Environmental Conservation

An Environmental Conservationist, which is also known as a conservation scientist, is an excellent job for anyone who loves nature and wants to preserve all of earth’s natural wonders. As a conservationist you need to, “Find your own ways to make less trash, and help others to learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle.” (EPA). The job is a hands-on job which means “spending a major portion of the workday outdoors without regard to weather.” (Easton 35) Though this doesn’t seem like a scientific job to most people it is because it involves calculating the outcome of certain things on the environment.

The purpose of this career is to protect the environment and the people and wildlife that live in it. The profession of environmental conservationist can be narrowed to certain fields. Some people specialize in land water or soil conservation. There are others who live for “addressing ‘environmental racism’, or the tendency to condone poorer environmental conditions (hazardous waste dumps, illegal/abandoned dumps) in areas populated mainly by people of color.” (Morkes 187)

It is required that you at least have a bachelors degree to hold this job. Many people have Masters as well. Generally, your pay depends on which degree you hold. Those who held doctorates has an average pay of 52,162 dollars. Those who held their

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doctorate in research for this field had a higher salary which has a median of 61,451 dollars. “In 2000, the median pay was $47,140” (Easton 90)

This is a career which is neither gender nor location specific. People with this career tend to travel to where the problem areas are, which is why it isn‘t location specific. The problem areas depend on which field someone specializes in. Both men and women hold this job. There isn’t a part of the job which requires either a male or a female to perform its task.

This job involves a lot of “treating, teaching, listening, counseling, problem solving/creativity, designing, inventing, drawing/writing, and developing ideas or programs.” (Easton 35) It obviously requires a lot of hands on work as well as mental work, which is demonstrated in the “problem solving/creativity, designing, inventing” Easton 35) In addition to the required hands-on work, this is not a job for someone who cannot work on a team. You have to be able to work with other people because working as part of a team and working toward a shared goal is mandatory.

Environmental Conservation is labeled as a field that is hazardous, because as an Environmental conservationist, you are “ working with infectious materials, or where accidents are common.” (Easton 35) To perform this job, you need a lot of initiative because you need to determine what needs to be done and often it can be a life or death situation for people and/or animals.

It is easy to get burned out in this career, due to “enduring long-term stress and strain.” (Easton 35) This is not a job people can have for a short time. This a career that people commit their whole lives to.

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People with degrees in this field can be employed by local, state or federal governments. It is also likely to be hired by an organization such as the EPA( the

Environmental Protection Agency). Through 2010, “Growth will be strongest in state and local government thanks to efforts to protect the environment. Growth will probably be less at the federal level, despite growing need in areas of soil and water conservation.” (Easton 89-90)

It is estimated that “2,200 new jobs (will be established) between 2000-2010.” (Easton 36) The federal government currently employs most of those in his field. There are agencies set up and people are hired by these agencies which are branches of the federal government. “Such agencies Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.” (Morkes 190) Even though the economy is failing and jobs are diminishing in most careers, this is a career that will still have jobs.

This is a considerably young career. People have only held jobs