Hi @jameson_nagle, I’m sorry you’ve faced so many obstacles in building a career in natural resources/conservation. You are not alone. Perhaps there could be section of the forum dedicated to job postings in natural resources/nature education/conservation etc. I’d love to help with that if others think it’s a good idea. I know you’ve tried everything to find a job but let me know if you want me to share any of the online job boards I look at for job opportunities in natural resources and conservation. ### UPDATE: started a discussion of that topic here: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/botany-wildlife-conservation-jobs/16384. ###
I got a PhD in ecology a few years ago and I’m unemployed currently. I know I’ll eventually find a job but it’s not as easy as my friends and family think and certainly getting jobs in ecology often means frequent moves from place to place–which rips us away from community and family. I know lots of folks with tremendous passion for nature and great skills who cannot get jobs.
I’m sensitive to your situation but you should not blame scientists working in conservation or natural resources–it’s truly not up to them whether you have a job.
The reason we have trouble getting jobs, even after years of doing unpaid internship and underpaid seasonal jobs is that there simply is not enough money flowing into natural resources and conservation. Conservation science and on-the-ground conservation work produces enormous benefits for society but it doesn’t generate profits for companies or shareholders. Therefore, payroll in that sector comes almost entirely from public generosity–either through government, by way of taxes, or from philanthropy. For example iNaturalist has tiny staff and is supported by the California Academy of Sciences, and the National Geographic Society and donations from some of the users (thanks guys!). Even then it’s mostly built on the unpaid work of thousands of people.
I believe that the benefit of saving ecosystems and species for our future selves and future generations is literally incalculable. However, unless we can get someone to pay for the work it takes to protect them TODAY they will disappear. That is the sad truth. Right now billions and billions of dollars are flowing into industries and products that are destructive or at best dysfunctional–everything from social media ads, to oil and gas extraction, to unhealthy fast food, to vastly overpriced health insurance, to political lobbying, to private prisons, to unsustainable housing developments in flood and fire zones. On the other hand, where is the money for saving endangered species, managing fisheries, making farming more sustainable, reducing air pollution, making sure drinking water is clean, removing plastic from the ocean–etc? Ironically, when you do work that literally benefits everyone it’s extremely hard to get anyone to pay for it! (positive externality). It’s as simple as that. The economic system we live in today is designed to destroy whatever does not generate short-term profits. If we don’t change it, natural ecosystems will gradually be impoverished and at the same time there will always be fewer positions in conservation and natural resources than qualified applicants. https://theconversation.com/creative-self-destruction-the-climate-crisis-and-the-myth-of-green-capitalism-47479