What would a job in wildlife/wetland bio or conservation be like?

Question

I'm considering a career in wildlife and wetland conservation or biology or something like that, but I don't know much about what I'd actually be doing.

Answer 1

There is a lot of variation but generally it is wet, either too hot or too cold, dangerous (well, mildly), and hard work. I love it.

Answer 2

Be careful, my father was a wildlife biologist. He was working a job for the government at the Seneca Army Depot in NY and got exposed to extreme radiation and died of cancer. The gov new about the chemicals and necular waste stored under the ground but did not tell my father. They thought that a study he was doing on White tailed deer was more important than his life. My father loved his job and im sure you would, just be careful and always be aware. They wont always tell you everything.

Answer 3

I work as a wildlife biologist specializing in ornithology (the study of birds).  I mostly study birds (endangered species) but do some reptile/amphibian, bat, small mammal and fish work as well.  Feel free to email me with any specific question you might have.

Answer 4

There are a lot of "day in the life" stories on the web.  Try typing in "day in the life"  and "wildlife biologist".  

Also, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics description of this career (wildlife conservation) at:  http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos048.htm

You can also search "careers" and your career choice (biologist, wildlife, etc).  A lot of information about science careers has popped up on the web in the last few years.  

One of my favorite career research sites (because it has video descriptions of careers) is Career Voyages:  http://www.careervoyages.gov/biotechnolo...

Some other resources:

Smithsonian--http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/c...

"What can you do with a career in. . . "-- (Oklahoma State U)

http://ascareers.okstate.edu/pdf/WTD%20Z...

You might also want to look at job descriptions.  A lot of these jobs are through the government (www.usajobs.gov), nature conservancy organizations, and universities.  

The website sciencecareers.org might have some useful information.