As we walk through life we sometimes don’t know where our current path will take us. Will it be meaningful, and what steps could we take? Seeking out and talking to people who have walked far ahead of us in a line of work that we are interested in could help shape the next steps
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
This week Rachel Louise Gunn talks to Dr Dan Exton from Operation Wallacea (Opwall). Dan is currently Head of Research at Opwall and has worked in the marine conservation field for the past 15 years. Opwall is a network of academics who design and implement both biodiversity and conservation management research expeditions around the world. Rachel went
Amelie Knapp is a Policy Officer at European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Here she tells us what it’s like to work on fisheries policy within the European Union, and she shares her career secrets. What work do you do? I work to ensure that EU Member States collect scientific data on their fisheries.
James Borrell is a writer, speaker and scientist, with a passion for fieldwork and expeditions. He is currently based in London, whilst studying rare species in the Scottish Highlands and promoting conservation. Read his fabulous advice on how to get a job in conservation. **Check out our Ultimate Guide for Conservation Job Seekers here ->
Dr Paul Stewart, the cameraman behind Planet Earth II’s BAFTA winning snake-iguana sequence, takes a break from filming his latest project in the Peruvian Amazon to share advice and stories from a thirty-year career in wildlife filmmaking. “I like Cinematographer because it sounds way more impressive” Paul jokes as we sit down at our slightly
Judith Lock is a teaching fellow at the University of Southampton. She specialises in the areas of ecology, evolution and animal behaviour. Her role also involves improving links with local organisations to promote opportunities to enhance student employ-ability within conservation careers and beyond. Why do you work in Ecology and Conservation? I grew in Somerset
Leila Fouda is a marine mammal conservation scientist. She is lucky enough to be able to travel to far flung and beautiful places studying whales, dolphins and other marine mammals for her job. She tells us what it’s like to work as a marine biologist, and provides advice for people looking to work in the
Dr Joe Chipperfield is a postdoctoral Research Ecologist working in the Biogeography department at the University of Trier in Germany. The main focus of his research is the development and application of new techniques to ascertain the ranges of species and to try and predict what may happen to these ranges in the future. WHY DO YOU
Nick Askew is the Fundraising and Communications Manager for BirdLife Pacific – a flourishing network of seven national conservation organisations based in Fiji, Palau, New Zealand, Australia, Cook Islands, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. They are supported by the BirdLife Pacific Secretariat which manages regional projects and assists in conservation planning, capacity development and fundraising. WHY
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
Steve Ormerod is Professor of Ecology in Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences and current Chairman of the RSPB Council – the biggest wildlife charity in Europe. His conservation career so far includes the following highlights: the winner of the Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation, Chief Editor of the Journal of Applied Ecology; President
At Conservation Careers we know the conservation job market inside and out. Who are big employers? Who’s growing rapidly? Based on over 25,000 conservation jobs listed from 1,000 conservation employers across the globe … here is our list of top UK conservation employers to watch in in 2020! RSPB WWF-UK Fauna & Flora International Wildlife Trust
“After I’d left university I was sure of one thing,” says Christopher Beirne, “That I never wanted to do a PhD.” But career trajectories are an awful lot like jungles – wild and unpredictable – and nearly 10 years after first falling in love with the neotropics, Dr Chris Beirne landed back in Peru as
This week we spoke to Peter Cooper – a 22 year old postgraduate studying MSc Biodiversity & Conservation at the University of Exeter Penryn Campus – about the new online wildlife series Naturewatch. Peter is script editor on Naturewatch and committee member for the UK youth nature network, ‘A Focus on Nature’. He’s also life-long
What different short courses do you offer for ecologists and conservationists at the University of Oxford Continuing Professional Development Centre? We offer a range of short courses (or modules) which come under the umbrella of the Ecological Survey Techniques Programme. This part-time postgraduate-level programme is modular and highly flexible because it is mostly delivered online
Mark is Head of Ornithology at APEM – Europe’s leading independent environmental consultancy specialising in freshwater and marine ecology and aerial surveys. We offer work of the highest quality and scientific integrity, together with excellent service. WHY DO YOU HAVE A CONSERVATION JOB? I think that the human imprint on the earth is massive. Wildlife biodiversity,
Mark is the former RSPB Conservation Director and has been called Britain’s premier wildlife blogger. He worked for the RSPB for 25 years – and spent 13 years as their Conservation Director. Mark’s knowledge about nature conservation in the UK is without par, and he cares deeply about the sustainability of wildlife in the modern world. The
Jenny MacKay is Reserves Officer for The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The Trust manages 128 nature reserves (covering 2,400 hectares of land) for the benefit of people and wildlife in the UK. It also works to make these wildlife havens bigger, better and more joined-up – vital to help wildlife to adapt to a
The Effective Ecologist covers the stuff that no-one told you about at university – how to develop your office-related and business skills to succeed in your career as a professional ecologist. This book shows you how to be more effective in your role, providing you with the skills and effective behaviours within the workplace that
If you’re anything like me, you fell in love with nature and the basics of biology before you decided to work in conservation. The elegance of evolution and the fascinating diversity of animal species and animal behaviors had you hooked – and then you learned what humans have done to the natural world and decided
In a world run by politicised decision-making, how can conservation compete? Decision science runs the world – from manufacturing to the military, from transport to economics. And according to multi-award-winning ecologist Professor Hugh Possingham, conservation decision-making is also the best way to solve environmental problems. Natural decisions “Conservation is an applied science; it’s all about
David Bevan didn’t fully realise is passion for plants until he was 40 years old. Now aged 75, he has devoted the last 35 years of his life to studying botany, caring for local green spaces and inspiring a love for nature in others. A retired natural history teacher and former Conservation Officer for the
Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer, broadcaster, explorer and all round polymath. Two of her greatest passions are the oceans and storytelling. Her love of the sea and academic background, and a flair for narrative, have led to several books, the most recent of which, Spirals in Time, was published last year. She also
This week we’ve spoken with Dr Jocelyne Hughes, Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques at the University of Oxford. She shares her insights into online learning for careers in ecology and conservation, and how they can help people to learn remotely whilst they work. What online courses do you offer at Oxford
Sam Craven, an established marine conservationist, works for Zoox as a senior programmes officer in the Philippines. Zoox is an organisation that was created to help budding marine conservationists to gain the experience and training they need to enter a career in marine conservation, and their programmes allow volunteers to get involved with a UNEP
With arid lands, rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef within roughly 1000 kilometres, plus a worldwide reputation for cutting-edge research in environment and ecology, the University of Queensland is an exciting place to train future conservationists. In 2013, the Australian university launched a one-year Master of Conservation Biology and an 18-month Master of Conservation
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about studying a PhD in science? Perhaps academics poring through old volumes in a dusty university library? Or white-clad scientists spending hours on end in the clinical conditions of a lab? This is definitely not always the case for Queen’s University, Belfast PhD
From an early age Lizzie Bruce has always loved being outdoors enjoying the Great British countryside. Today she is West Norfolk Assistant Warden for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and she shares her conservation career secrets… Why do you work in conservation? If you asked me when I was school what my career would be, conservation wouldn’t
