Career stories - 15 found
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Emma Reece
Community Ranger
National Trust
After I finished my masters I started volunteering for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (now TCV) and I absolutely loved it, and I thought "wow – you can actually do this as a job?!". -
Rob Lott
Policy Manager
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Our mission is quite simple – we want to see a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. -
Eugenie Regan
Senior Programme Officer, Ecosystem Assessment Programme
UNEP-WCMC
I used to do a lot of fieldwork, but as I’ve progressed in my career I’ve done less and less, now I do no fieldwork at all in my current job. But I am at the heart of a lot of decision making processes now, feeding information in... -
Gavin Bennett
Mammal Project Assistant
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
From what I've found myself, and also seen from other people that I've worked with - even if you've done a PhD, if you want to get into the conservation sector you can't get ahead without doing voluntary work. -
Jess Chappell
Nature Policy Officer
RSPB
In 2012 I decided that I needed to get into a more scientific or policy-based role, and to do that I would need a Masters, so I went and studied Conservation Biology and the knowledge that I gained from that has helped me get the role I'm in today. -
George Papworth
Social Survey Scientist, Social and Economic Assessment Team
Cefas
My advice would be to try different things and then focus on one area that you're interested in, find some volunteer work in that area and take it from there. -
Sarah Wilson
Co-founder and Programme Manager
Shallow Waters
I studied Ecology and Conservation with Wildlife Biology at undergraduate level, and I knew that I wanted to do conservation in the long-run. -
Amanda Morgan
Technical Team Volunteer Coordinator
Canal & River Trust
I would say that for the wider environmental sector that if people are willing and able to volunteer and can get skills in a real working environment then it is hugely valuable. -
Nicole Van den Eijnde
Program Director
Global Generation
When I started travelling and volunteering, that’s when I really started to know what I wanted to do. When I came back I did a Masters in Education and International Development, and realised that I wanted to do this kind of work in the West. -
Sarah Atkinson
Squirrel Control & Monitoring Officer
Scottish Wildlife Trust
It's not what I thought I would do when I chose conservation, but it's what I've fallen into, and I've ended up working all over the world with it, I've been really lucky and I love what I do. -
Sally Oakes
Two's Company Coordinator
Life Cycle UK
I get a kick out of thinking none of this would have happened if I hadn't made it happen. It also makes cycling accessible to people with a disability, which is brilliant. -
Mat Hope
Writer & Researcher
Carbon Brief
I'm really enjoying being where I am and doing a job which allows me to write on a daily basis. It's a privileged position to be in and I am aware of that. -
Melanie Oxley
PR and Marketing Executive
The Ecology Consultancy
I have a background in Earth Sciences, Plant Sciences and Ecology, and then immediately went into campaigning work for not-for-profit organisations, and that's where I learnt most of the communications skills I now use. -
Ben Reynolds
Deputy Co-ordinator
Sustain - the alliance for better food and farming
I've been here for 10 years, and before that I started off as a volunteer. Before that I was a medieval archaeologist – which is a bit of curious route! But that's not uncommon here at Sustain, lots of people have come from different disciplines. -
Jo Dick
Education Officer - Primary Specialist
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
I was incredibly lucky to get the job here at Edinburgh Zoo - but it was the combination of my teaching qualification and conservation knowledge that helped.