Conservation Careers Podcast

Dr Nick Askew from Conservation Careers uncovers what it’s like to work as a conservationist, and how you can become one too. He explores how to get a conservation job, and discusses the latest industry news, by speaking to professional conservationists who share their career stories and advice. 

So if you want the inside scoop on the life of a professional conservationist and their industry, are feeling lost in your conservation job hunt and need some direction, or wanting to switch careers into conservation but don’t know where to start – this is the podcast for you.

How to listen?

You can listen and subscribe to the Conservation Careers Podcast on iTunesSpotifyStitcherCastbox, Deezer, and Libsyn.

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If you enjoy listening please leave us a rating and review on wherever you get your podcasts, it really helps us to get in front of more people! If you can share with your friends that would also be great. If you’ve got any questions or suggestions for the podcast please tweet them to @ConservCareers. We’d love to hear from you!

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Our Ultimate Guides give you in-depth answers to your top questions about working in conservation. From the 15 key conservation job types, to the top paid and free internships, to how to apply for jobs, you’ll find it here. 

Click the button below to choose from our growing selection of free careers guides, and get them sent straight to your inbox to read later.

Latest | Podcast Episodes

A key to success within conservation is the ability to design high-quality projects to protect species, habitats and sites. But only a small proportion of professional conservationists are formally trained in the essential skills of project design and management. With limited time and money available within the sector, it’s no surprise that employers are increasingly

Becky Park is the Programme Manager for the Osprey Leadership Foundation. They work to inspire young people about the natural world and to help them to develop into conservation leaders who can make a real difference, at both a grassroots and international level. We discuss the foundation’s origins, its mission in conservation and leadership training,

In this episode we’re speaking with Dr Kate Evans – Founder and Director of Elephants for Africa. She is an award-winning behavioural ecologist and conservation biologist, with over 25 years of experience in running wildlife research and conservation projects. Since establishing the charity Elephants for Africa in 2007, Kate has been responsible for funding their

What can Coca-Cola teach us about how to better save wildlife, in Australia and beyond?  And why should more governments set up charitable foundations to protect their national parks and threatened wildlife?  We discuss these and many other issues with today’s inspiring guest – David Goldman.  David is the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at

Why do so many people get into conservation because of a love of animals, only to discover that it’s all about people? And why if you’re interested in working as a social scientist particularly, should you focus on improving on your softer skills, especially if you want to get ahead in your career? We discuss

To have an impact as a conservationist, you need fundraising skills in order to turn your ideas into reality.  In a sector dominated by charities, the majority of conservation projects are therefore funded by donors, who provide an estimated 90 billion pounds in funding each year.  These include large grants secured from governments, foundations and

When wildlife is in decline the world over, how do we raise more funds for conservation, and ensure these funds are spent to have the greatest impact locally? Today’s guest thinks she has found the answer. Jade Brudenell is the Executive Director of the Conservation Collective, an organisation with a mission to increase the amount

Today we explore the world of conservation and diversity with digital storyteller Taurean Meacham. Working for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Taurean is the Program Coordinator for the Diversity Joint Venture for Careers in Conservation. In this episode we delve into Taurean’s work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in conservation and beyond.

Have you considered going back to university and doing a Master’s Degree in order to become more employable within the sector?  Perhaps you’ve looked at many programmes and wondered if they are tooling you up with the right skills employers value.  In today’s podcast, we’re speaking with Dr Stephen Green who’s the course leader for

How effective communication drives conservation success, with our guest Jon Monsoon.  Why do so many people get into conservation because of a love for animals, only to discover that it’s all about people?   And why, if you’re interested in making an impact in conservation, should you focus on improving your communication skills to advance your

How passionate individuals can transform their careers and save wildlife, with our guest Greg Cummings.  How can someone transition from being a bartender in London to leading an organisation helping to protect Gorillas – one of the most charismatic species on the planet?  And how can they raise millions of dollars in the process –

How do you switch careers from working in IT and Quality Management for 20 years to making a real impact in conservation?  That’s exactly what today’s guest – Clare Roberts – has achieved in the past few years, and she’s here today to share her story.  We start by exploring her pre-conservation career in the

How can corporate professionals contribute to conservation efforts?  What skills can they bring from the boardrooms of the private sector to help wildlife charities specifically to develop and grow?  These are some of the topics we discuss with today’s guest Raoul Bollen.  Raoul has been on a career journey from the corporate sector, from leading

Today we’re speaking with an old friend and colleague Ademola Ajagbe, the Regional Managing Director at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for Africa. Ademola discusses the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the need for scalable solutions and partnership-based approaches for meaningful impact. He shares TNC’s mission, its’ conservation model, and strategies for

Why is communications so important for conservationists? What communications skills are employers are looking for? And how can you start developing these skills, today? We answer these questions and more in this special edition of the Conservation Careers Podcast. Sir David Attenborough said that “Conservation is now a communications challenge”. Awareness of this challenge is