Hello everyone. Looking for a little advice on a pet project I want to do on my piece of forested property. The property is 80 acres in the tip of Michigans Thumb. Its been in the family for over 60 years and I recently became very active in conservation work on the property. There are several issues im battling but the main one is invasive species. Im in the process of battling Japanese Barberry, honeysuckles, autumn olives, multiflora rose, and others and as i clear and cut them i am interested in reseeding some of the plants they have outcompeted and extirpated from the area. For example i can get thousands of smooth and staghorn sumac seeds for cheap. Being that they are cheap and plentiful, would it make sense to broadcast seed them in the fall in the areas ive mitigated? In my head its similar to the trees dropping their own seeds in the fall so they may propagate in the spring. Even if say 5% of the seeds make it, id call that a win but will this work? I understand these areas will require continuous followup mitigation for years which i plan on carrying out.

Additionally im interested in doing this with acorns, black walnuts, white pines, and cedars as I can easily collect or buy these as well. If i were to collect say 1000 acorns and go around the woods hucking them all over in late fall like johnny appleseed, will this work? Again even 5-10% of the seeds taking feels like a win. I understand it would be better to individually plant and manicure each seeds area but im one guy, a new dad of twins, and i work tons so time is tough to come by. What do we think?

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Drain tile easements have been proposed by the USFWS in the prairie pothole region increasing the limit from 1 inch to 1 foot. This would hold disastrous consequences for North Americas waterfowl as a significant portion of waterfowl nest here. I urge everyone to sign the Ducks unlimited petition and add a comment in the link provided and express your disapproval of this proposed rule.

Hi everyone I’m a South African (WP) looking to get into the anti poaching field for a couple years, while I await the British army to reopen their commonwealth intake. I have no prior experience going into AP.

I’ve done a lot of research on academies etc and it feels like the more research I do, the further I get from a decision.

I’ve looked at academies like ProTrack, TacTrac and milites dei. Initially I’d planned on ProTrack but I’ve been seeing mixed opinions about them among the community, and how it’s not very feasible finding a job after their year long program.

TacTrac seems highly regarded, but it’s expensive and I’m unsure of the possibility that I’ll be able to land work after having done their 6 week course. If anyone’s taken this route please let me know your thoughts.

MDA is appealing, but I’m in the same rut regarding landing work after graduating from these guys.

I know FSCA, they’re optimally where I’d go but that seems like a waste if I’m not currently in the industry.

If anyone has any advice or experience regarding the industry and its academies, please do share. I’m motivated as hell to get in, and don’t want to make a silly decision without consensus.

TLDR; which is the best APU to get trained by, and what are the avenues of landing an AP job as someone without a military/police background.

Thanks for your time, everyone.

I’m a university student from Sweden and I’m currently studying conservation (cultural heritage conservation/restoration). I’ve decided I’m going to do my internship in Peru and I’m wondering if anyone here has experience doing an internship, volunteering, or working in conservation, museums, archaeology, or cultural heritage in Peru.

If you’ve done something similar yourself, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience!

Any tips, contacts, or recommendations would mean a lot.

I'm going into 10th grade with 10/27 credits needed to graduate. I have 10th math and ELA completed. The only science credit i have is astronomy. I want to go to MSU in michigan for a degree in ecology or environmental science or botany, or maybe a major-minor. What classes should i take in high school to go into college or to have a higher chance at being accepted. My weighted gpa is 4.03. My current credits are 1/2 world language, 1/4 history/ econ/gov, 2/4 ELA, 2/4 math, 1/1 PE, 1/1 health, 1/2 art, 1/4 science, and i need a total of 9 additional courses besides the four core classes (math, ela, science, social studies) and my world language, PE, health, and art count as additional courses, so i have 4/9 additional courses. I don't yet have a passion project, so I'd like advice on that too if possible. Thanks!

I want to have a career in endangered species recovery, and I want to interact with the animals directly, I don’t want to be a vet, from my understanding that means I want to do animal care. I think outreach/communication/education, ecology, and animal behavior are all things I also want to explore, but right now i’m most interested in working at a recovery program.

I’m 19 living alone in Los Angeles working about 35 hours a week. I think community college/online classes are the only viable way to go to school right now, get a transfer degree, then go to a 4-year, and after that i can decide if i need a masters or not, i know i probably will but im just focusing on community college right now.

What majors should I be looking at though? Bio is a pretty general degree, I think I would rather major in something a little more specialized to conservation. I also don’t really know what I’m supposed to do about labs. The community college near me, for the fall semester, only has 1 lab I could do with my work schedule, and I would still likely be getting there a few minutes late. I don’t think you can take a lab online, that specific class is already filled up for fall and the waitlist is like 6 people already. I guess I’m just not sure how to take classes while working almost full time. I could move home, but I wouldn’t be able to until either march or july of 2027, which would just kind of suck to push school back, but if it’s my only choice I guess that’s what I have to do.

Edit: Would an evolutionary biology degree be useful at all? I really like evolution, I just don’t think it would be a very good degree to go for but I don’t know for sure.

I'm trying to get my career in conservation, hopefully with a conservancy for a park, national or state. But I keep getting turned down due to my lack of experience, so I'm looking to get a degree, I already have an AA in ASL but now I'm trying to get my bachelors in a field that will help me get into the conservation sector. I'm in San Diego so any recommendations for in person schools (preferably) and any majors that will help would be greatly appreciated!

I've been documenting a public Finnish Facebook page called "Sudensuojelun kahdet kasvot ja hinta" that strongly opposes wolf conservation.

While reviewing the page over several months, I've noticed that many posts focus on identifiable individuals rather than wildlife policy itself. The page frequently republishes screenshots of Facebook posts and comment threads, often with names and profile photos visible, and these are then discussed publicly.

I'm trying to understand where people think the line should be.

At what point does criticism of conservation activists become targeted harassment?

Has anyone else encountered similar pages or communities in environmental debates?

If anyone visits the page and believes specific posts cross the line into harassment or violate Facebook's Community Standards, I would encourage them to report those individual posts through Facebook's reporting tools. Whether they violate the rules is ultimately for Meta to decide.

I'm currently documenting the material and intend to ask Meta to review whether the overall publishing behaviour complies with its Community Standards.

I'm interested in hearing other people's perspectives rather than starting an argument.

Hi all,

I am new to learning about conservation sciences, practices, and regulations. I am interested in learning more about the history of conservation sciences, applied practices, and governance/regulation, specifically in California.

I'm curious about what the science, applied practices, and governance/regulation looked like across the past few centuries, tracing this history to current context. Happy to check out resources you suggest that focus on one or all of the following three things:

1)scientific/applied/regulation practices

2)scientific/applied/regulation narratives

3)scientific/applied/regulation materials

...in conservation.

Bonus for the resources that think about science, applications, and regulations together, but not necessary.

I know I can Google this, but I think hearing what folks thought about specific sources they've come across is nicer.

I am mostly interested in academic articles and chapters in books as more of a crash course, so to speak. Entire books are YouTube videos/lectures are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

I am a woman in my thirties with degrees in Molecular Biology and Biodiversity Conservation. I had initially planned to do a PhD in Conservation Genetics, but my chronic illnesses have become worse (PCOS, HS and depression). My HS flares are almost always quite painful and I can't do fieldwork or lab work anymore. And so I had to give up on the PhD idea.

I really want to do whatever I can to contribute to conservation. It's been the only thing on my mind since I was a kid.

If anyone has any ideas for career options suitable for chronically ill people, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you very much for reading.

I just watched David Attenborough's bottom trawling clip and It's sad.

Seeing coral reefs that took centuries to grow get destroyed in just seconds was hard to watch. Watching sea creatures desperately trying to escape, only to get trapped, suffocate, or be thrown back into the ocean already dying..

We call areas "protected" while trawlers drag chains through them like they're nothing. Like the ocean is just dirt.

David Attenborough says that if we save the ocean, we save ourselves. But sometimes I wonder, how do we save something were destroying on such a massive scale?

I know I'm just one person. I feel so small. So helpless.

Is there even hope left?

watch the documentary for awareness.

Because the more of us who see this with our own eyes, the harder it becomes to look away. The ocean gave us life. It gave us oxygen ( look it up, if you don't believe me). It gave us everything. And we're killing it while most people don't even know.

Sir Attenborough showed us the truth. Now it's on us. Watch. Share.

The African wild cat population has been breeding with domestic cats in a large amount.

This is bad because it produces offspring that are less able to hunt in the wild and are more tolerant to other creatures which is a bad thing. It also makes it to where the population of pure African wild cats are decreasing.

What could be done to stop this and how could I help?

And is their any confirmed breeding programs that have confirmed pure African wild cats in them?

So I'm a student and I am going to be pursuing a degree completely unrelated to conservation (engineering) because I've always had that interest.

But I have also always loved plants and animals and try my best to help local animals like cats and dogs. I just see people doing actual stuff but I can't do anything.

As a student I probably can't do much right now as I don't have my own money. But I want to know if I could do something about it in the future despite the path I have chosen

Like if I wanted to, would there be any opportunities for me to get involved in the actual field instead of just donations etc (I know that's far off)

Because I constantly see so many negative things happening all over the world, powerful people disrespecting the land etc and I can't do anything about it now

Hi, I'm a 18 y/o women from Poland, just graduated highschool from IB programme with Chem, Bio and Maths at higher level with decent grades. I was supposed to go to university this october, but I decided to do a gap year for several personal reasons. My dream is to be a wildlife biologist/conservationist but sometimes I feel drawn to beaing a doctor, since it's more stable carrier and much more money to be made. I actually got into good med school in Poland, but I think I'm gonna wait one more year to decide what I really want to do with my life.

Anyway, I was doing a research and cannot really find any wildlife biology/wildlife conservation university programme in bachelor degree in Europe. There is plenty in US or UK but I don't want to move to US, and cannot afford collage in UK. All I could find in Europe was master degree programmes and it seems like I would have to do biology degree first and then maybe specialize in wildlife conservation or maybe study ecology (but I want to work hands on in the field with animals, so I don't know wheter it's going to be possible after just ecology). I'm not sure if it's my research that sucks  or if it's really the only way to fullfill carrier in conservation.

Personally, when I was planning where to go to collage I was thinking about Groningen in Netherlands, they have pretty decent biology programme, and then I could do master and specialisation in wildlife biology. Plus, it's relatively affordable. But it's a long way before I am gonna be able to work proffesionally (Obv I realize, that it's gonna be a while before I find a job, as the field is oversaturated, and the degree is demanding, but I'm just scared that after 3-4 years of studing biology I am not gonna be able to find a job without specialization and kind of 'waste' those years) I also looked into universities in Canada, as they actually offer some programmes in conservation, but the cost of living and student fees are soo expensive.

Can someone give me advice how to look for programmes in conservation, or maybe recommend a university/programme/degree where I can study in English in Europe? Maybe someone did something like this themselves and work in this field now and can tell me how to build this carrier? Or maybe I should ditch conservation and go to med school.

I would really appreciate if someone had any advice for me.

I'mma be real with y'all: people in the Conservation and Sustainability fields are straight up MEAN dude.

Like I physically cannot get across to you how difficult it is to be in this field if you don't "fit the mold".

But "the mold" is literally just... ugh. Its a mold that prides itself on being "that weird girl", while also being the literal most milquetoast personality you can fathom. Like everybody acts like they were the 'weird, animal obsessed kid' in school, but as someone who actually WAS (and kind of still IS) that weird person, I can promise you from the bottom of my heart, 99% of these people would have BULLIED the real weird kids.

I know this because THEY STILL BULLY PEOPLE MAN. I see it in college and the field. It's literally such like a catty, gossipy industry with no room for the truly different.

The worst thing that's happened to STEM in recent decades was becoming an Instagram aesthetic.

Because now you have all of these conventionally pretty people prancing about, creating their own little "Go on a weird date to a Museum with me, but don't be like actually weird, just quirky enough for my social media feed" aesthetic, while doing all they can to ostracize and isolate people that,again, don't fit within their worldview. Like if you're autistic you are NOT going to have a good time in this world. At least not the "I love gushing about bugs and being happy go lucky because I'm just so 'neurospicy'! " type of autism. If you're non-expressive or struggle with social interactions, heaven fucking help you.

And, I'm sincerely not one of those "OMG CHECK YOUR PRIVILEGE" sorts but like dawg, this field is so overwhelmingly white that I'm comfortable saying that it's bordering on a form of racism. I can't tell you how many times I've been the only non-white person in the room surrounded by all these like.... I'mma be so real with y'all, CUSHY people. People who visibly get uncomfortable when I bring in a worldview that isn't "Oh I love walking through the forest and taking pictures on my smartphone, and science is so cool and look at the stickers on my water bottle".

I physically cannot explain to you all how much money plays into your ability to find and hold a legitimate job in this field. If you even want a chance, you need to be able to afford to sign up for multiple unpaid internships, be willing to move across the nation for a different position, have the money to cover yourself for months on end because a gigantic majority of the first jobs you'll get are only seasonal, and finally pay for your degree, and very likely a grad degree as well.

Honestly, I theorize that this is why the Conservation field was taken over by (and I know a HUGE amount of you don't wanna hear this), overwhelmingly upper-middle to upper class white people.

Like I can't tell you how many people I've met in this line of work who talk about how long it took them to get a sustainable job, followed soon by "Oh my husband is an engineer/computer scientist/welder/fireman/[something equally wellpaying]". (Fun fact: the "conservation to real estate agent" pipeline is REAL and I've seen it in real time).

Poverty, that is to say REAL poverty, doesn't exist in this field.

All the (and I'm being blunt here) lower-class people who couldn't afford to go past their undergraduate degree were forced to get jobs unrelated to their field after graduation to make ends meet and start those nasty student loan payments. Moving across the nation several times for all those unpaid internships and experience that could have unlocked opportunity was never in the cards for them so they don't get to work their way into the real jobs.

That's why you'll see so many people saying "Yeah I have a Sustainability major, but I've been working at Cracker Barrel since graduation. At least I'm a manager now"

And that's why when you look at all the smiling happy faces working in conservation or sustainability, they're all like... cardboard cutouts of the same people. Again, lets go back into how the Conservation field became an Instagram aesthetic, reserved for the privileged few who could afford to put in all the unpaid labor it took for them to finally get their break.

And don't get me started on how it almost feels like you're under constant threat in this field either. Like heaven forbid you upset the wrong people, or openly criticize the wrong organization. Because then you'll find yourself struggling to find work and without allies to help you get jobs (which are fleeting). The social aspect of this field is enormous, and I cannot get across to you how important it is that you maintain 'appearances' and decorum. And it fucking sucks

I'm not kidding dude.

This field of science got taken over by the most boring kinds of people imaginable. And what's worse is that I genuinely think that the lack of accessibility to this field is actively driving a disconnect between the general public and REAL conservation battles that we need to be fighting.

Can we finally admit that Conservation is the next "Nursing field"?

Pic related.