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
Dr Andrew Digby is a conservation biologist who works for New Zealand’s Department of Conservation. He dedicates his time to saving two of New Zealand’s most vulnerable birds; the Takahē and the Kākāpō, and is the scientific advisor for the two teams responsible for their recovery. Andrew hasn’t always worked in conservation, however. Originally from
In this Conservation Careers interview, learn how you can get into conservation without a degree by upskilling as you go. “You don’t have to be a scientist to be a conservationist” This single statement is possibly one of the most powerful sets of words an aspiring conservationist could hear. Catherine Edsell is a world-renowned conservationist
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
How do you conserve a species which is incredibly hard to see? A ghost species? That’s the challenge faced by today’s guest Helen Turnbull, CEO of the Cape Leopard Trust in South Africa. The Cape leopard is the stuff of legends. It’s seldom seen and highly elusive, surviving in some of the most inhospitable habitat
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
Do you have experience in health care? Do you want a career that promotes health and wellbeing but also enhances the environment? Thrive’s revolutionary therapy centres are integrating nature and health care. Will you join them? Talking to Mark Lang, Thrive’s Communications Manager, it’s easy to feel the strong team ethics Thrive encourages. This was
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 &
Housing and caring for 68,000 plants is no joke! It takes a dedicated team of over 1,000 staff to look after the world’s largest botanical collection. Home to some of the most endangered plants in the world, Kew Gardens has made news headlines year after year for their devotion to plant conservation. Kew’s amazing horticultural
Does the idea of working on coral reef conservation using cutting edge science excite you? How about living on an island helping tourists to participate and learn about coral conservation? Conservation Careers Blogger Bill Boteler interviewed Simon Dixon to learn about his work restoring damaged coral reefs. Simon is the Marine Discovery Centre Manager at
Is anxiety around public speaking holding you back in your career? Would you like to expert tips and techniques to make your next interview, meeting or presentation a success? Master your nerves and learn to enjoy public speaking at any career stage with guest Matt Abrahams, educator and coach with Stanford University’s Graduate School of
How do you go from being an athlete playing on varsity football and basketball teams in Canada and Europe to setting up your own ecotourism operation, which helps to conserve wildlife in both Guyana and Belize? That’s the journey that our guest today, Jordan Flagel, has been on in his career so far. Jordan is
Dr Becky Cliffe is a British zoologist and a leading expert on sloth biology and ecology. She is the founder and executive director of the Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo), a non-profit organisation dedicated to saving sloths in the wild. In this interview, Becky talks about moving to Costa Rica, starting SloCo from scratch and the
The International Ranger Awards recognise the remarkable work of rangers in protected and conserved areas around the world. Ten awardees will each receive a unique uniform patch, and their organisations will receive US$10,000 to support their work. The awards are open to the diversity of rangers across the world, recognising the wide range of work
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
How can working with and empowering local communities support long-term conservation? What makes community-based conservation successful? After emerging in the 1980s, community-based conservation has become a widely accepted tool for achieving conservation and socioeconomic benefits. In this free webinar from Conservation Careers, we’ll explore why local and Indigenous communities matter in wildlife conservation, and how we
Have you ever met someone and wondered in awe about how they have done so much in such a short space of time? That’s a feeling I got when I first met Elliot Connor, who’s our guest on the podcast today. Elliot is a 17 year old Australian popular science writer, presenter, producer, and so
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
Today we’re speaking to Anthony Ochieng, or Tony Wild as he is often known. Tony is a Kenyan-born wildlife ecologist, conservation photographer, traveller, educator and explorer. He is a busy man! I’ve been following Tony’s work for the past three years and his photography of conservation projects is truly inspiring. He has quickly and rightly
Have you ever wanted to pursue your creativity and conservation at the same time? Would you love to combine diverse passions in one meaningful career? Juliana Corrales is a Creative Consultant (Design and Communications) who grew up in Costa Rica before launching her international career. Today she helps marine NGOs like The Ocean Acidification (OA)
Today we’re speaking with Beth Thoren, Deputy CEO of Client Earth, and someone who’s spearheading a huge and exciting drive to create 20,000 jobs in nature through a new National Nature Service. We start our chat today about this big new idea and then discuss her role at Client Earth. Before then Beth shares her
Jillian Morris, more commonly known as Bimini Shark Girl, is a shark advocate. She’s a queen of marine biology, ocean conservation and videography! She started her journey in marine conservation behind the lens. Using photography and videography to message about the importance of sharks and to help people understand them. Her beautiful work has been
Simon Watt is a science communicator, founder of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society and a stand-up comic. In this interview with Conservation Careers Blogger Bill Boteler, Simon talks about his journey to become what he is and why ‘ugly’ animals matter. Why do you work in conservation? I don’t only work in conservation is the
In the second-most biodiverse country in the world, one organization is giving young women the skills they need to help create a more sustainable future. Colombia is a beautiful country with a complicated history. During a 50-year civil war, many people were displaced and ended up in cities like Medellin. However, poverty, domestic violence and
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
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
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
The ethos of ecotourism is about sharing the beauty of the natural world and the creatures within it. It should cultivate understanding, appreciation and conservation of the environment and culture. The outcome being tangible benefits for conservation and for local communities. In some parts of the world, this takes form in the shape of scuba
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
