Conservation Careers Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Today’s guest is Becky Park, 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, and how it connects the UK with countries along the Osprey migratory flyway, such as The Gambia.

Becky shares a fascinating story about community, leadership, and the passion that drives impactful conservation work.

We also delve into Becky's career, her role, and the challenges she faces, including the balance of remote work and family life.

It’s an inspiring, informative, and insightful podcast.

Enjoy.

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 these questions and many more with today’s guest Dr Laura Thomas-Walters.

Laura is the Deputy Director of Experimental Research for the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. She describes herself as an environmental social scientist with a focus on behaviour change who works closely with governments and NGOs to enact change through research.In this episode, we delve deep into the fascinating world of conservation science and climate change communication.

Laura shares her journey into conservation, driven by a passion for big, cuddly animals, and how it evolved into a focus on behaviour change and climate activism.

We explore the multifaceted nature of Laura's research, from demand reduction in the wildlife trade to linking extreme weather events with climate change.

We also discuss the importance of cultural awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the challenges of transitioning between academia and government work.

Finally, Laura also provides valuable insights into the soft skills needed for conservation social science and offers advice for aspiring conservationists on how to navigate the complexities of this field.

It’s a social-scienceing, climate-communicating, behaviour-changing podchat. Enjoy.

In this episode we’re speaking with the Deputy Global Conservation Director at WWF International, Cristianne Close. 

Cris describes herself as ‘passionate about creating positive change in the world, especially aiming to make the impossible, possible’. 

In this episode, we discuss how she gave up a fast-paced corporate career to follow her purpose and work in conservation.  

Now, as a senior staff member at WWF, Cris explains how her business acumen is helping her tackle one of the most insurmountable problems facing humankind - namely, reversing the loss of nature. 

During the conversation, we discuss her work at WWF and her career switch into the sector.  

We also talk about the skills increasingly valued within conservation, and Cris shares her top careers advice for aspiring conservationists seeking to follow in her footsteps. 

Finally, we discuss Earth Hour; a worldwide movement organized by WWF annually to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to give an hour for Earth. Scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd at 8:30 pm your local time, we discuss how you can get involved. 

It’s a wide-ranging, inspiring and Earth Hour connecting podchat. 

Enjoy. 

Have you ever dreamt about a career exploring the coral reefs of the south Pacific, diving in Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and all the lost corners of Papua New Guinea?

Perhaps you’d love to spend time with the local communities whose lives depend on the health of their forests and fisheries, working in partnership with them in the longer term to find win-wins for people and wildlife.

Well that’s the day job for today’s guest, Dr Stacy Jupiter, Melanesia Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Stacy’s work to bridge the gaps between science and conservation, forests and reefs, and wildlife and communities recently won her the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in Conservation. She’s a hugely impressive lady working at the cutting edge of conservation in some of the most inspiring locations on the planet.

Today we chat about her career highlights so far from the mud slides in Gabon to coral reefs in the Pacific and beyond and discuss the theory and practice of successful community-based conservation programmes. It’s a wide-ranging, fascinating and exciting discussion so jump in your hammock, grab a coconut and enjoy. 

On average every five minutes an albatross dies accidentally behind a fishing boat. Caught on a hook set for a fish, entangled in a net or striking a tensioned wire. During this episode a number of albatrosses will die needlessly.

Dr Ben Sullivan has dedicated his career to tackling similar marine conservation issues. Starting with a PhD counting koala poo in the Australian Outback, Ben developed a passion for sea birds whilst working in the mighty southern oceans around Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. He went on to manage the hugely successful BirdLife marine programme and helped to establish the famous Albatross Taskforce.

He now works in the enterprise sector for Fishtek Marine helping to innovate new products to tackle old conservation problems. One of which the Hookpod looks set to save countless accidental deaths of albatrosses and other seabirds. 

Ben’s a force of nature; he’s full of passion, dedication and ability and in this episode we talk about his career to date and the challenges and opportunities of enterprise in conservation. We also hear his career advice and explore what it takes to set up a dynamic global team to successfully tackle an issue like seabird bycatch. If you’re interested in seabirds, marine conservation, innovation and more you’ll love this episode.  

Competition for conservation jobs can be tough. The good news is that there are more jobs available than ever before. We list over 8,000 conservation jobs on our site each year and that continues to grow.

The bad news is there are more people like you looking to work in the sector. So how do you stand out from the crowd and get an interview?

We check application forms, CVs, cover letters and resumes each week at Conservation Careers and the majority contain simple errors which are holding applicants back from getting their dream jobs. You might have all the right experiences, skills and qualifications for your chosen role but if you can’t sell yourself on paper, this could be a major hurdle to getting hired.

To help we’ve produced a free step-by-step guide ‘How To Apply For A Conservation Job’ which you can download from our website. If you’re applying for a job, download it and use it; it really works!

We’ve also started a series of live training events at Conservation Careers and in this episode of the podcast, we’re going to dive into a webinar we held recently whereby Kristi Foster, our Head of Engagement, and myself walk you through some steps to pulling together a successful CV or resume for a conservation job. If you’re applying for a job, if you’re struggling to get an interview, you’re gonna like this one. Enjoy. 

Rhett Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, one of the largest, longest running and most important environmental news sites online. 

Rhett started the site just 20 years ago when an area of rainforest he had visited and enjoyed in Borneo was cut down just eight weeks later, logged down for woodchips to supply a paper pulp plant. 

He spent the first ten years of the project operating Mongabay entirely on his own, publishing thousands of stories and tens of thousands of photos. Today, Rhett serves as editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay, which is a non-profit media organisation with more than three dozen staff across four bureaus and a network of around 250 correspondents in 50 countries. 

In today’s podcast we talk about his journey setting up and growing Mongabay and where he plans to take things next. We also talk about the importance of journalism in environmental conservation, alongside practical tips on how to craft a compelling story. If you’re interested in news, media, journalism and communications, it’s a must-listen episode. Enjoy. 

With over 800 species of birds in South Africa and over 100 of them threatened, where do you start with trying to conserve them?

Growing up in South Africa, Mark Anderson was taken out into the bush for days on end by his grandfather and then from an early age he knew that he wanted to be a conservationist. He studied hard and now works even harder as CEO of BirdLife South Africa.

Today on the podcast, we talk about his career to date and how he stays focused and motivated. And what he looks for when hiring new staff. We also discuss what it’s like to be CEO of an organisation which is recognised internationally and nationally for its success in the conservation of wild birds and their habitats.

There are many times in our lives when we might find ourselves at a crossroads looking for purpose and direction. At these times, we might feel stuck and confused and perhaps we don’t know what to do. And if we do have a sense of what we need to do, we might find ourselves lacking the courage to make it happen. In short, we’re heading down the wrong path. 

If this is you, then you’re not alone. Today we’re talking to Neil Prem, an old friend and career coach who helps people to create and develop meaningful careers. And he’s just about to publish a book, “Seven Steps to Purpose”. In this special episode of the podcast he’ll help you to get unstuck, discover your dream job and do what matters most.

Have you ever considered doing a master's course (degree) to kick-start your career in conservation? What would completing a master's course achieve? Is it right for you and would it lead to a conservation job?

These are some of the topics covered in a wide-ranging discussion with Brendan Godley, Professor of Conservation Science at the University of Exeter. Brendan is probably best known for his research with marine turtles and is described in a blog in our website as a king in conservation science.

In this podcast, we talk about master's programmes, conservation science optimism, careers advice and much more. As always, if you enjoy our podcast, please do leave a rating or review and do check out our website for our free step-by-step guide, How to Apply for a Conservation Job, a detailed guide to CVs, resumes, cover letters and much more.