Dr Fabiola Quesada is a veterinarian and wildlife conservationist based in South Africa. As the CEO of Wild Spirit and co-founder of Wild Spirit Fund, Fabiola used her veterinary background to pave the way for veterinarians interested in wildlife conservation. Read more to hear about Fabiola’s work with Masai tribes, her life as an entrepreneur
Getting experience – whether volunteering, interning or even starting your own project – can do a lot for you in the early stages of your career. It can help you understand yourself, test drive different options, grow your network, demonstrate your passion and commitment to prospective employers, build your skillset and make you more employable.
Christin is one of those rare people in life who you feel totally humbled and awed by, but, in equal measures, she is so down to earth and relatable that you feel that you could easily follow her footsteps into conservation with the right mindset and passion – although she will convince you to seek
Do you have the right skills and experience but you’re struggling to land an interview? Are you unsure how to showcase your skills as a student, graduate or career switcher? Do you feel hopeless or alone in your job search? We know that conservation can be a very competitive sector and that knowing how to
Anna Wearn is the Director of Government Affairs at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation in the US, where she engages with decision makers and stakeholders to advance policies that improve habitat connectivity. We discussed the many benefits associated with habitat connectivity, as well as Anna’s experience educating the public about climate change and her
Finding the right people is key to your conservation mission. But how will you select the best person for the job? Done right, shortlisting help you select the best employee, while also saving and focusing your time, improving your overall recruitment process and ensuring a fair and positive process for candidates. But if – like
Speaking with Dr Nikki Tagg, Head of Conservation at Born Free, gives insight into what it’s like to work in a large conservation organization striving to protect wildlife around the world. Born Free is a conservation charity with its head office UK based, additional offices in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa; and conservation projects worldwide.
If you’re like me, you’ve been missing exploring new landscapes and cultures during the pandemic, and you’re itching to travel again. But have you ever struggled with how to travel ethically? Travel has come under the global spotlight recently – and for good reason. There is growing awareness about the negative impacts travel can have
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic I was fortunate enough to steal an hour of time from Rupert Koopman, the Conservation Manager for the Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSocSA). Prior to this role Rupert spent more than a decade as a botanist with CapeNature, focusing on Fynbos, threatened species and habitats in the
This week we welcomed five new Social Media Officers to the Conservation Careers team as part-time, remote volunteers. How did we select our top candidates, and why? What made them stand out? And why were other applications unsuccessful? We’re sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into our the recruitment process, to help applicants understand what conservation employers
What unique challenges do women in conservation face? Are self-sabotage and imposter syndrome more common in women? How can women conservationists gain more support in their careers? Explore the barriers and opportunities for the women who’ve dedicated their careers to conserving ‘mother Earth’! Join us for a free webinar with Kirsty Crawford and Laura Cuppage of &
Looking back, we can hardly believe what happened in 2020. This time last year all was ‘normal’ and here we are in a world filled with face-masks, hand sanitiser and travel restrictions. Nevertheless, 2020 hasn’t slowed us down. In fact, seeing how governments worldwide can enact change quickly, at a global scale, to tackle an
Meg Hayward-Smith is a recent graduate and the founder of Falmouth Marine Conservation (FMC), a local conservation group based in Falmouth, Cornwall, who’s mission it is to raise marine awareness to empower the community to protect the local marine environment. Here she talks about what FMC does, what inspired her to start FMC and her
Are you thinking about a career in marine conservation? Have you thought about working for a charity? At a charity, you can spend your life helping others, especially those without a voice! The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia’s oceans. They’re the sole national charity devoted to defending marine life! Darren Kindleysides, the CEO, has led
Often, when it comes to marine conservation, it’s the small organisms and important ocean systems that are overlooked. In this interview, marine biologist and conservationist Dr Stephanie Sargeant gives insight into the forgotten fundamentals of marine conservation, such as plankton and trace gases. Steph is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences at the University of the
Emmanuel G. Smith’s role as Project Coordinator working for the Society for Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL) has been key in promoting alternative livelihood programmes such as beekeeping and sustainable cocoa farming to support local communities and protect the Gola forest of Liberia. His work has been central in helping with the establishment of a community forest, which will function as an important biodiversity corridor, linking
Do you want the best advice to land a job in wildlife conservation? At Conservation Careers we’ve interviewed over 500 professional conservationists and shared their stories and advice on our Careers Advice Blog and Podcast. But in this special podcast with The Guide to Mindful Conservation: Dancing in Pink Hiking Boots, we hear from Conservation
As conservation career opportunities rebound, conservationists and organisations who understand their ‘niche’, innovate and adapt can survive – or even thrive. In March 2020 the global COVID-19 pandemic froze international travel, halted recruitment and sent the conservation industry into a sudden standstill. In April 2020, a survey of 330 conservationists by Conservation Careers showed that
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
The conservation sector is unlike any other, and it’s being impacted uniquely by the global COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020 we published articles on Conservation Careers and Mongabay featuring the impact of COVID-19 on the conservation industry. We’re now seeking insights from conservationists and employers to understand how the community is coping with and responding
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
Kirsty Shakespeare is the head of the Traidhos Barge Program in Bangkok, Thailand which aims to educate and connect people with their environment and raise awareness of environmental issues. In this interview Kirsty talks about what her role entails, how she got to where she is and her advice for others. Can you start by
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
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
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.
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
Are you a conservation student wondering what you’ll do when you graduate? Would you like to get a jump-start on navigating the conservation sector, finding your ideal job and fast-tracking your job search? Or maybe you know a great Bachelor’s, Degree or Master’s programme that could benefit from some additional career transition support? At Conservation Careers,
Dr Nirmal Jivan Shah, Chief Executive of Nature Seychelles, explores the unhealthy relationship with nature that led to the COVID-19 health pandemic; it’s impacts on ecosystems, local economies and conservation; and new opportunities like sustainable tourism and changes in governance. Origin Story (Zoo: English = of animal; noses: Greek = disease) In 2006, in an
The sun was already fierce, and it had yet to hit noon. Despite the heat, the streets of Livingstone, Zambia, were alive with people. Songs filled the air, gangs of children chattered excitedly, women in bright chitenge skirts smiled and joined the teeming throng of humans. This was not a festival. It was a community litter pick. Along with hundreds of other community
“Local people should be at the forefront of the solutions to the challenges facing their wildlife. Sometimes, change can only come when the people most affected and impacted take charge. Local communities play an important role in fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade, which are major threats affecting lions and other wildlife.” – Moreangels Mbizah Moreangles Mbizah
