Strap on your waist high waders, we're getting a firsthand look at what it's like to be a conservation scientist. And to do it, we're here at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in South Florida where Eric Cline is letting us shadow him for the day.
We created a physical model of the everglades in order to test restoration strategies and basically, my job as the site manager is to coordinate all the research that goes on here. One of the projects we're working on is animal behavior. And so we're going to be radio tracking a bunch of crayfish. We baited these traps, set them out this morning, and we'll go check them and see what's out there.
Conservation scientists manage the use and development of forest and land while protecting its natural resources. Many scientists split their time between office work and field research.
It definitely requires a person who's not very squeamish. We get a lot of, you know there's a lot of interaction with wildlife like stinging insects, and we have to deal with alligators out here. You can't be nervous, you've just got to jump into the swamp and go.
Conducting experiments out in the field sometimes requires scientists to work long hours.
A lot of times, we'll get here real early before the sun comes up and get set up before the birds show up. And sometimes we'll be here late, especially if we're doing like twenty-four hour sampling.
But all your hard work will pay off. Annual salary for conservation scientist averages nearly fifty thousand dollars a year. To get started in this field you'll need at least a bachelor's degree in forestry, conservation science, or a related field of study.
It's really important for me to learn in school was this kind of basic ideas behind research methodology. How do you take and collect good data? And how to you take and collect good data out in a situation like this where it's not ideal. You're not collecting data in a lab.
Eric says a big part of his job is collecting and analyzing information to learn more about changes in the environment. He says the research is rewarding but there's competition to land a job in this field.
Most of these jobs are, have a lot to do with like the public good. You know so there's not a market force driving job openings like there might be, you know, in another field.
After experiencing a day in the life of a conservation scientist, I'm getting more than my feet wet. It's time for me to head home. If you're interested in conducting research out in the field and can handle the elements better than me, conservation science could be a career for you.
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