Podcasts Senior Level September 16, 2019 35 min read

Podcast: Rhett Butler | Mongabay

Rhett Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, one of the largest, longest running and most important environmental news sites online.  Rhett started the site just 20 years ago when an area of rainforest he had visited and enjoyed in Borneo was cut down just eight weeks later, logged down for woodchips to supply a

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level September 10, 2019 5 min read

From banking to tropical biology | Switching careers into conservation

Mark Thomas works as Senior Field Staff for Crees Manu – teaching and training the next generation of conservation enthusiasts, dedicated to protecting the Amazon and its people. Mark is from Brighton, London in the UK and after working in a bank for nine years, he decided he wanted something different out of life. He explained

michaela-riley@gmail.com' Michaela Riley May
Interviews Senior Level September 4, 2019 4 min read

Ensuring Animals Have Lives Worth Living

Before I met Georgina, I’d heard a lot about her. People were always talking about how determined she was to make a difference to the lives of animals around the world. I spoke with her a lot before I met her too. She talked me through three gruelling months of practical welfare work in Vietnam.

Sarah Blake
Podcasts Senior Level September 4, 2019 29 min read

Podcast: Mark Anderson | BirdLife South Africa

With over 800 species of birds in South Africa and over 100 of them threatened, where do you start with trying to conserve them? Growing up in South Africa, Mark Anderson was taken out into the bush for days on end by his grandfather and from an early age he knew that he wanted to

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career August 27, 2019 11 min read

Empowering Future Environmental Leaders – Action for Conservation

Action for Conservation (AFC) is a youth environmental education charity working to empower young people, aged 12-18, to take action on environmental issues that are important to them. AFC was founded in 2014 with a mission to bring the wonder of nature into all young peoples’ lives, inspiring a youth movement committed to conservation and

Catherine Hunter
Podcasts Senior Level August 20, 2019 39 min read

Podcast: Neil Prem | Seven Steps to Purpose

There are many times in our lives when we might find ourselves at crossroads looking for purpose and direction. At these times, we might feel stuck and confused and perhaps we don’t know what to do. And if we do have a sense of what we need to do, we might find ourselves lacking the courage

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level August 5, 2019 30 min read

Podcast: Brendan Godley | University of Exeter

Have you ever considered doing a conservation science master’s course to kick-start your career in conservation? What would completing a masters course (degree) achieve? Is it right for you and would it lead to a conservation job? These are some of the topics covered in a wide-ranging discussion with Brendan Godley, Professor of Conservation Science

Dr Nick Askew
Scientist Podcasts July 23, 2019 27 min read

Podcast: Ken Norris | ZSL

In this podcast we’re speaking with Professor Ken Norris, Director of Science at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Ken leads the ZSL Institute of Zoology, the world’s only university in a zoo, and also oversees the vet teams who look after the welfare of animals at London and Whipsnade zoos. He’s a busy guy!

Dr Nick Askew
Early Years Podcasts July 9, 2019 48 min read

Podcast: Gianluca Cerullo | Wildlife Blogger of the Year

When the opening line of a story mentions an Aldi bag-for-life full of human poo, you know it’s gonna be worth reading on, right? That story was the winning entry in the Wildlife Blog of the Year competition and written by Gianluca Cerullo. He’s a conservation scientist and writer with a passion for adventure, wildlife

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level July 2, 2019 7 min read

Let’s Get Wild! The European Wilderness Society

Nick Huisman works for the European Wilderness Society and is based in Austria. His main job is to develop new Wilderness projects with his colleagues for submission to national and international conservation programmes. It may sound like a boring desk job, but Nick and his team play an important role in designating and stewarding Europe’s

Catherine Hunter
Interviews Senior Level June 25, 2019 9 min read

An interview with Bioblogia’s Fernando Mateos González

Don’t let anyone talk you away from your dreams, says Conservation Biologist Dr Fernando Mateos González, who will be helping deliver our next Kick-starter online training for Early Career Conservationists – open until this Friday. In his free time, Fernando runs Bioblogia.net, where he helps students and early career professionals find their dream environmental job. Whether sharing job

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level June 24, 2019 26 min read

Podcast: Chris Thompson | Audley Travel

What do you do if you’ve got a great degree, stacks of quality volunteer and intern experience in nature conservation but then spend over six months applying for jobs without a single interview? Having left university, this is what faced our guest today, Chris Thompson. He decided to try a different approach and one which

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level June 10, 2019 34 min read

Podcast: Nirmal Jivan Shah | Nature Seychelles

In 1968 the global population of a small brown bird called the Seychelles Warbler, according to Nature Seychelles, was down to just 30 individuals. Habitat destruction and predation by introduced species like rats had driven the birds to the very edge of extinction and it was listed as critically endangered. Cycle forwards 50 years to

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist June 10, 2019 8 min read

Working in Conservation as a Mercenary Biologist: 5+ highlights after leaving academia

Ever wondered what it’s like to drop academia for a different kind of conservation adventure? ‘Mercenary biologist’ Dr Fernando Mateos-González – who we’re so thrilled to have join us in delivering our next Kick-starter online training for Early Career Conservationists course – did just that. Fernando is a Spanish biologist with a PhD in Behavioural

Dr Nick Askew
Early Years Podcasts May 27, 2019 27 min read

Podcast: Ruben Hoekstra | Future For Nature Academy

In this episode we’re speaking to a young, budding conservationist, Ruben Hoekstra, at the very start of his career. Ruben attended the prestigious Future For Nature Awards, where talented young conservationists from across the globe win support for their projects alongside a tasty cash prize of €50,000. Normally in these podcasts we speak with professional

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level May 2, 2019 5 min read

Volunteer to Conservation Manager with Zoo Keeper Sara Fee

Sara Fee is General Manager of The Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project, a multi-faceted conservation NGO based in a remote region of Gabon, Central Africa. Having spent much of her career in zoos, Sara talks about her transition into the field and the important role zoos played in her conservation journey. Describe your current role? “My role

Patrick Pester
Podcasts Senior Level April 29, 2019 30 min read

Podcast: Dominic Jermey OBE | ZSL

Are you working in something totally unrelated to conservation and dreaming of switching into a career helping wildlife to flourish? Well that’s exactly what today’s guest has done successfully, and right in at the top. Dominic Jermey OBE worked as a senior British diplomat for over 20 years in countries such as East Timor and

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level April 3, 2019 4 min read

Heather McFarlane | Bat Conservation Trust

Heather McFarlane is Former Director of Communications and Fundraising at the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) and is responsible for growing the income and the number of supporters for the UK conservation charity. What are you most proud of achieving in your work? I’m really proud of our Big Bat Map, which is a website that

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist March 27, 2019 7 min read

Lawyer to Conservation Scientist | Joan O’Shaughnessy

Joan O’Shaughnessy is a Conservation Scientist who switched from Laywer to managing the Dixon Prairie and the Skokie River Corridor with the Chicago Botanic Garden. Joan bravely decided to leave her stable (if personally unfulfilling) career as an attorney to achieve her dream of working outside, in the elements, with plants. Joan’s story demonstrates that

Kayri Havens-Young

Women for Conservation | Luwi Nguluka

In conservation, a gender gap can be evident, with women being under-represented in many countries. Often, the barrier to entry is not due to a lack of intelligence and education for the science roles, or a lack of strength for the fieldwork, but a lack of respect and belief from others. Females face stereotypical perceptions

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Mid Career March 8, 2019 7 min read

The secret to getting a conservation career abroad | Francesca Cooke

A big appeal of conservation work is the opportunity to travel. But, increasingly, countries are favouring to hire internally. Obviously, this approach is commendable, as governments understand the importance of community buy-in. It has, however, meant those who want to work in these countries find it tougher to gain access and employment. Yet, you needn’t give-up

Kathleen Retourne
Interviews Senior Level March 7, 2019 5 min read

David Hetherington | The Lynx and Us

David Hetherington works as the ecology advisor at the Cairngorms National Park Authority. His career goal is to help ecological restoration in the Scottish Highlands through consensus and collaboration with a range of people, including land managers, conservationists, scientists and the wider public. In addition to his day job, through a growing network of colleagues

Valentina Iesari
Interviews Scientist March 4, 2019 4 min read

Dr Ada Grabowska-Zhang | Ecological Survey Techniques Course at the University of Oxford

Dr Ada Grabowska-Zhang is the Course Director for the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Ecological Survey Techniques. Here she tells Conservation Careers about the exciting one year, part-time course providing the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys and data analysis for a range of key taxa… What is the Ecological Survey

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist February 25, 2019 6 min read

Conservation Field Scientist | Ashley Vosper

Ashley Vosper is an experienced conservation field scientist who uses his skills to increase our knowledge and understanding of the distribution of species, how many there are and what threats they face. He then creates action plans that can help protect them. He has worked extensively in the Congo, as well as Afghanistan, and is

Patrick Pester
Interviews Early Years January 22, 2019 4 min read

Bag of poo delivers conservation message | Wildlife Blogger of the Year

A conservationist’s account of fieldwork in Borneo – starring a bag full of his own poo – packs a powerful message of hope for biodiversity in heavily degraded, yet surprisingly resilient tropical rainforests, winning the 2018 Wildlife Blogger of the Year competition (sponsored by CC). Destruction of tropical rainforests often seems like a one-track countdown to biodiversity

Dr Nick Askew
Volunteer & Internships Careers Advice January 22, 2019 6 min read

The one that got away | by Alex Brickle

The Iberian Wolf: It can smell and hear its prey from miles away, has a huge territory and, with a top speed of 30mph, can dart across a field in seconds. So to see one you’d have to be at exactly the right spot at the right time. This’ll be easy, we thought to ourselves.

Dr Nick Askew
Volunteer & Internships Careers Advice January 22, 2019 6 min read

Mulling Over Culling | by Asiem Sanyal

Conservation Careers sponsored Wildlife Blogger of the Year 2018, a competition run by our partner Terra Incognita to raise awareness about our planet’s incredible wildlife through the power of storytelling. This captivating story about tracking lions in Namibia won author Asiem Sanyal the title of Judges’ Choice First Runner Up. To the majority of the

Dr Nick Askew