Habitat and Wildlife Career Outlook

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. – John Muir

In addition to the aesthetic and intangible benefits of natural areas, the many tangible benefits include: providing homes for wildlife to live and thrive, filtering stormwater runoff before it can pollute our waters, preventing damaging erosion, and combatting climate change by acting as a carbon sink through the absorption of carbon dioxide in wood and soils thereby sequestering it from the atmosphere.

United around the common cause of conserving wildlife and natural areas, a diverse collection of groups and individuals came together in 1936 to form what would become the National Wildlife Federation. Since then, NWF has led and promoted numerous efforts to safeguard America’s wild places for the benefit of the current generation and generations to come. As such, NWF certified EcoLeaders with a passion for conservation are encouraged to consider careers directly involved in the mission to protect, conserve, and restore natural habitats.
 

Sizing Habitat and Wildlife Jobs in the Clean Economy:

Careers in wildlife and habitat preservation can be categorized by job duties (e.g. project management, research scientist, technician, etc.) and by field of work (e.g. aquatic environments, forestry, green buildings, etc.). According to a 2011 study conducted by the Brookings Institute, the third largest sector of the clean economy is conservation (defined as management of public natural resources such as land, parks, forests, and wildlife), which employed nearly 315,000 workers in the U.S.¹
 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides aggregated information for the following four major groupings within this sector, totaling over 75,000 employees as of May 2014: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (18,970), Conservation Scientists (19,210), Forest and Conservation Technicians (30,310), and Forest and Conservation Workers (6,870).² Within those groupings, there are a wide array of specific positions.

Here is a sample of habitat and wildlife protection positions currently being listed on various job websites:³
Recent online job listings point to more than 3,500 current, open wildlife and conservation related positions available all across the country. Among major metropolitan areas, the Washington DC metro area leads the way in both current employees (over 18,000 according to the Brookings study) and open positions (over 100 opportunities).⁴ If you are interested in this sector, our friends at Earth Echo International have a great, interactive multimedia site called STEMexplore to investigate career paths that you should certainly check out.

Salaries for Habitat and Wildlife Jobs:

The habitat and wildlife positions listed above range in both required level of education and average salary. The BLS reported the following salaries as the 2016 median pay: Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists ($60,520), Conservation Scientists ($60,610), Forest and Conservation Technicians ($38,630), and Forest and Conservation Workers ($26,940). However, the type of employer has a large impact on the average salary; for example, the average salary for the 6,750 zoologists and wildlife biologists employed by state governments is $53,860 while the average salary for the 4,210 employed by the federal government is $80,210.⁵

Required Education and Certifications:

For a typical laborer job in forestry or conservation, a high school diploma may be the highest level of education necessary; however, an associate’s degree may be necessary for a technician-level job, and a bachelor’s or master’s degree would likely be necessary for the more advanced positions. Professional experience in wildlife habitats or preservations is often preferred, so obtaining related volunteer or internship experiences before and during college should be a priority to enhance competitiveness. For some positions, related experience can even be partially substituted for education requirements.

Pathways to careers in wildlife and habitat preservation often feature degrees in conservation biology, wildlife management, agricultural and biological science, or natural resource management .⁶ Below is a small sample of the programs that could be used to create a career pathway in conservation. Of course, project management skills, such as planning, research, leadership, and communication, are always beneficial and can be developed and certified right here within the NWF EcoLeaders community!

Examples of Certification Programs Related to Habitat and Wildlife⁷

• Cornell University | Master Naturalist Program Trainings and Workshop
• The Wildlife Society | Certified Wildlife Biologist and Associate Wildlife Biologist (certification programs)
• Columbia University’s Earth Institute| Conservation & Environmental Sustainability (certificate program)

Examples of Academic Programs Related to Habitat and Wildlife⁷

• Haywood Community College | Associate Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management Technology
• Purdue University’s Youth Development & Agricultural Education | Wildlife Habitat Education Program University of North Dakota | Fisheries and Wildlife Biology (B.S.)
• Kansas State University | Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology (B.S.)
• University of Vermont | Wildlife and Fisheries Biology (B.S.)
• Auburn University | Wildlife Enterprise Management (B.S.) 
• Texas State University | Wildlife Ecology (M.S.)
• University of Montana | Wildlife Biology (M.S.)

Habitat and Wildlife Project Examples from the NWF Sustainability Database:

Habitat and Wildlife EcoTopic Page - Start here to find lots of resources for you to start and share your own Campus or Community Habitat and Wildlife EcoProject in the EcoLeaders community! Or find inspiration from the following projects that other EcoLeaders have done:

• Central Piedmont Community College - North Carolina: CPCC receives NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat designation (providing each of the four essential elements to attract wildlife: food, water, cover and places to raise young) for all six campuses.
• University of Minnesota – Minnesota: Students from the Twin Cities are working on-the-ground to clean up and restore a local wetland, and at the same time, are providing the college, and the wider community, with a real-world teaching tool about water quality and wildlife.
• University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee - Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee’s student organization, Ecotone, works to restore habitat on campus in Downer Woods and a prairie garden.
• University of South Florida - Florida: USF has preserved an area of approximately one square mile, comprising a variety of habitats including extensive wetlands (mostly cypress swamp).
• Green Mountain College - Vermont: Green Mountain adopts an invasive species control policy, a natural areas policy, and establishes seven native gardens on campus.

Of course, NWF has numerous resources and opportunities for EcoLeaders and their supporters to learn more about and become involved with habitat and wildlife preservation. Some of our most popular and most recent offerings include:

• Check out current projects being undertaken by EcoLeaders in the Habitat and Wildlife EcoPathway.
• NWF’s The Campus Wild guide highlights how colleges and universities are playing a dynamic role protecting; wildlife and restoring habitats. It explores campus green places – dedicated to “The Wild” – can also benefit students, faculty, and staff with leadership opportunities, hands-on learning, energy savings and water conservation, furthering; the career development goals of NWF’s EcoLeaders initiative!
• NWF Action Center, featuring campaigns such as the widely-recognized initiative to protect the Monarch Butterfly and other pollinators.
• Also, NWF’s Generation E guide to student leadership for sustainability includes a chapter on student-lead habitat management and restoration projects and other topics that link to education and outreach within the college community and to the community at large.
• Finally, become a NWF Wildlife Habitat Certified Campus – highlight your campus efforts to protect wildlife and provide food, water, cover and places to raise young.
   

RESOURCES:

1. Brooking Institute. “Sizing the Clean Economy.” Retrieved on June 3, 2015.
2. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment Statistics.” Retrieved on June 2, 2015.
3. Internet research conducted June 2, 2015
4. Ibid.
5. Bureau of Labor Statistics, op. cit.
6. Study.com. “Wildlife Habitats & Reservations: Career Options & Job Requirements.” Retrieved on June 4, 2015
7. Internet research conducted June 2, 2015.

By: David Corsar, NWF EcoLeaders Career Center Manager 2015 and Christina Lopez, NWF EcoLeaders Fellow 2017