Wildlife conservationist?

How do i become a wildlife conservationist?

• What do i need to become a wildlife conservationist? (specializing in big cats) courses? degrees? good colleges?

• Answer:

  In high school, take as much biology and math as possible, and take the AP test. It will be easier to get accepted to the school of choice if you already have demonstrated you are really interested.Try volunteering for a zoo, wildlife rehabilitator, wildlife preserve, or a local state wildlife agency. When you get to college, you'll find there are quite a few biology and zoology majors that you can use to get a job working as a biologist. Many schools just have a pre-med zoology major, and a biology major. Bigger schools will have more options (I got a bachelor's in conservation biology, with a wildlife emphasis). Your major will have a list of required classes, beginning with a basic biology that you can skip if you do well in AP biology. From there you will need to take some zoology classes that will teach you anatomy of animals, wildlife management techniques and ecology. A lot of classes have a lecture part and a lab part (the fun stuff) that are usually graded separately but need to be taken at the same time. For example, an ornithology class will have a lecture part, and a lab part where you will have to do things like identify preserved birds, go on field trips, and complete labs about feathers etc. If you are interested in big cats, you will need mamalogy. I'd find a school you are interested in now, and see if you can come in and talk to an advisor. They can give you a class list for each major and explain the differences between majors. They can also tell you what jobs that major would qualify you for. Some other classes you will need are chemistry, bio-chemistry, and statistics. Your major will probably list some optional classes-take as many as you can. Some very valuable ones that will help you get a job include geography and mapping classes so you can use ArcMap. While you are going to college-keep up with the volunteering or get summer jobs working as a wildlife technician. There is a lot of competition right now for these jobs, and having some experience when you graduate gives you a huge advantage over those who just have the bachelor's degree.