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Interviewee: Jody Palmer
Director of Conservation Programs,
Brevard Zoo
Interviewer: David Corsar, NWF
David Corsar: Thank you for agreeing to speak with us today. Could you start by explaining your role with the Brevard Zoo and why you chose to work there?
Jody Palmer: I began at Brevard as a work study student, and shortly after that, it became a part-time position. Then I was able to bring in some funding and turn it into a full-time position. I wrote a few grants and was able to cover my position completely and even add additional employment. Later, I was promoted to a director’s position. Now I’m basically a manager and focusing on hiring, managing partnerships, etc. My personal goals have shifted from “making a difference in the environment” to “being a strong leader for my team, so they can be powerhouses within the community and change the world.” Here in Florida, it is really important to focus not just on the youth, but elders as well, since we have such a large retired community.
DC: What difference can graduates expect to make by going into Habitat and Wildlife careers with Brevard Zoo?
JP: All of my employees need to be able to perform a wide variety of roles. For example, I have two conservation coordinators, and those two folks wear many hats. One controls our small grants program where we support many international conservation projects, supporting researchers all around the world. In addition to administering all those grants, she leads our programs on terrapins and mangroves. Another does all of the pollinator work, and several other diverse programs. For our oyster team, one person works as a manager, and the rest of the staff are responsible for going out and doing field work, conducting workshops, building reefs, as well as office work, such as answering emails from confused oyster gardeners. There’s a mix of field work and office work. Everyone has to be able to dress up and be comfortable presenting in front of top experts and professors and to be able to get dirty climbing under bridges and maintaining reefs. Every day is completely different, tomorrow they could be sitting on a mat with a kindergartner talking about conservation.
DC: What would you say to students and young professionals interested in going Habitat and Wildlife today? And what career opportunities do you see on the horizon?
JP: I would say to them that there are going to be naysayers, perhaps their parents may say that they should pursue something else. Don’t go into it for the money. The world needs more people like us to put everything on the line to go out and make it happen. If you are passionate about it, you need to pursue it.
DC: What should students study? And are there particular credentials of relevance to employers?
JP: You will need to study a lot of math and science – and psychology too. I think that with any kind of work with animal behavior, you need to know the psychology of the way the animal is going to think. For example, if I need to move a family of Florida Scrub-Jays, I know that I couldn’t do this individually. They are very family-based, and separating them would be too traumatic. You might think you should go in and get as many birds as possible, but this may not be the best way to do it. In my profession, unfortunately a lot of organizations that do work with wildlife, they don’t necessarily respect [animal psychology] as much, but we need more people to see it that way. It needs to be foremost about the well-being of the animal. Definitely a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is highly recommended. A PhD is often considered overqualified - positions for PhDs can be limited. Definitely master’s degrees are more of the norm these days. Volunteer at every opportunity that you get. This is a very small world that we work in. Go to conferences, meetings, symposiums, etc. and expand on any of those opportunities. Hold the door open for someone, have a drink with someone and start a conversation, build your network; those are the kinds of experiences that make a difference when looking for employment down the line.
DC: How might certification as NWF EcoLeaders make a difference to employers?
DC: Do you have any recommendations for who else would be a good source of information on education and employment within Habitat and Wildlife?
JP: I’d recommend reaching out to everything from even your local wildlife hospitals since smaller organizations have a lot to offer too all the way up to state and federal fish and wildlife organizations or The Wilderness Society. Also, don’t completely discount some of the zoos and aquariums because although some of them out there get it wrong, many are very invested and active in conservation.
Click here to return to the Habitat and Wildlife Career Sector Outlook
Interviewee: Jody Palmer
Director of Conservation Programs,
Brevard Zoo
Interviewer: David Corsar, NWF
David Corsar: Thank you for agreeing to speak with us today. Could you start by explaining your role with the Brevard Zoo and why you chose to work there?
Jody Palmer: I began at Brevard as a work study student, and shortly after that, it became a part-time position. Then I was able to bring in some funding and turn it into a full-time position. I wrote a few grants and was able to cover my position completely and even add additional employment. Later, I was promoted to a director’s position. Now I’m basically a manager and focusing on hiring, managing partnerships, etc. My personal goals have shifted from “making a difference in the environment” to “being a strong leader for my team, so they can be powerhouses within the community and change the world.” Here in Florida, it is really important to focus not just on the youth, but elders as well, since we have such a large retired community.
DC: What difference can graduates expect to make by going into Habitat and Wildlife careers with Brevard Zoo?
JP: All of my employees need to be able to perform a wide variety of roles. For example, I have two conservation coordinators, and those two folks wear many hats. One controls our small grants program where we support many international conservation projects, supporting researchers all around the world. In addition to administering all those grants, she leads our programs on terrapins and mangroves. Another does all of the pollinator work, and several other diverse programs. For our oyster team, one person works as a manager, and the rest of the staff are responsible for going out and doing field work, conducting workshops, building reefs, as well as office work, such as answering emails from confused oyster gardeners. There’s a mix of field work and office work. Everyone has to be able to dress up and be comfortable presenting in front of top experts and professors and to be able to get dirty climbing under bridges and maintaining reefs. Every day is completely different, tomorrow they could be sitting on a mat with a kindergartner talking about conservation.
DC: What would you say to students and young professionals interested in going Habitat and Wildlife today? And what career opportunities do you see on the horizon?
JP: I would say to them that there are going to be naysayers, perhaps their parents may say that they should pursue something else. Don’t go into it for the money. The world needs more people like us to put everything on the line to go out and make it happen. If you are passionate about it, you need to pursue it.
DC: What should students study? And are there particular credentials of relevance to employers?
JP: You will need to study a lot of math and science – and psychology too. I think that with any kind of work with animal behavior, you need to know the psychology of the way the animal is going to think. For example, if I need to move a family of Florida Scrub-Jays, I know that I couldn’t do this individually. They are very family-based, and separating them would be too traumatic. You might think you should go in and get as many birds as possible, but this may not be the best way to do it. In my profession, unfortunately a lot of organizations that do work with wildlife, they don’t necessarily respect [animal psychology] as much, but we need more people to see it that way. It needs to be foremost about the well-being of the animal. Definitely a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is highly recommended. A PhD is often considered overqualified - positions for PhDs can be limited. Definitely master’s degrees are more of the norm these days. Volunteer at every opportunity that you get. This is a very small world that we work in. Go to conferences, meetings, symposiums, etc. and expand on any of those opportunities. Hold the door open for someone, have a drink with someone and start a conversation, build your network; those are the kinds of experiences that make a difference when looking for employment down the line.
DC: How might certification as NWF EcoLeaders make a difference to employers?
JP: [Certification as a Recognized EcoLeader] is the exactly kind of thing that I scour resumes for. In an interview I would ask about any difficult situations or hardships during implementation and how you came out of it. The types of programs [implemented by EcoLeaders] are not going to be easy to put into place. It’s especially significant if they were a leader on it - if they were the one that was instrumental in making it happen. It’s one thing to just come to meetings and show up once a month for support, but if that’s the impression I get, it’s actually a negative one. We want the people who are going to be in the front row - even if it’s not something that is environmental-based.
I had a hire that was the campus lead for Relay For Life, and it kept coming up in every story she would tell, and I could see the passion and the pride in it, which is just going to show in everything that they do.DC: Do you have any recommendations for who else would be a good source of information on education and employment within Habitat and Wildlife?
JP: I’d recommend reaching out to everything from even your local wildlife hospitals since smaller organizations have a lot to offer too all the way up to state and federal fish and wildlife organizations or The Wilderness Society. Also, don’t completely discount some of the zoos and aquariums because although some of them out there get it wrong, many are very invested and active in conservation.
Click here to return to the Habitat and Wildlife Career Sector Outlook
Type
Interviews
Sector
Habitat and Wildlife
Category Career Center Resources
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