Interviews Scientist August 31, 2020 6 min read

Life on the Front Line | Vital Research to Conserve Endangered Lives 

Melissa Dawson’s lifelong passion and enthusiasm for biology and conservation has led her to a slice of bushveld heaven. In South Africa lies Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, a small family business with over 500 species from Giraffe to Dung beetles. They focus on the importance of research and education within conservation.  Melissa first visited the reserve

Ruby Nicholas

Environmental Entrepreneur: Sustainability Coach helps Caribbean Businesses

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Careers Advice August 24, 2020 7 min read

A Champion of Plants – An interview with Matt Candeias, Botanist and Creator of the ‘In Defense of Plants’ Podcast

“Plants are these primary producers that can take energy from the stars and turn it into food, and when you’re considering things from a conservation perspective I think it just makes sense to make them the centre point.”   Within conservation, plants are a vital but often overlooked component and the hugely energetic Matt Candeias is on a mission to change that. 

Naomi Yamamoto
Interviews Careers Advice August 17, 2020 7 min read

The Journey of a Behavioural Ecologist Conservation Biologist

David Fernandez is a behavioural ecologist conservation biologist. Behavioural ecologists play an important role in conservation. Behaviour links organisms and the environment and is a fundamental aspect of animal life. Changes to the environment can affect animal behaviour. For instance, the food available in degraded and pristine ecosystems might differ, which could in turn affect

Maria Chaney
Interviews Scientist August 12, 2020 9 min read

Saving the Elephants in Laos

The Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) does incredible work preserving the Laotian elephant population in the wild and under human care. The ECC in Laos currently have 32 elephants, and with a range of different conservation initiatives including education and reproduction, the ECC is working hard to save them. In this interview, ECC’s biologist, Anabel Lopez

Beth Beale
Interviews Senior Level August 6, 2020 9 min read

Saving the Planet One Plant at a Time

They may not have cuddly fur or feathers, but plants are crucial to the planet and its ecosystems and to us. Carlos Magdalena is the Tropical Senior Botanical Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the largest botanical collection in the world. He has rescued several rare plants from extinction including Café Marron, brought back from

Bill Boteler

Sail to the Ecotourism Job of Your Dreams

Ecotourism is all about creating and promoting sustainable travel opportunities around the world. It’s about showing off the natural world and its amazing inhabitants. With the aim of fostering environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation! It helps to deliver real benefits for local communities and conservation. This is arguably one of the most important

Tash Allen

Join us! We’re Celebrating Diversity in Conservation

At Conservation Careers, we believe in conserving biodiversity through diversity. We urgently need more perspectives, voices, ideas and expertise to create a world in which wildlife thrives. Celebrating Diversity in Conservation is a new initiative to share careers advice from professional conservationists from every corner of the planet. Our ultimate goal is to showcase conservationists from

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews July 29, 2020 8 min read

Become a “Marine Champion” with the North Wales Wildlife Trust

Eve Grayson, a wildlife conservationist for the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT), shares her experiences working with the trust and offers advice for those looking for a career in conservation. Eve and the rest of the team based in Anglesey and Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, hope that all readers will find the motivation and drive to

Charlotte Taylor
Interviews Podcasts July 27, 2020 36 min read

Podcast: Dr Kerry Kriger | SAVE THE FROGS!

Today we’re talking to Dr. Kerry Kriger, the Founder and Executive Director of SAVE THE FROGS! Kerry is a powerhouse in the amphibian world, having set up an organisation to help save threatened frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians across the world. And he’s got his work cut out. Of the seven and a half

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career July 15, 2020 9 min read

“Rewilding people” with Citizen Zoo | An interview with Elliot Newton

You may think of rewilding primarily as the reintroduction of large mammals to areas where they have gone extinct. For Elliot Newton and his team at Citizen Zoo, rewilding is more than just that.  Yes, it’s about reintroducing key missing species and creating suitable habitats for them to thrive, but it’s also about rewilding people.

Camilla Blasi Foglietti
Podcasts Senior Level July 13, 2020 35 min read

Podcast: Sue Searle | Ecology Training UK

Do you enjoy getting out into the field, identifying plants, animals, insects and more? And would you like to be paid for doing this and spend your career surveying for protected species and habitats whilst implementing the law to identify and avoid harmful impacts on them? Then a career as an ecological consultant might be

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level July 13, 2020 6 min read

Obligate Scavengers: A Tale of Vulture Conservation with José Tavares

A tragedy has befallen many species of vultures. They have become collateral victims of poisoning incidents and human activities. Their numbers are significantly declining in Africa and Asia and many places on earth are lacking sufficient scavenging by “nature’s clean-up crew”. So says José Tavares, director of the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Europe’s leading organisation working

Celine Hashweh
Interviews Mid Career July 8, 2020 11 min read

Working in Zoo Conservation

Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) uses scientific research to conduct and support conservation efforts in five continents across the globe. With high emphasis on the importance of implementing sustainable solutions to promote species and ecosystem survival.  Dr Grainne McCabe is at the head of the amazing conservation projects carried out by BZS. This interview provides a

Ellie Caskey
Interviews Early Years July 6, 2020 8 min read

How To Be A Marine Conservationist & Ocean Entrepreneur

Do you want a job in marine conservation? We have good news for you. There are more options to go down than just the traditional routes to starting a career in marine conservation! Think outside the box, and you could become an ocean entrepreneur and start up your own business. Sounds scary? You’re not the

Tash Allen

Seize the Day and Save Sharks With Shark Girl Madison

Madison Stewart, AKA Shark Girl Madison is a woman on a mission to save the ocean’s most misunderstood inhabitants: sharks. She was 2019’s Australian Geographic Society’s Young Conservationist of the Year. She’s been campaigning for over ten years. She’s been successful at lobbying the government to shut down shark fisheries. She’s helped stop supermarkets from

Tash Allen
Interviews Senior Level June 25, 2020 6 min read

Running a Butterfly (and Cockroach) Sanctuary

The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens in Costa Rica have been teaching people about Costa Rica’s insects and arachnids for over 20 years. On a mission to change the way people think about small, misunderstood creatures, they host tours and offer 10-week internships for people who want to learn how to convey scientific and conservation knowledge. In

Bill Boteler
Interviews Senior Level June 22, 2020 12 min read

For Parrot Conservationist Bonnie Zimmermann – Anything is Possible

The Indonesian Parrot Project (IPP) and their Indonesian counterpart, Konservasi Kakatua Indonesia (KKI),  work collaboratively to protect the parrots of Indonesia. Established in 2001 by Dr Stewart Metz and originally known as Project Bird Watch, the organisation focuses efforts on conservation and education.   Conservation efforts take many forms, from Critically Endangered species protection programmes to rescue, rehabilitation and release (via Indonesian-based centre, Kembalis Bebas), to community awareness

Bill Boteler
Interviews Senior Level June 18, 2020 9 min read

Standing tall for Giraffe Conservation | Part 2

In this second instalment of Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) interviews, Veterinarian Sara Ferguson provides an in-depth account of the day-today threats faced by giraffe in Murchison National Park, Uganda. Home to the largest population of giraffe in Uganda, the National Park is the central focus point for the vital efforts carried out by the GCF, who partner with the Uganda Wildlife

Ellie Caskey

Podcast: Jon Paul Rodríguez | IUCN Species Survival Commission

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

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level June 15, 2020 11 min read

Standing Tall for Giraffe Conservation | Part 1

In this first instalment of interviews with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, conservation ecologist Michael Butler Brown explores how science and diverse perspectives contribute to giraffe conservation. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is a globally operational organisation working towards saving giraffe in the wild. Using science to navigate conservation-based strategies and initiatives to best support wild giraffe populations.

Ellie Caskey
Podcasts Mid Career June 1, 2020 32 min read

Podcast: Daniel Quilter | Fuze Ecoteer

Daniel Quilter fell in love with Malaysia, its wildlife and people during a field trip while at University. He quickly returned and in many ways never looked back. Since 2005, has been setting up eco enterprises which are businesses which help people and the planet. During this podcast we talk about Fuze Ecoteer, a Malaysian based

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level June 1, 2020 5 min read

Working in Ecological Consultancy – Claire Wansbury – Atkins

Claire Wansbury is the Associate Director of Ecology at Atkins, a large engineering and environmental consultancy. Most of her time is spent advising on the protection of wildlife on major infrastructure projects such as road schemes and railways. She also works on introducing new approaches within the industry, like Biodiversity Net Gain and Natural Capital

Catherine Hunter
Interviews Early Years May 25, 2020 7 min read

Connecting kids with nature: On Safari with Nala

The camera pans across the vast expanse of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Game animals take flight from the approaching vehicle. Dramatic skies flash past as the bush, a multitude of greens, blurs alongside. Nala Malan appears in shot, gives a toothy grin to the camera, and begins her narrative.  Naturally charismatic and clearly passionate, she speaks

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Senior Level May 22, 2020 10 min read

Working to save Gunung Palung Orangutans

Victoria Gehrke’s career has taken her half way across the world as Programme Director at the Gunung Palung Orangutan Project deep in the forests of Indonesian Borneo. However, travelling for the job is not something uncommon for Victoria. Previously she worked on lemur conservation research in Madagascar, coral reef restoration in Honduras, and as a

Ellie Caskey
Podcasts Mid Career May 18, 2020 39 min read

Podcast: Kate Stephenson | Kate on Conservation

Have you thought about starting a blog? Are you passionate about writing and communicating and want to share your thoughts, experiences and opinions? Will it make a difference?  Kate Stephenson did just this nine years ago when she started her blog, Kate on Conservation. Now her award winning blog highlights important conservation issues, individuals and organisations and tries

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career May 11, 2020 6 min read

Keeping “Elephants Alive” | An interview with Anka Bedetti

For over two decades Elephants Alive has been monitoring and researching one of the largest populations of elephants in South Africa. This work is vital during a time where elephant numbers are under immense pressure from habitat restriction, human-elephant conflict and poaching.  Anka Bedetti joined Elephants Alive in 2016 as the Tracking and ID Study

Ellie Caskey