Have you ever dreamt about going on a conservation expedition? Travelling to a remote corner of the globe to explore and discover the wildlife found there? Where would you start? What would be the destination and what would be its purpose? Who would you choose to take with you? Perhaps most importantly of all, how
It all started with octopuses… In southern Madagascar, the community of Vezo became concerned that their fisheries were in decline. Blue Ventures, an award-winning marine conservation organisation stepped in and supported temporary closures of fishing zones, as a result, octopus landings increased dramatically, and local incomes grew. News soon spread and Blue Ventures introduced the Locally
In this episode of the podcast we’re speaking to Justin Lennon – CEO of Conservation Guide and marine biologist at the National Marine Aquarium. In this podcast you’ll hear us talking about what to look for when searching for your next volunteering project, and we also discuss what it’s like to work in marine conservation and
In this episode we speak to Alasdair Davies – Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow and creative technologist on a journey to deliver affordable, open conservation technology for all. We talk about how fast-changing technologies from drones, to sat tags, camera traps and mobile phones are rapidly changing the way we collect and interpret data in the quest to
My Labrador can do “sit” and “salute” … and that’s about it, but there are some much better trained pups out there with well-respected jobs; those who act as seeing-eye dogs, hearing dogs, therapy dogs, avalanche rescue dogs, and those I want to talk about; conservation dogs. Conservation dogs are taking on increasingly vital roles
Elana Mostert began her career in conservation with a 14 month stint on a sub-Antarctic island, along with 21 strangers. She spoke to us about how she ended up here, some of the highlights and challenges of this role, and how it equipped her for her current career as an environmental consultant and ecological specialist
Renowned zoo architect, director and consultant, David Hancocks, has long provided controversial yet credible commentary on the captive animal industry. Having authored ‘Animals and Architecture’ and ‘A Different Nature: The Paradoxical World of Zoos and Their Uncertain Future’, in addition to other works, he is currently heavily engaged in writing a new book but was
Shannon Wild is an Australian wildlife photographer and passionate conservationist. She has worked all over the World, capturing the beauty and diversity of wildlife on Earth. In the interview below I ask for her advice and knowledge on the industry… What is your current job title/role? I am a wildlife photographer and cinematographer. How did you
Niall McCann has had a whirlwind of a career. When researching his background prior to our interview, there were so many different aspects to consider that I could have chatted with him for hours! He’s been on multiple expeditions, completed a PhD, filmed documentaries, and even broken his back whilst speed flying; there’s no denying
It’s mid-June and, in Chinko National Park, deep in the heart of the Central African Republic (CAR), the wet season is approaching. The atmosphere is hot and humid. The air black with thick swarms of mosquitoes and tsetse flies, their thirst for blood insatiable. Andrew Russell is just one month into his placement here. He has
Claire Thompson is author of ‘Mindfulness and the Natural World’ and has dedicated her career to the protection of our natural world. She has worked World Land Trust and BirdLife International. Here she speaks to Conservation Careers about her career and the importance of reconnecting to the natural world through mindfulness, meditation, yoga and Buddhism… Why do you
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, located in Northern Kenya is home to the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, the last two remaining northern white rhino, a thriving wildlife community, thousands of domestic cattle, eco-tourism and many community projects. Ol Pejeta is tearing up the rule book of traditional conservation and combining conservation, community development, livestock
Richard Thomas is responsible for all the outputs of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, a leading NGO working globally to combat illegal / unsustainable trade in animals and plants. All information they pass into the public domain and to many of their donors goes through Richard and he also oversees updates to the website
Lydia Tiller works for Save the Elephants and is the Research and Science Manager for their Human-Elephant Co-Existence Program. Save the Elephants are working to preserve vital migration corridors, maintain elephant-friendly landscapes and promote tolerant relationships between elephant and man. There is an increase in pressure on elephants due to the rising human footprint thus
Never underestimate the impact of the 2 am wake-up call. For, in the dead of night, when there are no distractions, re-evaluations take place. In 2015, Quin Clark, then a technical programme manager in the financial sector, woke one morning and decided he did not want to be an armchair conservationist anymore. Sickened by the continued onslaught
Director and head scientist for Reef Explorer (Fiji) Ltd, Victor Bonito has traveled the globe studying and exploring reefs including throughout Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Territories, Southeast Asia, Hawaii and Madagascar – and of course, Fiji. Conservation Careers fishes for career advice for anyone ‘cray-sea’ about marine conservation. The worlds’ reefs are in deep trouble, but
It takes courage to ask for help. Even more so when that person is a stranger. Harder still to ask for expensive equipment, or request accommodation and travel expenses. But, by doing just that, filmmaker and photographer Lacy Wittman managed to turn her passion for elephants into an ongoing adventure and part-time career, at little
“My passion is to communicate the wonders of the natural world to the widest possible audience”, said Stephen Moss, one of Britain’s leading nature writers, broadcasters and TV producers. He shares my passion of communicating the wonders of the natural world to people of any age wherever they might be. I talked to Stephen and asked
Sophie Lewis is the Responsible Whale Watching Project Manager at the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA). The WCA is a global coalition of organisations dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises across the world. Here, Sophie discusses her career path and gives advice on how she ended up working for this wonderful organisation. Why
Growing up as a young boy in South Africa, aspiring to be a game ranger, Robin Cook is now contributing to a cause that is bigger than he ever imagined. Working with the most charismatic animals of the world such as elephants, is a dream come true for many conservationists and for Robin it all
As we march into 2018, news from the conservation front-line is bleak. The earth is teetering towards its sixth mass global extinction – this time, as a direct result of human interference. Meanwhile, wildlife is the fourth most profitable trafficking crime after humans, weapons and drugs. And, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Parrots are exquisite creatures. It is hard not to be endlessly fascinated by their forms, colors and behaviors – parrots, along with crows, are some of the most intelligent birds. When I was a little girl I desperately wanted to have an African Grey so I could teach it to talk. That was before I
Conservation Careers has teamed up with an awesome team of people across the world who are passionate experts in their chosen field and will make your experience a truly unforgettable one (in a good way). Their award-winning projects receive over 2,000 participants every year, and we’re proud to say that the vast majority of them describe
It was only supposed to be a month-long vacation but, for Wild Tomorrow Fund Founder and Executive Director, John Steward, a volunteer placement with Wildlife ACT in South Africa resulted in a complete re-evaluation and life overhaul. After witnessing the plight of African wildlife due to dwindling habitat and illegal poaching, Steward walked away from
The human population is growing at an alarming rate – in April this year there was an estimated 7.5 billion people living on the planet, placing a substantial burden on the earth’s resources as they compete for land and food. As such, over population is having an increasingly detrimental impact on habitat and wildlife numbers
Conservation Careers has teamed up with Bushwise to provide professional Field Guide Training in South Africa. With over 10 years’ experience in training field guides for the lodge, safari and conservation industry in South Africa, Bushwise is a leading Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) field guide training provider. “95% of Bushwise students are being
Geographic Information Systems is a discipline which goes right to the heart of conservation and helps us to answer fundamental questions right across the spectrum of topics in conservation. ‘Why does this species occur here but not there?’, ‘Where should we prioritise our conservation actions?’, ‘How connected are these two wildlife populations?’, ‘What is the
I first met Katherine Smith just over a year ago at a VuPro conference in Hartbeespoort, South Africa. Since interning at VulPro she has achieved fantastic heights in her career, recently being involved in a Parahawking organisation in Nepal, dedicated to creating awareness about the plight of endangered vulture species across the world. Parahawking you
Alexandra Garcia is the Executive Director of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), a non-profit organization that includes 100+ of the best professional nature and wildlife photographers in the world (Fellows) who are fully dedicated to using their imagery to promote earth friendly outcomes. Here she talks about her career and the amazing work of
Returning home in late 2014 after managing an Elephant Reintroduction Volunteer Programme for two years in a Karen hill tribe village in Northern Thailand, Gemma Annan and fellow intern Jade Clayson decided more needed to be done to educate tourists regarding captive elephant welfare in Thailand. Putting a team together comprising of childhood friend Claire
