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.

Have your say!

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!

Choose your Ultimate Guide

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

How can we tackle some of the biggest challenges facing us as a global society, for the betterment of people and wildlife? Can we rebuild and transform economic systems in favour of human and ecological wellbeing, and what does the future look like for protected areas? This forms part of the energetic discussion with today’s

Did you know that Orangutans are the most intelligent beings on the planet after humans?  Perfectly adapted to their environment, they pass on their knowledge and culture through each generation, in order to help future generations to thrive.  As self-aware being – as intelligent as a six-year-old child – their drive to extinction is an

In recent years business leaders and board rooms across the globe have put sustainability and environmental towards the very top of their priorities.  In response an industry is forming rapidly to service their needs, both in house or as consultants. With generalist and specialist roles evolving all the time to keep up with the growing

Could a single moment change the entire course of your conservation career? At Conservation Careers, we often talk about what steps to take for a successful career helping wildlife. In this episode we switch things up and reflect back on pivotal moments that changed our careers for the better. Joining our host Dr Nick Askew

In this episode we’re revisiting an important discussion within conservation, and something which may affect you. Namely, barriers to entry which make it difficult to pursue careers for women, people of colour, indigenous people, and other under-represented groups. To discuss this in detail today is Lynn Mento, the CEO of new organisation Conservation Nation. Conservation

The media is full of images and stories of the wonderful side of conservation, including field work, research, travel, being outdoors and working closely with wildlife. But what is working in conservation really like? Joining our host Dr Nick Askew is Head of Community, Dr Fernando Mateos-González – or Nando he’s often known – and

We know that carbon in the atmosphere is increasing at an unsustainable rate, and that half of all native tress on earth have been felled.   This is having impacts on our lives, and on wildlife globally.   Recent studies have also shown that we have nearly a billion hectares of land suitable for ecosystem restoration.   That’s space for one TRILLION trees capturing around 30% of the excess carbon in

What is the diversity deficit in conservation, and how can we tackle it? In this episode, we speak to Cade London, Diversity Joint Venture Program Manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cade is a 5th generation Hawaiian, with a passion for conservation programs both in and out of government. Cade currently serves as

With limited time available, and a need to have purpose and impact through our careers, how do we get the right things done well? How we choose tasks, organise our time and keep on top of busy email inboxes? Turns out saving the planet needs some serious time and task management! Joining our host Dr

Conferences, meetings, festivals, community gatherings, networking events and more… Today there are many in-person and virtual conservation events to choose from! So how can you make the most of events for your career? In this episode we discuss how events can help your career, how to choose which event(s) to participate in, and how to

If professional conservationists could go back in time, what useful information would they have learnt sooner, that would have helped them in their careers? What differences are there between our expectations when starting out in conservation, and the realities of the sector? Sadly, we haven’t worked out how to time travel just yet, but we

Getting experience – whether volunteering, interning or even starting your own project – can do a lot for you in the early stages of your career. It can help you understand yourself, test drive different options, grow your network, demonstrate your passion and commitment to prospective employers, build your skillset and make you more employable.

As conservationists, one thing we’ve seen a lot of on the news in recent years is forest fires. Huge blazes in Australia, California, the Amazon razing forests to the ground and decimating wildlife unlucky enough to be in its path. Today we’re speaking with someone who works on the front line as an expert on fires and forest ecology within California. Dr Hugh Safford is

Have you ever considered working as an environmental consultant?   Do you know what one is and does, and what skills they are looking for?  Today we’re speaking to Nancy Thomson, who’s the Director and founder of Thomson Environmental Consultants – a very well known name within the industry Nancy has set up two consultancies already.

What would have happened if we’d started engaging young people in the conservation movement much earlier? Would we be seeing more action, impact and progress within the sector now as a result?  And how can we address diversity and inclusion issues, in a sector that traditionally has been dominated by white men from relatively affluent backgrounds?  These are some of the