Written by Rachel G. Jordan Weightless in blue, I floated among sparking particulates toward the shipwreck. She was a modest vessel— just a few hundred years old— split top from bottom and strewn across the reefscape where time overgrew her skeleton with monstrous brain corals, towering star corals, and weedy thickets of purple sea fans. The wreck seemed to serve…

Written by Renee My journey into conservation began almost two decades ago in the UK, when I started University reading conservation biology. I was deeply inspired by incredible people like Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Sir. David Attenborough because I thought they were the real heroes in Conservation as they dedicated their lives to observing, studying and understanding wildlife like…

Written by Amy Tobin In 2022, I travelled to Indonesia on my third trip to see orangutans in the wild, but this trip was different. On this trip, I attended with my work colleagues and visited places where my work was supporting the restoration of habitat in Borneo through donations from our kind and conservationist supporters. This trip, like a…

Written by Aaizah Tahir Vampyroteuthis infernalis (the vampire squid) is my favourite cephalopod. It is incredibly cool and mysterious but also a bit silly with its movement like a vampire cape flowing behind it, its eerie appearance especially when you first notice it in the depths of the sea, and its weirdly long filaments with which it collects marine snow…

Written by Kashmir Flint It’s a Friday night, and I am sat, alone, in my bedroom, browsing the Lonely Conservationist blogs to try and find a story that resonates with me. This situation feels all too familiar because it is one that I was in around six months ago.   When my most recent seasonal contract ended, many of my colleagues…

Written by Hezy Anholt I’ve always found freedom and fascination in wild places. Between semesters at university, I planted seedling conifers in remote Northern regions for the Canadian forestry industry, and I found a sense of peace in heavy manual labour amongst those ancient trees and sharp young mountains. I became perfectly comfortable in those wild spaces, and I fell…

Written by Jax Bath Hi, my name is Jax and I’m a lonely conservationist. I grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and have only ever wanted to be two things: a singer, or a conservationist. I can’t tell you when my love of nature started, it has always been intrinsic to me, spurred on by the nanny who raised me…

Written by Isna Windi Astari Since I was a teenager, I have loved reading and keeping up with news and information through National Geographic magazine. My interest in nature is getting stronger as I get older. I started to join the youth community concerned about the environment and build relationships with people who share the same interest in environmental issues.…

Written by Nisha Bhakat Content warning: Childhood Abuse In front of our house in Baharampur town, there used to be two large trees. One sprawling Delonix regia with its boisterous scarlet blooms, and one lightning struck shell of a Cassia javanica. Despite this, the Cassia tree continued to host interesting birds. It’s where I saw a barbet drill its nest…

Written by Gareth Davies As the ever optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo says – “Just keep swimming” For as long as I can remember I have been passionate and fascinated by nature and as a young child for many years was the proud adoptee of a duck at the local reserve. It has now dawned on me that many species…

Written by Svenja Tornow Growing up in a European capital city could have provided me with all the benefits of an urban environment. I am now 26 and could not guide someone through my home city. Rather I would roam around the neighboring fields and forests, would lose myself in the moving clouds and take photos of everything around me.…

Written by Anagha S I am Anagha S, a life science postgraduate, from Mysuru, Karnataka, India. I grew up in Bangalore, Karnataka, India utill I was 11 years old before moving to Mysuru, Karnataka, India, where in both cities I have been to wildlife sanctuaries. My older cousin is a highly involved cat conservationist, he inspired my father to take me…

Written by Tania Roa One article. That’s all it took. One article on the sixth mass extinction underway convinced me to take action. After learning about the countless lives lost due to human development and other activities, and irreplaceable species going extinct, I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t get into the field of conservation. It seemed…

Written by Gareth Davies Hi, I’m Gareth and originally from Gloucester, a semi-rural part of the southwest of the UK, now living and working in New Zealand. I have been interested in nature and also photography from a young age, including my first ever adoption of a duck called Parker (I’m a huge Thunderbirds fan) from a nearby wildlife trust.…

Written by Renuka Kulkarni A few weeks ago, I had a breakdown. Anxiety, a sense of futility and hopelessness about what I do, loneliness; you get it. I reached out to a friend, telling him how starting a PhD all over again felt so tough. This man is blunt, and he told me, mincing no words, that doing a PhD…

Written by Praneetha M Trigger warning: Suicidal themes As I sat back to write this piece and tell the world about some of my darkest, weakest moments, I had intended to focus on just one particular incident. However, I soon realized that it was a cumulative turn of events and my efforts towards them that had led me to a…

Written by Audrey Keen In 2017, I began my college career at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A classic freshman, waiting to meet the stranger I was going to live with in a shoebox-sized room and nervous for what my new life would entail. I never had a huge dream of going to college and getting a specific…

Written by Rosie Miles When your job involves flying in helicopters, putting collars on darted lions and walking with wild cheetahs it’s hard to convince people that my job is not the most interesting thing about me.  For the most part, I only have a vague idea about what my friends who are outside of the conservation sector do for…

Written by Astrid Leclézio Nature has always been part of my life. It is my safe place where I have space to think and feel connected to the present moment and the environment. Research has also shown that spending time in nature brings multiple benefits to human wellbeing and mental health. Therefore, after completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and…

Written by PJ Beaven I didn’t know what to do. There I was, living my dream, something I had fought so hard to achieve, but all I could think about was quitting. Fifteen years of blood, sweat, and tears (sometimes literally) were about to go down the drain. I had swum with dolphins, introduced guests to belugas, trained polar bears, played with…

Written by Madhushri Mudke As conservationists and environmentalists, we feel guilty about our lifestyle choices almost everyday. When we make a choice with the knowledge that we are potentially harming the environment, we feel guilty or unhappy – this feeling is termed ‘Environmental Guilt’. Something as simple as a visit to the market to buy groceries can make or break…

 Written by Kate Stephenson aka Kate on Conservation Back in January 2020, ahead of the most life-changing of events that many of us would ever face — and certainly the most life-changing that we have all faced collectively — an extraordinary thing happened. I entered Terra Incognita’s Travel Writer of the Year competition, centred around ethical tourism — and the…

Written by Merin George “How does your research directly help society?” – is the second most common question I get. I work on forest ants. This question is trickier to answer, especially in my research field, where the effects on society are more indirect. I agree that research, in general, is meant to help society as a whole improve. But…

Written by Jessica Myers He found me in front of the bookshelf sitting cross-legged, immersed in one of the many dark blue books entitled SHARKS in a bold, red font. When I wanted to turn some pages, I could choose from fine art books, my DK’s children’s encyclopedia, the Silence of the Lambs series, or anything about sharks. My father…

Written by Andrea Godoy Mendoza I grew up in a country with a wildly biodiverse and exuberant natural world but where, ironically, starting a conversation about sustainability or conservation will often get you labelled as an idealist or a hippie (at best). I may not have been fully aware of what I was getting myself into when I checked “Biology”…

Written by Gemma Bruno I’m sure like many other aspiring conservationists, we were weird kids. I was particularly weird and extremely creative. I would spend hours making things for animals like houses, dungeons, mazes, fairy gardens, and occasionally the odd outfit for my cats. Although as a kid I probably traumatised them, I always knew I wanted a connection to animals…

Written by Tamara Kovačič Lonely Conservationists posted a while back that they needed a new photo for their Instagram page. I have quite a few photographs in stock because I am a biologist and have previously had the opportunity to visit many lovely places. So I gave it a go. While browsing through the folders, I came across photos from…

Written by Nicole Lussier A scarlet macaw screeching overhead, a pink river dolphin chasing your boat, a caiman basking in the sun; the flora and fauna of the Amazon Rainforest are truly incredible. The Amazon is, of course, one of the most biodiverse places on earth, with over 1500 species of birds, 430 mammals, 16,000 species of trees, and 70,000…

Written by Debanngini Ray When people ask me, how did you end up doing what you do? My usual reply is, “In the morning I chase the butterflies and at night I let the fireflies lead the way!” Growing up in a neighbourhood devoid of tall buildings or infrastructure, surrounded by Assam-type houses (type of architecture developed during the late…

Written by Kayla Fratt I was fired, effective immediately. Through tears, I listened as the man who’d scouted and hired me for my dream job explained that because I was being let go within a 6-month probationary period of a position change (despite being at the organization for 18 months), I would not receive any details or explanations on the…

Written by Jenna Woodford Where are all the disabled conservationists?  Over the last couple of years, I’ve asked myself this question a lot. Like many people, I’ve searched in vain to find representation in the field I so desperately want to dedicate my career to. And I’ve decided that I’m going to do something about it. I took the usual…

Written by Natalie Tyler I grew up in the Ohio suburbs. As an only child of a single parent, I was often asked to entertain myself and to “go play outside”. Fortunate to have a large backyard, swingset, and basketball hoop, I would happily spend hours outside playing either alone or with my neighbourhood friends. Outside always equalled fun, joy,…

Written by Laura Marsh My last blog You are enough talked about my severe depression from thinking I had to be a perfect conservationist. It’s paralyzing to learn about all the ways we are harming the planet. But then there’s added pressure to act in the most ethical, perfect way to minimize further harm. This way of thinking is exhausting,…

Written by Natalie Lynn Lichtenbert Sitting outside on my front porch, I had a coloring book on my table and a huge box of crayons with a multitude of colors to choose from.  The coloring book of choice was of songbirds and the one I was working on that day was of a robin.  Oh, the joy and pleasure of…

Written by Julia I’ve been working in conservation for over 10 years, one of those who worked up through the ranks by volunteering after my mostly useless humanities BA and work history in administration. I’ve worked in environmental education, project leading, animal rehab (briefly), and research, and I loved it all, but I always felt I was lacking something essential…

Written by Gillian When I was 10 years old, I decided one day that I would no longer be afraid of anything. Spiders no longer meant me harm, heights were just temporary discomfort, and the shadows in the forest should be explored- not feared. All I had to do was just push through my hesitation and just say yes to…

Written by Tirth Vaishnav The idea of being alone is not inherently scary for me. The idea of feeling alone, however, is an entirely different beast. Being the youngest in a joint family of seven and having grown up in Mumbai, one of the most crowded cities in the world, getting some alone time seemed like a blessing. I have…

Written by Tanya Jaswal As a child I was always interested in wildlife. I loved birds, animals and insects around me. I was very comfortable around them. To push my interest a little forward I joined WWF (World Wide Fund) and gained knowledge about birds. How to identify birds by their call, by their size and shapes. I became more…

Written by Phalguni Ranjan My journey to the field of conservation had a pretty clichéd beginning, now that I think about it. The classic Marine Biologist starter pack had some really simple components back then. Take an enthusiastic 11 year old, throw in some Animal Planet, a devout love for water and animals, the desire to do something, and blend…

Written by Jose Sandoval I’ve always had quite an intense personality on me, and I’ve always been driven by passion. Growing up I would bounce around from being obsessed about space and the cosmos to obsessing about snakes and reptiles to obsessing about rocks minerals and geology. Then puberty hit and all I could think about girls and I was…

Written by Mel Christi Acceptance. Resignation. Two sides to the same coin. They have different connotations, and yet for me in this context they are the same. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there are things about me I cannot change, so I must simply accept myself. Like many others before me who have shared their vulnerability here, like…

Written by Jarryd Minahan Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated with the natural world, the outdoors was my thing, camping with my dad in the high country of Victoria and fishing all around Phillip island, where I now live, was I think what started it all. I started surfing in my teens which ingrained my love for…

Written by Jack O’Connor Just north of one Port Phillip Bay, water and eyes an ocean hew; a newborn child took breath that day, his life had begun new. Jack was his name, of Irish line, before a century’s debut; and so we start our steep incline, into a world fresh and new. In youth obsessed with plants and birds,…

Written by Lisa All names in this piece have been altered to protect the identities of the people they are about.  Names are being used for clarity purposes only. I remember accepting my job offer as a sea turtle biologist for the 2020 season. I was jumping with joy over my first paid position working with sea turtles. I had…

Written by David Aborn I just wanted to provide my perspective on the issue of trying to make it as a conservation biologist in the face of meager (if any) pay, since I have been on both sides; the student looking for experience and the researcher trying to give people the opportunities. I think part of the problem is professional…

Written by Rhian My mental health has defined my life.  It lost me the conservation career I worked so hard for, and yet it’s helped me to grow as a person too.  I only ever tell people parts of my story when I feel overwhelmed, but never the whole thing. So, here goes. As a child, I didn’t have a…

Written by Renuka Kulkarni “Oh, you’re a wildlife person? But don’t you sit in a library all day?” We all have that one aunt/uncle/extended-family-member-you-don’t-remember who can sniff out weaknesses like a bloodhound, and who just never wants to try to understand what you do for a living. “I’m doing a PhD” is a somewhat acceptable answer, but you’re also praying…

Written by Alexandra Howard Who else has felt that people don’t really understand the hardships of working in conservation?   Or who else is scared to share their struggles publicly as our social media is biased to only sharing happy moments? Recently I had to make a disclaimer on one of my most liked Instagram posts stating “P.S.A This insta page does…

Written by Fahrizul Ikram Hello Friends of conservation, My Name is Fahrizul Ikram, I came from Sumatra precisely in Aceh, Indonesia. Speaking of conservation, I started a career here in 2019. It is quite young, but my journey knows the world of conservation began since 2014. Where is the difficult times for me to get around the outskirts of the…

Written by Dolapo Adejumo I grew up in a rural community where I spent the first eight years of my life hearing tales of hunters interacting with local fauna. When I got in front of televisions as well, I’d stay glued to Animal Planet and Natgeo wild. I say my appreciation for the natural world was intrinsic, nothing else was…

Written by Hannah Carle This year has been incredibly challenging. The nexus of two impossible things – a PhD and a global pandemic. To start with a caveat – yes, I am fortunate to be living in Australia, where our daily lives have largely returned to ‘normal’ and we have not been marred by widespread death and disease. Despite assertions…

Written by Stephanie Rowe Conservation to me, has always meant something deeper than what it represents for the environment as such. I truly believe we are connected to nature, in such a way, that it is only a holistic approach that can be used to move forward with it. I want to take this space forward with it being known…

Written by Stella Diamant I guess the intent behind this (first) blog is to guide fellow conservationists about getting your mission out there in a balanced way.  I was lucky to seize a unique opportunity, to build a project from scratch on an emblematic species, the whale shark, without any experience in either project management or whale sharks. I subsequently…

Written by Roxanne In my previous blog, Born This Way, I gave a summary on my path in the conservation sector with the rare neurological condition, Chiari Malformation.  I wrote about the difficult aspects of managing a disability in a physically demanding profession, as well as actions to progress in a field I love. What I hadn’t mentioned was the…

Written by Madhushri Mudke Ten years ago, the dilemma of finding an appropriate career in wildlife that allowed me to ‘work with wildlife’ was a daunting path to take. One begins to ruminate – ‘I love animals’, ‘I love being in the wild’ or ‘We must save wildlife and forests to combat climate change’. Back in 2010, climate change was…

Written by Jordan Gledhill Ask a conservationist why they work in conservation and most will tell you it is because they care. We care for the natural world and we care that in most cases, it is being destroyed. Yes, we get to enjoy ourselves traveling the world, working in tropical jungles, diving on coral reefs and climbing mountains with…

Written by Roxanne The Early Years My passion for conservation, like many, has its roots in early childhood.  It was watching the well-known presenters like Steve Irwin and David Attenborough, but before Animal Planet was reality show-centric, there were others I enjoyed and learned from.  They were reptile enthusiast and photographer, Austin Stevens; biologist, Jeff Corwin; and zoologist, Nigel Marven. …

Written by Manon de Visser Young and maybe a little naïve: that is what makes us great conservationists!   Once, I was at a job interview. I was nicely dressed and felt pretty confident. I had gotten through two rounds and was in the third (and final) round of the application process. The first two times I had met with one…

Written by Heather Kerrison Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Are you getting there slowly but surely? In the end the conservation industry gives us the opportunity to meet some amazing people, some amazing wildlife and do things that most other people will never do. What is the thing that keeps you going despite all of…

Written by Jennifer L. Hartman I am coming up on my 15 year marker working in the field of conservation biology, surveying for sensitive species all over the world. The work has been gruelling and gritty and for those of us in this field, it is often a solitary toil. But for me, I have never felt particularly lonely or…

Written by Michela Fieni There is no worse feeling than seeing all the environmental destruction in the world and wanting to make a positive contribution, but barely having the means to do so. I’m lucky enough to live in Australia, where bush regeneration was basically born. Back in 2015 when the ‘Green Army’ program was still around, I got accepted…

Written by Jamie Sneddon My Name is Jamie and I’m a zoologist/conservationist/field biologist/ecologist/scientist/clueless graduate with a sense of identity crisis. The issue of who/what I am is something that I’ve been struggling with for much of my life and definitely my entire career. People don’t like being pigeonholed but there’s a sense of security to be found in knowing your…

Written by Lisa Clark From Psychology, to Social Work, to… Wildlife and Conservation Biology? I took a bit of a detour to get here, but it’s funny how things work out and you can end up where you thought you would as a child. My first undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology and co-majoring in…

Written by Isobel Bobbera This one’s rather long, so apologies in advance. I grew up and have spent the 23 years of my so far little life on The Bellarine Peninsula south of Melbourne, Australia. I’ve lived with my family on the same block of land my entire life and wouldn’t change it for anything. I love where I live.…