In this episode, I talk with scientist and science communicator Stephanie Martin about a topic near and dear to her heart – barriers to entry in the field of wildlife biology.
A lot of people may not know this, but experience is key for young wildlife biologists. Because conservation and science both are not lucrative fields, it is common for organizations and employers to hire people without paying them.
In fact, there are not only a lot of people willing to work for free, but there are also people willing to PAY to be able to work. This is especially true for work on charismatic species or in exotic field locations.
In this podcast, Stephanie and I discuss these barriers to entry and what it means for conservation and science. We go over:
- What exactly are the barriers to entry in conservation and wildlife biology careers (there are several)
- How barriers to entry have negative implications for conservation
- Why barriers to entry exist in the first place
- What can be done to (partly) solve this problem
- What can you do if you are just starting out in this field
- Toxic work environments and consequences on young professionals
- What to do if you are in a toxic work environment
- How the nature of conservation and wildlife biology field work needs to change
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