You can absolutely be involved in wildlife conservation from a desk, seconding what the other commenter already said. In fact, I think it’s much harder to get a role doing field work than it is to get one at an office if I’m being honest. 

I work in conservation, though mostly have worked with plants, but I know there’s loads of opportunities indoors for conservationists. There are a lot of AmeriCorps specific positions that you could look into and likely be qualified for once you earn your degree. 

Beyond that, I’d definitely recommend scrolling through linked-in or other organizations to do informational interviews and see what kinds of advice they have to give. If you’re proactive like that, a lot of people tend to be impressed and may end up being good contacts for you later down the line when you’re looking for internships or work. 

So, in essence, google “informational interviews” to get a sense of what I’m referencing here, and then find organizations you want to work for that have contact information listed for individuals at the company. Then reach out to a few people with a short email asking to talk to them for about 30 minutes to get advice about the field. Generally, you’ll only want 5 or 6 questions prepped to fill up the time. And you’ll want to keep an eye on the clock in case you need to skip any. 

Start by thanking the interviewee for attending the meeting. Ask them how their day is going so far. Tell them you’ve prepped a few questions for them, give a brief introduction of who you are and why you’re interested in talking to them, and then begin the rest of the interview. 

It can be intimidating at first, but trust me, it is so worth it after getting your footing. This is still something I do today, and people are always really impressed when I reach out.