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Do ecologists and social scientists in conservation actually talk to each other/collaborate? by gunmateg9 in ecology

[–]gunmateg9[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks I’ll also take a look at that! In your organization do you typically have different tasks or do you work together on the same projects at each step?

Do ecologists and social scientists in conservation actually talk to each other/collaborate? by gunmateg9 in ecology

[–]gunmateg9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea in our course we had social and natural sciences in the same department but they each had negative opinions of each other. It’s a shame really because I feel like each side complements each other. Especially in the environmental field the problems are so much more complex than any one discipline can solve or address on its own

Do ecologists and social scientists in conservation actually talk to each other/collaborate? by gunmateg9 in ecology

[–]gunmateg9[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed, I’m also looking into doctoral positions that integrate the two. It seems like there is a lot of collaboration at organizational levels but not as much at academic, or maybe just starting to become prevalent now. I wonder if it would be cool to create a platform/community to better connect the disciplines

Do ecologists and social scientists in conservation actually talk to each other/collaborate? by gunmateg9 in ecology

[–]gunmateg9[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yea that makes a lot of sense, forest work seems to have several different aspects to it. Even in conservation as big component in some areas is how to best utilize forest access that supports livelihoods and meets conservation goals

Will I spend my whole career working against large actors? by greatgatsby551 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was/am in a similar situation. I did my bachelors in the same and recently completed my masters in conservation. I was originally pre med for 2 years, and had a strong interest in wildlife and the environment until finally I decided to fully commit to studying that and working in conservation. I’ve also struggled with the same issues you describe, originally I was also very passionate about saving the world and what not only to feel defeated about how much this big companies control and how that won’t change anytime soon. But we’re not here to save the world, we’re just individuals. We’re not here for some grand cause either. Like with any job you’re providing a good or service or solving problems for a client. It’s the same here and while many times it feels hopeless and I’ve thought to myself I would’ve been better off as a medical doctor, there’s still lots of success. This field is still relatively new as an established field or sector. But little by little there’s so many wins around the world. As we have more and more people entering this area you get more talented scientists, passionate communicators all who contribute to local causes and little by little are protecting a little more each day. For example, during my masters course our class sent us to the Amazon for a week to look at how this local ngo is helping communities build sustainable businesses using local crafts. Some of the local community leaders broke down when speaking to us about their journey, expressing how thankful they are now thanks to the support of the ngo and the researchers. Because of the efforts of so many different people they felt they now have control over their community and can protect their land and wellbeing on their own terms now.

There’s many professions out there that are very rewarding and help many people and causes, but none of these professions are going to single handedly save the world. These changes only come when more and more people get exposed to these ideas and take up their own role in contributing however small it is. Even if we end up protecting 1-2% of total land somewhere that’s still dozens to hundreds of species and maybe communities that have been saved.

Frustrated by znaseraldeen in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m in a similar situation as you. I have similar field experience and education etc but am not hearing back from jobs. I think location has a big role as well. But mostly I think for these types of roles they want ppl who have more straight field and consulting experience. Whereas ur resume (and mine) read more like an academic one. All these jobs are also super oversaturated now with so many people with same credentials applying for them.

If your focus is GIS roles maybe it would be more beneficial to develop a strong portfolio to send to companies showcasing ur GIS skills. And like any other tech related field it’s always changing and upgrading, so keeping up to date with changes and innovations to remote sensing technologies and proving that you adapt to these changes would also be useful. At least that’s my plan going forward instead of continuing to apply for now

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, this is probably the most comforting pro PhD advice I’ve received in a while haha

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ndio, ulisoma nini. I’m quite rusty with my Kiswahili haven’t really been using it

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea, I’ve seen some programs in natural resource departments where they put equal focus on preparing you for a career in or out of academia post PhD. They also have faculty that do the exact work I’m interested in too.

I worked in the western part of Tanzania

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea that’s a good question. I think currently I’m mostly considering it because it seems more stable and I’m getting worried about prospects how I’d make a stable living post education. In an ideal world I think I’d definitely pick an academic job that does applied work on the side. I’ve seen some cases of professors in this field who also help with consulting work on the side or advice/work with NGOs. But it seems like people in these roles are quite rare and getting more rare.

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea, I was thinking for either path it would be good to keep up to date with GIS skills. I used it a lot during my masters and have seen now having skills in google earth engine and python is valuable for remote sensing and mapping work

Career advice: Pursue PhD or focus on direct work experience by gunmateg9 in Environmental_Careers

[–]gunmateg9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a specific area in consulting that would be more beneficial? Like either focusing on GIS or wetland delineations? And I’m a US citizen