Oh My! Advice from Panthera’s Dr Wai-Ming Wong on producing a strong grant application. If you love your cats big (and small) then you’ll likely have heard of Panthera, an organization dedicated to the conservation of wild cats of the world. Panthera aims to secure a future for these majestic animals through scientific research and
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
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
In a world where more and more humans live in cities, and far from truly natural areas, is it any wonder that wildlife conservation nears the bottom of most people’s priorities? Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort home to a group of Gentoo and King penguins, is trying to solve this problem by enabling inhabitants of the ‘city built on sand’ to meet animals
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
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
Given the tumultuous political events of the past few months it’s perhaps understandable if this Friday 13th we feel more than little anxious about the world around us. As we move into 2017, people around the world are celebrating what is working in conservation and why. Discover how every one of us can become more
As we approach the end of 2016, let us have some time to reflect on some of the most brilliant, awe-inspiring and dam right visually eclectic cult-conservation films, that have made it to our screens over the past two years. I won’t go into too much detail, and anyway the premise is often the same
Simon Bangs is a Conservation Recruitment Consultant for Allen & York – a leading International Sustainability Recruitment Consultancy, with an increasing number of renewable energy jobs, ecology and environmental jobs throughout the globe. WHAT DO YOU DO AS A RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT? We work on behalf of a variety of clients around the world to source new
Jules Howard started out his early career at Froglife, a charity committed to conserving the UK’s native amphibians and reptiles. Two published books and plenty of stories later, he’s come full circle and has re-joined the organisation, as a patron. His work for the Guardian and BBC Wildlife is both novel an engaging, whilst his
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
Scottish zoologist Holly O’Donnell doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. When a university professor told O’Donnell that her bachelor’s degree was worth “toilet paper” and that she was going nowhere, she could have abandoned her career dreams. Instead, she fundraised and interned her way from Scotland to Antarctica, Paraguay and the Peruvian Amazon, where she
So you’ve graduated with your degree in biological or environmental sciences and were expecting an instant pay-off for all that hard work? But you’ve seen no such thing as of yet. If you’re nodding your head – welcome, friend. Graduating can be a difficult and confusing time, especially if you’ve never been out of education
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
Conservation physiology, according to Dr. Rachel Santymire, is, “really about capturing how wildlife is interacting with its environment…[and] using the animal’s physiology to understand how they are interacting with their environment to better conserve them.” Dr. Rachel Santymire is now the Director of the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology at Lincoln Park Zoo in
Ed Drewitt is a naturalist, author, broadcaster, tour leader, birder, photographer, public speaker, bird ringer, zoologist, diver, feather expert, and Peregrin researcher. Here Ed kindly shares his conservation careers advice… Why do you work in conservation? I´ve always been interested in wildlife, particularly birds, since I was six or seven – and was encouraged by my family
Danny Heptinstall is a 24 year old birder, naturalist and aspiring conservationist currently researching red kites at the University of Aberdeen. Here he presents a shortened version of an article that asks“Where is the UK’s Youth Conservation Movement, and what can be done to find it?” I’m a young conservationist, and I get annoyed every
If you’re using social media in your quest for a job in conservation, don’t overlook the power of Twitter. Conservation Careers Blogger Charlotte Rixon suggests the following seven steps to unlock its potential. One: Look the part Think of your Twitter account as an online business card. It should represent you as a professional and
Catarina Fonseca is the Researcher and Volunteer Coordinator for AIMM – Associação para Investigação do Meio Marinho / Marine Environment Research Association – in Portugal. Here she tells Conservation Careers her watery story… Why do you work in conservation? Since I was a child I’ve dreamed about working with dolphins. I started studying Biology after
Ecotourism is a fast growing branch of the tourism industry. It focuses on showing people the natural world and its wildlife. It has also been acclaimed as the best solution for attaining the often conflicting goals of conserving our planet´s habitats and creatures, and improving people´s quality of life through economic development of a region.
If you want to be a conservation volunteer, there are many different types of experiences available for budding nature enthusiasts. Conservation Careers Blogger Sarashka King reveals some of the main types of voluntary work available in this second in a three-part topic… Residential/working holiday This is a good opportunity to have a holiday where you are trying something new or
Save the Rhino International are now looking for applicants to be the ninth Michael Hearn Intern at Save the Rhino, a one year fixed contract, paid internship based in London. Here we speak with the outgoing Intern Rory Harding about his experiences and career path to date. What’s your job title? I am the Michael Hearn
Paul Furnborough is a Conservation Officer with Froglife where he works as a reserve warden on the Hampton Nature Reserve – home to 30,000 great crested newts – and coordinates volunteers and manages projects. He is now studying for a Masters by Research, and his dream conservation job includes working outdoors, studying wildlife, learning species
Conservation Careers Blogger Marta Cálix had the pleasure of interviewing Francis Cabana, who is a PhD student researching the nutritional requirements of slow lorises as part of the Little Fireface Project near Jakarta. Francis is also the Research Coordinator for the project and he´ll be staying there for the next 14 months. In this interview he
Following the advice from Sarashka King’s ‘How to become a Conservation Volunteer?‘ Conservation Careers Blogger Hannah De Frond explores the many positives that you can gain from a volunteering experience, and why she would recommend it to anyone, especially those aiming to pursue a career in conservation. Field Skills You can gain many field skills
Rab Nawaz is WWF Pakistan’s Director of the Sindh Region. Here he shares his passion for conservation, the Western Tragopan and Pakistan’s wildlife with Conservation Careers Blogger, Zehra Zawawi. What is your role at WWF Pakistan and what are your main duties? My title at WWF Pakistan is Director Sindh but I also look after
Expeditions are undoubtedly one of the most exciting facets of a career in conservation, and whether you’re going through a volunteer organisation or putting forward your own research proposal, the question of how to fund your project should be given due consideration from the outset. Finding your feet Volunteer organisations such as Frontier and Operation
Working your way through the career ladder in tough economic times is never easy, especially in an ultra-competitive field such as conservation. This means that the pressure to perform in an interview can adversely affect performance. However, with a bit of luck and by using the following advice, you’ll be calm, focused and ready to
How I started in conservation communications Lucy McRobert is a talented conservation communicator, and Creative Director of a network of young people in the UK looking to start their professional careers in conservation. Here she tells conservation careers her story so far, and provides advice which others can follow… Why do you work in conservation?
