work in conservation? Since I was a child I’ve dreamed about working with dolphins. I started studying Biology after

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

Ara Project Vlog – How to get involved?

Conservation Careers Blogger Marta Calix sends in her final report live from the Ara Project in Costa Rica where she is working as a volunteer. In this Vlog Marta tells us how you can get involved in the project. The Ara Project is dedicated to saving Costa Rica’s two native macaws: the endangered Great Green

Marta Cálix
Interviews Mid Career December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for Action for Trout?

Action for Trout Conservation with John Zablocki John is the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Conservation Coordinator for Trout Unlimited.  Trout Unlimited is a USA based NGO with about 180 professional staff and 150,000 grassroots members whose mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Why do you work

Dr Nick Askew
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 Celebrating Diversity in Conservation December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for BirdLife International?

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

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

Sustainable tourism ecopreneurs: transforming the way the world travels

Tourism and conservation might seem at odds, but with more than 1.1 billion tourists travelling every year and a growing demand for environmentally and culturally responsible tourism, the sector is poised to have a positive impact on nature – if the right people get involved. According to Leonie Bowles, Corporate Partnerships Officer with Conservation Volunteers

Kristi Foster
Volunteer & Internships Careers Advice December 31, 2015 7 min read

How can conservation volunteering help you?

Following the advice from Sarashka King’s ‘How to become a Conservation Volunteer?‘ Conservation Careers Blogger Hannah De Frond explores the many positives that you can gain from a volunteering experience, and why she would recommend it to anyone, especially those aiming to pursue a career in conservation. Field Skills You can gain many field skills

Hannah De Frond
Scientist Interviews December 31, 2015 5 min read

Conservation in Academia: An Interview with Ben Phalan

Ben Phalan is currently a post-doctoral researcher in Conservation Science within the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He researches how to balance agricultural demands with the preservation of biodiversity, specifically birds, as well as looking at the trade-offs between conservation and development.   What is your job title? I am a post-doc

Keturah Smithson
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for Birdwatch Ireland?

How do you become a conservation officer? Alex is Senior Conservation Officer for BirdWatch Ireland – a voluntary conservation organisation in the Republic of Ireland, devoted to the conservation and protection of its wild birds and their habitats. It was formerly known as the Irish Wildbird Conservancy. WHY DO YOU HAVE A CONSERVATION JOB? Initially, because

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

What’s it like to work for Costa Rica Bird Observatories?

Bird ringing in Costa Rica with Pablo Elizondo 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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 7 min read

The human side of conservation: an interview with Dr Philip Dearden

Dr Philip Dearden has worked in Africa for 10 years and still doesn’t call himself an African expert. But as Leader of the Marine Protected Areas Working Group for Canada’s Ocean Management Research Network, co-author of Parks and Protected Areas in Canada: Planning and Management, and with more than 25 years’ experience working in Southeast

Kristi Foster
Interviews Communicator December 31, 2015 8 min read

Conservation Photojournalism and It’s Important for the Future of Conservation

I recently met Neil Aldridge under unforeseen circumstances, but the passion, the drive and the commitment that pours out of Neil when he talks about conservation issues is inspirational. Neil spent much of his early career volunteering and working with conservation organisations such as The Wildlife Trust, The Galapagos Conservation Trust and Natural England. However

Emma Ackerley
Interviews Volunteer & Internships December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for Save the Rhino?

Save the Rhino International – Interview with Rory Harding, Michael Hearn Intern 2013 Save the Rhino International are now looking for applicants to be the ninth Michael Hearn Intern at Save the Rhino, a one year fixed contract, paid internship based in London. Here we speak with the outgoing Intern Rory Harding about his experiences and

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

Volunteering at Home: Accessible for all

My interview with Kat Machin from north-west England identified volunteer experience as key evidence that you can deliver and work within a conservation team. Experience in Seychelles offered unique opportunities to work on globally significant projects for both Kat and myself. But local conservation in our home towns in England has been equally important. Kat

Adam Moolna
Interviews Mid Career December 31, 2015 6 min read

Talking whales and dolphins with ORCA’s Rachael Forster

Rachael Forster is the Community Wildlife Officer for ORCA, an organisation working to protect the UK’s whales and dolphins from threats such as shipping, fishing, noise pollution and marine litter. ORCA’s work has helped the UK government identify whale and dolphin hotspots, contributed to the conservation status of species found in UK waters and created

Hannah De Frond
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 Scientist December 31, 2015 1 min read

What’s it like to work for The Society of Conservation Biology?

Having Faith in Conservation: An Interview with Stephen Awoyemi Stephen Awoyemi is Founding Chair of the Religion and Conservation Research Collaborative. He is originally from Nigeria and is additionally currently studying for his Master’s Degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge. What is your job title? I currently work in conservation in two capacities. I

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 6 min read

Setting the Stage for an Iberian Lynx Comeback with Eduardo Basto e Santos

I have followed the conservation history of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) closely for several years. This species is the most threatened feline in the world, living only in Spain, and in Portugal, where I am from. Recently, reintroductions have taken place in Spain and, just shortly before last Christmas, two Iberian lynx were reintroduced

Marta Cálix
Interviews Senior Level December 31, 2015 8 min read

Kike Calvo: Using wildlife photojournalism to educate and inspire

Spanish native Kike Calvo, National Geographic Expeditions photography expert, award-winning photographer and journalist, is now based in New York and represented by National Geographic Creative. Having travelled to over 95 countries to compile a portfolio of environmental and cultural documentary photos, in addition to pioneering the use of small manned aerial systems in photography, it

Kaitlin Flood
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