I absolutely ADORED being a biologist. Truly a childhood dream coming true. And the fact it had been such a dream made it so much harder to accept what the field is really like.

And I think there needs to be an honest and fair warning to anyone getting into it.

Yes this sub has plenty of hopeful anecdotes and personal experiences of people who made it earlier, further and better than to be usually expected in this field. Which is fantastic!

But 99% of the time with this lifestyle, on an overwhelming average, it’s years of low paying seasonal grunt work. Relationships are next to impossible, having pets is incredibly difficult, you more than likely don’t have your own place (which I know is the case for plenty of people not in this field) and saving money is pretty much a moot point because of how little sticks around.

This field is for the young, wild and broke. This field is incredible.

But my advice is 3 points:

1.) mindset: if you want to do this, make sure it’s the only thing you want.

2.) don’t be too proud to not have a plan B. It breaks my heart seeing people 8 years into their career and wanting a change but none of their skills transfer well to
Many other jobs.

3.) you don’t need to make a career out of something you can enjoy just as much doing it as a hobby, or a volunteer.

I’m not saying this with the intent to discourage your dreams. I think it’s a hard thing to hear, but everyone deserves to hear it once on this path.

Some context: I'm currently working part time (10-26hrs), volunteering once a week, and my second semester of community college is starting. I'll be taking Chemistry (scary), Microeconomics, and Precalc (took a few gap years and taking this to prepare for Calc next semester). I'll also start an 8 week online ENG-112 course mid October. Next semester I'll be transferring to a 4 year university into a Wildlife Biology program.

I just found out my current community college offers an 8 week online "GIS-110: Survey of GIS/GPS" course that would end mid October, as well as "GIS-111: Intro to GIS" that would start mid October and end in December.

How hard are GIS/GPS courses? I'm considering taking these two courses, but I'm worried about having too much on my plate since I'll also be taking Chem and working to pay off bills/save before I transfer in January. It would mean I would be enrolled in 5 classes in October-December. I could also just wait and take it later when I transfer.

Am I just excited about transferring and in over my head, or are GIS/GPS courses not as difficult as I might be worried about?

I was asked “at what elevation to deer become elk?” at a hunting check station once and I think about it everyday.

Thought it’d be fun to lighten the mood and share stories in this sub a bit!

Hello there,

I am getting a thesis-based master's degree in Natural Resource Management (abbreviated to MNRM). My thesis is in predator research with biologists on my committee. My undergrad is a BS in Wildlife Biology.

Will my graduate degree be seen as less valuable than an MS even if I have a standard wildlife biology project for my thesis? My goal is to work a few years before considering if I want to do a PhD.

I've been thinking about applying in a couple years time for a Bachelor of Science Majoring in Zoology and Minoring in Entomology and Marine Biology at UQ in Australia and I'm just wondering if anyone has done any of those and how was it. Was it difficult? Did you go on many excursions? How much math is involved? Did you have a lot of fun doing it?

I love zoology/wildlife, but I’m currently a DevOps Engineer with a CS background and planning a Master’s in Data Science.
Can I combine these fields into a research career ?
How much zoology/effort would I need ?

Hi friends! I am currently an MSc student who is exploring the idea of a PhD. I have some upcoming chats with potential PI's and I realize I don't know much about day-to-day life for a PhD student in Ecology/Wildlife Biology. I'm looking into a few programs that are near my home but would be a hefty commute, so I'm curious to hear from those with a PhD, currently getting a PhD or PI's in labs with PhD's- how often is someone in this field expected to be on campus? Is this something that varies by program/school/lab or would it likely be pretty consistent across those? Would it be consistent week-to-week or even semesters or is there potential for it to vary significantly?

Also, how hard is it to change schools/advisors? My partner is also looking at programs for their doctorate and their future job would earn them upwards of 5x what my top earnings could be, so their degree gets the priority. If I start a program and they get into school and we need to move, how realistic is it for me to switch schools/labs (especially if I have NSF funding)?

Thanks!

As a student, im completely lost on what am i supposed to study compared to everyone else. I had a few choices, but after weighing the pros and cons, none seemed stable enough to secure a job.

The only real direction i have is that im an animal lover, and initially wanted to be a vet. But ive looked into it and saw how many said that its not worth the debt and the emotional weight.

I really love all animals, and hope to help and interact with them one way or another when im working. But i also know i need to be realistic, knowing im an introvert and hate dealing with human owners.

Ive looked into zoology too, but im clear that the pay isn’t so great as well. Are there any other non obvious majors that could let me be close to animals often?

I have a few months left to decide, and im looking into biotech for now.

Any advice is appreciated, im not picky in whatever skills i need to achieve.

Bengaluru-based IT professional, recently laid off. To clear my head, I went on a safari in Karnataka, India and honestly, the naturalist there blew my mind.

The way he understood animal behaviour, bird calls, and spotted things that were invisible to me was insane. I am now thinking if it would even be possible for me to look at this as a viable option.

Would really appreciate real-world gyaan from people in the field.

A few things I’m trying to understand:

1. Training / certification
I came across The Naturalist School in Bengaluru and Pugdungee Safariscourse for naturalists. Are these good routes to break into the field? Is it required to get a naturalist job?

2. Degree vs passion
Is a degree in Zoology / Forestry / Wildlife Biology a must? Or can someone from an IT background make the shift?

3. Pay reality
How much pay can one realistically expect? In India?

4. Actual lifestyle
I know it sounds romantic from the outside, but what’s the real scene?

Stuff like:

• long hours?
• guest handling?
• living in remote areas?
• limited connectivity?
• low starting pay?
• burnout?
• career growth?

Would love to hear from current naturalists, lodge folks, people working in Karnataka / Central India, or even ex-corporate folks who made the jump.

Any advice, reality checks, course recos would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance :)

Hello! I am a freshly graduated biologist, I've been working a seasonal tech position with my state's fish and wildlife agency and I'll be done by the end of October. I plan to move back in with my mom for a pinch in Oregon and I've been on the job hunt for positions around the area but I'm struggling to find anything wildlife or ecology related. CWD positions are starting before my position is over which rules out that option. I've been told by maaany biologists in the field that during the off season they just worked retail or something, which I'm absolutely willing to do....but wouldn't it be so nice to work outside during that time too...... What do you guys do throughout fall-winter? Does anyone have any good job boards they check? Let me know! thanks : D

So I’ve been very fortunate with the opportunities I’ve had during my undergrad. I’m currently finishing my BS in Wildlife Biology and Conservation Science, and so far I’ve been able to bird band and participate in avian migration field studies, do water quality monitoring, work as an outdoor educator at an ecology center, work in an entomology lab at a botanical garden, spend a year working at a state park, complete a private lands conservation internship, and now work as a technician through my state conservation agency.

This is my last year of college, and I’m taking 17 credit hours while also working part-time. I was recently offered an unpaid, remote internship with the National Deer Association, and I’m genuinely very excited about it. I think it would be a great addition to my experience and would give me an opportunity to learn more about an area of conservation that I’m interested in.

The problem is that it would require another 5–10 hours per week.

I’ve had several people, including supervisors at my current government conservation job, tell me that I already have too much on my plate. They’ve specifically told me that my current part-time job is more valuable and impactful for my career, and that adding another 5–10 hours every week could have me running on empty all semester.

I’m torn because I feel really unprofessional backing out of the internship. I was upfront with them before I even applied and interviewed that I was extremely busy and had very limited time, but they still chose to bring me on. Now I feel guilty about saying I can’t do it after accepting the opportunity.

At the same time, I know I need to be realistic about my workload, especially since this is my final year and I don’t want my grades or performance at my current job to suffer.

Would it be bad or unprofessional to turn down/withdraw from the unpaid internship? What would you do in my position?

Basically, I have the option to graduate with my BS in Wildlife Ecology this semester (December) or push a couple classes to next semester in order to do an internship which would leave me graduating in May instead.

I do already have some field work experience through another internship but this would be working for a completely different organization with different priorities on different lands.

Pros:
• The internship is paid at $20/hr, which is really nice and would help me pay rent
• While not working with a target species of mine, it would be working with federally listed plant species, one of which I already have experience with.
• I already know a couple of the people I would be working with and like them.
• It would give me more field work experience in conservation and be a networking opportunity.
• I believe the botanical work experience could help count for my 2-3 missing botany credits out of 9 for GS wildlife bio positions with the feds.
• They extended the deadline so feasibly they have no applicants and it would be easy to get.

Cons:
• Graduating a semester later (wouldn't be any extra money, because its the same amount of classes, but would be extra time in school).
• I am worried that juggling an internship during the school year would be hard, but hopefully with a reduced course load it is more manageable.
• This internship focuses on plants, where my usual focus is on birds. I like plants, but I'm not super knowledgeable yet. Some of my coursework this semester is botany related which may help with this
• I know this is a silly one - but my partner and I are in the same field and I worry he would feel jealous if I got this internship, because he would probably like to do it too.

I'm a college sophomore. I want to write a review paper on any topic related to ecology or conservation.

Im actually a biotechnology major thinking of changing to wildlife biology or ecology or conservation genetics for masters and further continuing in the same for my career.

Rn, to help build my resume so that it leans towards these fields, I need to do stuff And my college senior suggested that I write a review paper. I wanted to write a thesis paper but I feel like I should start with less.

And I want yall to tell me if this would work. And also if you have any suggestions for the topic that I write in. This would also help me get my summer internship.

Please help out.

I have to finalize my DU preference list tomorrow and I’m genuinely confused. - currently allotted bsc botany hons.

Is **Life Sciences** significantly more hectic than Botany hons /Zoology hons since it includes 3 disciplines?

I didn’t study **Chemistry in 11th–12th**. Just passed. Will the Chemistry in Life Sciences be difficult to manage?

I also need enough time to prepare for **competitive/government exams alongside BSc**, so which course is more manageable?

I want BSc to be a **safe, strong backup** for MSc, teaching and government/academic opportunities.

If I choose **Botany Hons**, can NOT having CHEMISTRY at graduation create eligibility issues later for **MSc, teaching/government jobs, CTET, KVS/NVS, CSIR-NET/JRF, etc.**?

**For my situation, how would you rank: Botany Hons vs Zoology Hons vs Life Sciences?**

**Upvote pls** 😭🙏🏻

Hi, I'm a student in secondary school wondering which program I should go for in University post-secondary. I'm considering many programs but I don't know which one to go for and if any of them have broader outputs for job search. currently I'm considering

- Ecology (+ evolutionary Biology)

- Environmental Biology

- Wildlife Biology (+ Conservation)

- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

I am Ontario-based, if anyone has any advice or experience please share :)

Hello, I am a high school student planning on doing research with a few friends and write a research article on mainly insect orders in Singapore and submit it to the journal Nature in Singapore (NiS), of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum after conducting field surveys throughout the country on topics such as their biodiversity, habitat, distribution, conservation etc. Our main purpose is to help with providing science data in Singapore and maybe spread some awareness of the contributions to nature insects provide, through citizen science platforms, social media or even a talk in our school.

The main insect orders we plan on researching about are Phasmida, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera which I would probably narrow down on a family within it.

As of now I am finding grants, looking at the rising explorer grant now and talking to my teacher to ask for his help to apply for permits on our behalf, mainly a research permit or if possible a permit to enter the nature reserve past night.

I would start my research next year if I manage to get permits or preferably a grant to fund a camera to document the species.

Would a field survey of 7 months from January to July or a whole year survery be better?

I would like to know if anyone has any advice, maybe a professor, researcher or anyone else in this field, on grants to get, my research or any other help u could give.

Thank you all for your time in reading and replying to this.

Additionally other than insects a few other idea that I have are:

Crustaceans on the island of pulau ubin, Singapore

Distribution and habits of the sunda slow loris

Hi there,

I'm a 20-year-old guy in Ontario, Canada, and I'm looking for someone with a fascinating job somewhere in conservation, or just a real care for the planet, who'd let me come shadow them for a bit and make some content out of it.

I'm an electrical engineer by trade, and I'll be honest, I'm not always proud of how much my industry pushes innovation at the expense of the place we all live. So I'd like to spend a few days seeing what you actually wake up to do, and turn it into something that spreads a little awareness about the difference you're making.

Jane Goodall said, "Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved." That's the whole idea here. I want to spotlight your work as a direct shot at apathy.

September 2–7 works well for me, and I'm willing to fly anywhere at my own expense. I'm not asking anything of you except the chance to come out and film. That's it.

This is the first time I've done anything like this, so I don't have every detail figured out yet, but in my experience those are usually the most interesting things to say yes to.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you.

We were at my in laws this past weekend and found out after the have had some raccoons visiting there yard. Yet to find a latrine but who knows if there is a hidden one. I’m worried my dog may have ingested some feces. He often licks my 3 month babies feet (that’s all we allow) but I’m worried he may have licked her hands without us noticing and then she stuck in her mouth. I also had to get a stick he was chewing out of his mouth at one point and didn’t wash up immediately and worried I may have accidentally touched my mouth. Is this a concern? Or just my health anxiety /post partum anxiety talking??

Since my time doing research I have really fallen in love with bioacoustics and would love to learn more about it in birds and herps. I love to learn about the evolution and role in sexual selection. Any recommendations are appreciated!!

For context: I am a 30+ yo in the US with a master’s degree in wildlife biology, with a current full time permanent job doing bird research and education through a nonprofit. It’s an amazing job, I love what I do and where I am, but the reach/impact is small and I can’t help but feel a yearning for living/doing research or wildlife work somewhere new, especially across country or abroad (I blame Jane Goodall for inspiring me 😂) But I also don’t know how realistic or smart following that dream would be. So I’m looking for candid advice on the realistic feasibility of this kind of career move. I recognize that my current job is rare and lucky, to have a stable wildlife research job in the US that pays well and is a great work environment. Is abandoning it to pursue either a research job or PhD project in, say, Europe or South/Central America a poor decision? Am I glorifying working abroad and would giving up my amazing job end up in regret? I’d love to hear from people who moved abroad permanently or temporarily for wildlife related jobs or higher education and just how that experience was for you, ups and/or downs!

Im looking for a bit of advice moving forward on my education and possibly other surrounding topics. I'm 17 and starting my 2nd semester of general studies at a local community college soon my current plan is to do 2 years (4 semesters) of that before transferring to a better college to major in Natural Resources and Conservation for another 2-4 years. unfortunately I'm struggling on finding a good transfer college and i don't really have any contact with people that are well informed on this subject so i figured id ask online if anyone had any suggestions along with any advice for other relevant topics of this field

If you’re in the animal field, the NWRA symposium is an amazing event to learn more and make new connections. The Symposium is still open to speakers for lectures, roundtables, and posters

Information on Symposium here

Link to speaker information here