Environmental scientist or just passionate environmentalist?

Nature Talk
1

I’m a junior in high school and am getting to the time where I need to choose and lock in on a college and path. However, the longer I think about it, the more uncertain I become. Since eighth grade I’ve been determined to become an ornithologist as I’m extremely passionate about birds. However, lately* it feels like my interest in music and art outweighs that, and that maybe I like the idea of environmental science more than I will actually like a career in it. I’m very unsure of what I want at the moment. How did you guys decide whether you wanted to go for a professional career or remain nature hobbyists? Any advice and discussion is appreciated. (If this question is not appropriate for the forum, I apologize. I don’t post here often.)

*Lately as in I only just started having this crisis. Music has been very important to me for a very long time, which is why I’m so undecided.

2

I was a junior in high school in May of 2024 when I joined iNaturalist. I had also thought about becoming an ornithologist or an artist since I was in middle school, however history took over as my main interest. I chose to become a history major rather than a environmental science major for two main reasons: a) if I was going to be underpaid and undervalued for my work, I really did not want to be spending grueling hours outside, and b) I really do not want to closely deal with the death of nature. My interest in specific animals have changed over time since then, too. I’m more of a fan of flies than birds now.

Also, there’s animal-related jobs outside of the field of biology. You can also double-major or return to receive an education in ornithology later in life.

3

Many moons ago, I did my undergrad in the arts, made art about science, then came back around and did a PhD in environmental science. Now I’m a full-time research scientist. Whatever you choose in undergrad, your future is not written in stone and you wont always want the same things. Chase what is interesting to you now, and you’ll figure it out as life goes along!

4

When you say interest in music and art, do you mean interest in studying them academically or in being a musician/artist? In either ornithology or art, it is possible to become very proficient while remaining an amateur, so whichever you choose, you haven’t got to abandon the other. Either choose the one you are most passionate about and accept you might feel it was the wrong choice for a career. Or choose the one where you feel least able to follow it as an amateur, to give you the best chance of keeping both interests active.

There have been similar discussions on here and I remember making the point that you can be extremely useful to the conservation movement without being a biologist. Conservation organisations need IT specialists, lawyers, mechanics etc.

5

Even in art, I’m torn. If I only wanted to pursue being a musician I would just join a college band while studying envisci, but I am very interested in circus arts and I know that if I actually managed to get into a circus I’d likely be traveling with it.

6

I considered a career in music, and I minored in music in college. I was advised by a professional musician to only pursue a musical career if that was the only thing that would make me happy. This person argued that a career in music/arts is exceptionally difficult, so if you have other options/interests you should take those instead. I’m not sure that is good advice for everyone (or even what really influenced my decision), but it may be helpful to consider. I think ultimately I was just too curious about the natural world, and I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t pursue graduate work in biology.

While you may need to make decisions on where to apply and what degree you might be interested in, the decisions you make now do not “lock you in” for the rest of your life. People change career paths all the time, and relatively few people are currently in a job related to their college major (if they went to college at all). Don’t succumb to the pressure to have your entire life planned out in high school. Look at schools that have good options for both science and arts so you can explore different options. Try volunteering or interning to get an idea of what day-to-day work is like. Think about personal considerations of where you want to live or what kind of work environment you like. Talk to different professionals to get lots of opinions: some people give terrible advice.

7

I think often this type of thought process is better begun with, “what do I need my career choice to do for me?” with “what should my career choice be” as a second step.

Do you need a career that will make it easy to make a living anywhere you move to? Something that offers a lot of schedule flexibility? Something where you’ll spend your time collaborating with a motivated team? Something that will bring in piles of money? Something that will be a constant intellectual challenge? Something that lets you express your innermost self? Very few jobs will allow for all of these (or whatever needs you define) so it is important to think about order of priority. After you have a list of these needs, I advise writing down, for each path you are considering, how well that path seems to match with that need. I know this sounds a little bit laborious, but it is a lot less work than pursuing a career only to find out it doesn’t make sense for you.

8

Hi! I would love to hear more about your pathway. I have an arts undergrad, and now am looking to switch careers into wildlife and conservation science. It’s heartening to know that this can be done!

I think to provide some encouragement to our original poster @steamjunk, you can always go to college and change your mind. I don’t regret getting a degree in musical theater, but I wish I had branched out and tried new things while still at university. I think I may have ended up double-majoring or taking more time. I was SO set on doing four years or less. I locked in a little too hard, methinks!

EDIT: I work in the arts now, but have a job in grant writing and arts admin. I found out that the lifestyle of being a musician, actor, producer, artist to make a living was not for me. Namely, I didn’t want to be tied to an urban area and I wanted instead to take the pressure off the art I was making. That’s just what I have learned about me! Wishing you the best of luck and many deep breaths as you navigate this transitional time!

9

Depending on your school of choice and how much of a course load you can stand, it might be helpful to major in one subject and take a minor in the other. That will leave your options open for changing interests as you get older, or for opportunities that might come along in a few years.

I took a minor in archaeology as an undergrad, a field I had no intention of pursuing as a career, just because it interested me.

10

Some advice that I haven’t seen yet in this thread: chose a college/university that has a good reputation in both arts and sciences. In your first year, you’ll be taking mostly general requirements, so you have plenty of time to choose (and change) majors. Talk to students and faculty in any major you are interested in before you decide. I declared several different majors (math, political science, sociology, civil engineering) before finally settling on biology half way through my junior year. I then went to grad school for an MS in plant ecology, worked for a while, and switched fields to do a PhD in fishery science. So, be a generalist at first, and make sure you get introductory classes in anything you might want to pursue. (However, be aware that if you switch majors late, you might have a heavy schedule at the end to finish all your requirements in 4 years.)

11

A lot of good advice here!

You must be smart or mature to think about your career while just starting high school. I was too busy to think about it until years later.

Right now, you could choose subjects that would keep your choices open while you decide, those that count for further education.
Talking to people who are already doing what you have in mind is helpful. I would add that you could try the lifestyle, that comes with those careers, during breaks.
Consider booking a single session with the best career advisor you can find. They know what questions to ask to give you suitable options.

If you want to be successful, find what are your comparative advantages - things you are the best at or better than most.
We are all almost blind to our weaknesses and limitations do not show at all until one reaches them. Still if you know any of yours, that helps too.

12

It’s great that you’re thinking about this now. If at all possible, look for ways to get some hands on experience. Not just with the work, but also with how to make a living with it.

Who pays you?

How frequently are you paid?

What is the pay rate based on, hourly, commission, set salary?

What are some of the expenses you will have to cover, and what might you be reimbursed for? (Tools, travel, materials, lodging, food, ect.)

How will you be taxed? Being employed by someone and being self employed have different taxes. Will the taxes be witheld by the employer, or will you have to manage that yourself?

What is the work location? Will you be going to the same workplace every day, or will you be expected to travel to various locations?

I know a lot of these are more job specific than general to a field, but it would be good to have some idea of what you want your work day to look like.

Another big question is will you still enjoy making art or studying wildlife with the added stress of turning it into a career. For example, you might enjoy painting and find it relaxing, but when you have a deadline or are worried about the piece selling well, then it might become the thing that stresses you out.

Edit: I reworded the tax question so it didn’t refer to specific U.S. forms. Sometimes I forget these forums have people from all over the world.

13

A lot of people making really good points here - probably the only real bit of advice I have is to keep your mind open…

Overly long story that I failed to trim down:

For years (probably since I was around 13) my plan was to become a botanist (a job that generally requires a uni degree in Australia) but in 2023 I got excepted into both a university and a traineeship in Horticulture with a botanic garden so I deferred uni and took the traineeship. The idea was that the traineeship was just supposed to be a couple of years to learn some extra skills - instead it changed everything… After spending one year at uni I realized that I didn’t want to make this my job - I realized that I loved the outdoor aspect of hort but didn’t enjoy desk work and that I would be happier looking at and helping out with nature by myself as opposed to for someone else. I quit uni and haven’t looked back. I guess the point of all this is that I had lock in on a path leading to botany and never would have even considered hort as a career before working for Kings Park but I have now made it my life - I don’t regret that decision one bit.

You’re not as locked in as you may think.

14

Last fortnight I shadowed a ER psychiatrist. He told me that he originally wanted to be an entomologist! But at some point in his academic pathway, his professor kicked him out and told him he couldn’t succeed as a professional entomologist because he couldn’t identify beetles to family and name the distinguishing characteristics. He is now a physician and apparently he still does some entomological research (including publications) on the side.

Hirohito, Akihito, and Naruhito all published meaningful academic papers while also being…the Emperor of Japan.

15

While doing this, keep in mind that you are talking with a selected subset. Talking with professional artists might give you the impression that it is a great path to pursue, but you aren’t talking with all the people who decided it wasn’t for them (or couldn’t make ends meet).

16

I admire your asking! Deciding on a career is a scary decision to make. Fortunately, as others have advised, what you need to do now is to not pursue anything single-mindedly. At this point, you have little idea what it means to work as an artist, musician, or as a biologist/biological technician. For one thing, it is a very rare job that doesn’t include a fair bit of paperwork, tedium, putting up with some annoying people, and having to do stuff you don’t enjoy. Sometimes this can lessen a person’s original love, and they regret making their passion their work. For others, that doesn’t matter, as long as they get to do enough of the fun stuff. There are also some combination professions possible, such as scientific illustration.

Most sadly, there is often so much competition in your currently preferred fields that finding a job, or earning sufficient money to live on, isn’t realistic unless you’re lucky, or exceptionally good, or both. There is a world of difference in being a very decent amateur, and being professional grade. In that case, you may need to look for a different path, while doing what you love in your spare time. Outside interests are wonderful to have.

Circumstances can change your trajectory, too. I thought when I was young that one decided what one liked, got trained to do it, and that was that. I already knew I wanted to study insects when I was five or six. However, I realized while doing my honours undergrad project that I didn’t enjoy fieldwork enough to go for a graduate degree or to be an academic. I did rear bumblebees for four years. That was by turns both interesting, and sheer drudgery. Then the business moved from Canada to the USA, and nothing entomological was available locally. Because I was a volunteer blood donor caller, I ended up with Canadian Blood Services. I worked at blood donor clinics and booking platelet donors for 25 years, until I retired. It was, by and large, satisfying. Not what I thought I’d be doing when I was six or sixteen!

My love of nature certainly never vanished. Watching insects while gardening, hiking, reading, watching nature documentaries and visiting museums filled the gap. Plus, since discovering iNaturalist, I have found I can still contribute to entomological knowledge.

So, keep your options for now. Take an open-ended selection of high school courses that will qualify you for university entrance, but see what extra-curriculars are available, and lessons and courses you can take in arts and music. Is there a local high school that is known for their arts and music or academic programs? The right teachers can make a huge difference! Outside of that, volunteer, look for appropriate summer jobs, and talk with all sorts of people about their work, and how they got into it. Oh, and save this column! In 25 years, it will probably be fascinating for you to compare what you are being told now with what turns your life takes. It might even be something to show your children, if you have any.

17

I am just a passionate naturalist.

Throughout my childhood and teens, specializing and/or working in biology, botany, entomology never crossed my mind. in fact I was always dead set on being a software engineer. although had I discovered iNaturalist a few years earlier I might have given it a thought.

with that being said, I’ve always loved nature and natural science. one of my favorite shows as a kid was wild kratts. I watched it dubbed and I adored that show! I am a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t retain any of the facts mentioned in the show. although now that I am thinking about it, friends of mine are surprised by stuff I know that I take for granted as general knowledge, I probably unconsciously picked that up from shows like wild kratts.

18

Keep it broad. If you end up doing mostly science, keep an arts subject in there for fun. Everyone needs a sanity subject. A lot of Uni is about teaching you how to think critically.

The world is constantly changing and who knows what will be needed in 40 years time.

When caught between 2 choices of equal value, consider the one that makes your heart sing. When times are tough and you are working late and many hours, you need to be doing something you enjoy! And if you can’t get two laughs a day then it’s time to move on.

19

Lots of great advice here. The only thing I want to add is that working in natural resources in an environmental crisis does take a real emotional toll, and if you’re going to pursue environmental science, please hang on to your art. you will need an outlet to take your mind off your work in order to stay sane.

20

There’s lots of great advice here! I also don’t post on this forum often, but I was in a very similar situation a couple of years ago (deciding between a degree in natural resources/ecology or creative writing/linguistics) so I thought I’d throw in my two cents.

For context, I ended up studying forestry and fire science. It is quite different from what I thought I would do when I started thinking about pursuing a career in natural science, but it’s been about a year now and I’m very happy with it!

Things that helped me make my decision:

  • Thinking about what I felt needed doing in the world, and what I could contribute to that while also having a somewhat-reasonable expectation of actually surviving off that income. I knew I needed to survive financially, but I also knew I would go crazy if I felt like the work I was doing wasn’t meaningful.

  • Contemplating how and why I enjoyed different fields. For me, I ultimately realized that I didn’t enjoy making art under pressure like deadlines and rubrics, which helped me decide. Questions might look like: Do you enjoy making art on a deadline and recieving critique? Do you enjoy the gritty details of ornithology like anatomy? Do you prefer more ecology- and management-centered questions? Would you want to learn those things on a deadline?

  • Considering whether there are things in one field or the other that can only be learned thorugh a university education. For me, I realized that it would be much easier for me to learn creative skills outside of a school setting than it would to learn scientific ones, though I’m sure that’s not the same for everyone.

  • Looking at the different degrees offered by different universities, and seeing which ones are interesting to you. I found that natural sciences degrees vary a lot from school to school in my area – some schools only had one general “ecology” or “biology” degree, while others had almost a dozen. Some degrees focus more on ecology and management, others on organism biology and taxonomy, and others on different things entirely – and the job expectations for those different degrees can be quite different in some cases. I imagine art degrees vary similarly from school to school.

  • Considering what the value of a university degree is for you, and whether you want to start there or on a different path. I see a lot of people who seem to only be in college because they feel like they should be – it’s worth reflecting and deciding whether that feels like the right path! If you’re in the US, you could also consider starting at a community college or some other less expensive school to get your feet under you – that’s what I did, for what it’s worth.

  • Remembering that regardless, this is only the path you’re starting out on – as many people have mentioned, this all can absolutely change throughout your life!

All that being said, ultimately the decision is yours to make however you want to! Regardless, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you end up doing :) Hopefully my rambling isn’t too incoherent!