Wildlife Conservation

[Nakafia]

I'm 17 years old and I'm looking at a career in wildlife conservation but all the information is very confuzing for me, I was wondering if anyone could help me.
I'd like to know; what kind of jobs are availible in wildlife consevation, the average pay amount, whether there are oppotunities for jobs abroad and if yes are they easy to apply to, and most importantly if the job is a rewarding one (although I get the feeling it is). Thank you for your help

[tufftie]

Well there are lots of different jobs in wildlife conservation - it all depends which areas you are interested inmost. The pay (which varies quite a bit!) and how you get into them depend on your chosen areas. If you can expand on this a bit perhaps...?

[Nakafia]

That's part of the problem...i don't know what kind of jobs you can do...and nowhere I've looked can give me a simple list of things

[eeyore]

looking at job sites such as countryside jobs service or environment job (google will find both urls - which i cant give here as they are comercial links) will give you a good idea of whats out there and the likely pay.

i havent got time to type up a list now, but in general yes the work is rewarding (tho we have bad days just like any other job), yes there are opportunities overseas, and the pay is poor to middlin particularly at the bottom end (you are also likely to have to work as a volunteer dfor a year or so to get the expoerience to get your first paid job)

[tufftie]

What I meant was are you interested more in birds, marine life, wildlife rescue or woodland management etc... They all have different ways in.. Also if you decide this you will be making life a lot easier for yourself! If you are not going to college you will need to volunteer somewhere for a year as Eeyore said - you may well have to do that anyway fo the hands on experience

[Nakafia]

I was looking at doing a course at university that is 'wildlife and zoo biology', I really like thge idea of this course but I was also looking at doing some marine based courses that include a gap year to go do some work experience. I also think I'd like to do something very hands on.

[tufftie]

An alternative to going to uni - if you a want more hands on approach - is to do voluntary work somewhere and also your degree (diploma or whatever) by distance learning. If you do a google search for universities and distance learning quite a few will come up. Exeter is one and there is also one in Scotland that does marine Biology.

[eeyore]

note tho that you wont get a full student loan/grant for distance learning courses - tho of course you can work more to pay for them but this would defeat the point of doing distance learning as it will get in the way of volunteering.

I'd tend to advise you to a full time uni course, but before you chose which you need to decide if you want to do hands on habitat management (in which case you would be better with a countrside management course), or surveying type work (where you will need ecology or biology). or a more animal related careeer such as zoo keeping or animal rehabilitation in which case you should look at zoology or animal management.

If you cant decide you could do a modular course which encompases a little of all of these but these jack of all courses can put you at a disadvantage when you come to compete for jobs against people who chose a route earlier and thus have a more relevant qualification.

As regards experience I would say either take a gap year and volunteer before you go to uni, or do a sandwich type course that has a placement year.

[tufftie]

depends on the uni maybe but I didn't have to pay fees at Exeter distance learning because i wasn't earning enough etc....???? I had to drop the course because of change in circumstances but I wasn't going ot have to pay for this academic year either. Though - it does take longer doing it via distance learning.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by tufftie

depends on the uni maybe but I didn't have to pay fees at Exeter distance learning because i wasn't earning enough etc....???? I had to drop the course because of change in circumstances but I wasn't going ot have to pay for this academic year either. Though - it does take longer doing it via distance learning.

true but the rules for mature students are different to those for people going to uni straight out of school - Nakafia says that she is 17 - the exeter access to education arrangement is paid for out of a govt grant aimed at getting people back into education and I have a feeling that she wont be eligible.