Becky Bowles’ Post

The Fall 2024 undergraduate semester-away program is now live! Current undergrads and recent college graduates from any accredited US institution, in any major, can apply now for either (1) Conservation, Biodiversity and Society, or (2) Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Each hands-on program contains 16 upper-level undergraduate credit hours, and can satisfy degree requirements in a variety of ways.   George Mason University students, earn a minor in one semester, or use credits to satisfy concentration or even Mason Core requirements! Attending from another school? Talk to your advisor to see how your program can fit into your degree.   To apply, search "residential" on our website, or navigate to Programs & Courses > Undergraduate. As always, space is limited!

M.Sc./Ph.D. Position in the Role of Protected Areas in Climate-Induced Bird Range Shifts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Link: https://lnkd.in/g-FcDfmy PROJECT DESCRIPTION Protected areas are an essential conservation strategy given the diversity of threats impacting species and natural communities throughout the world. Rising temperatures and extreme weather are forcing birds to move and adapt across a complex landscape of public and private lands. Conservation agencies and organizations invest significant time and resources in identifying, establishing, and managing protected lands to serve as refugia for threatened and declining species. An assumption is that these protected areas lower the risk of extinction and offer a path by which vulnerable species track a changing climate. Our goal is to work with private organizations and government agencies to evaluate the efficacy of their protected area approaches for reducing the vulnerability of birds to modern climate change. To do so, we will combine climate models with data from long-term avian monitoring data sets to analyze over two decades of bird range shifts and project future changes in bird communities across the Upper Great Lakes region. This project will be supported in the in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and under the supervision of Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg. Please find the specific requirements for the Masters/Ph.D. position below: REQUIREMENTS This position is open at the M.S. Level, but a Ph.D. track is possible. Minimum requirements include: 1) background in ecology, conservation biology, or related field; 2) knowledge of avian and community ecology; 3) proficiency in R statistical programming; 4) demonstrated desire and proficiency to publish in scientific journals; 5) ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders. The successful candidate should have excellent written and personal communication skills and be able to work collaboratively in a group setting. Preferred skills include experience in working with climate data, analyzing geographic data, skills in species distribution modeling, and proven success working with agency personnel. SALARY AND CONDITIONS The graduate student assistantship rate is set by the department and includes an annual stipend, plus tuition remission and health care benefits. APPLICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will begin immediately. Applications received before March 1, 2024, will be given full consideration. Candidates should send 1. a well-crafted cover letter summarizing their research interests and reason for applying, 2. CV, and 3. contact information for three references. All applications (e-mailed as a single PDF file) should be sent to bzuckerberg@wisc.edu with the subject heading of “GradApplication” for the graduate student position.

Do you have to do something specific to get a job opportunity? Substantial opportunity that will guide you, educate you, and make you a good employee who has a balance between life and work, who feels like he or she is contributing and ultimately evolving?  Update on finding a job: the streak of terrible ghosting by companies continues, the effort is daily whether it is about finding a job or personal development, online courses one after the other to learn something that the job market wants and JUST to have a job so that I can live somewhat decently and not feel that all the efforts of so many years went to waste. However, I am now convinced that we are responsible for the effort and not for the result. I AM INTERESTED in working on environmental issues, specifically in the areas of fisheries, biodiversity, marine ecology, and GIS. However, I am open to working on any other projects where I can learn and contribute based on my knowledge base. I mostly write to express my thoughts and ideas and to voice opinions that others like me may share. Giving opportunities to young people is important, and it is unfair to exclude them just because they are not willing to be exploited and instead want to be treated as decent workers. Greece 2.0, great job well done!  (pause for irony) #geographer #oceanography #environmentalscience #jobhunt #greece #braindrain

In career talks I am asked what I studied to work in this field (natural resource management and Impact); given I work in the messy, political, complex area of conservation and natural resource management, I have to say my route was nothing if not unconventional. Although you end up not “fitting in the recruitment box” you are better for it when it comes to doing your job. So Mechanical engineer, Land and water management and political ecology – I chose this path because the world is complex, and I needed to have access to knowledge from applied science and business operations, through to understanding the physical natural resources to sociology/anthropology/politics/geography - humanity. However, I never hesitated to buy /read the books I needed to. Once I knew I was going to work in the Philippines, I went to the local university bookstore and bought and read everything from classical tropical forestry texts, to tropical agriculture, social forestry, social phycology, group dynamics, resource economics, small business and micro-finance and anthropological studies on the Philippine culture and social research techniques. I am sure there were more but you get the idea about filling in my own knowledge gaps to be able to understand and work with a complex environmental system in which humanity has a great deal of influence over. Discovering political ecology was an area of study, was a revelation discovered because Kings College London enabled their remote sensing lecturers and physical geographers to come and study in the field, they also enabled a newly emerged political ecologist, Ray Bryant to come to gather insights for his book. Political ecology brought in the dimension of power, which seems obvious was a gap, but at the time a revelation. Again we see the importance of getting people out in the field and unexpected outcomes!

Click on the image below for a short video about Umwelt and why it is such a great place to work! Also, if you are an ecologist (or want to work in social or environmental consulting) - check out the current roles on offer.

🔍 Frustration in the field of Enviromental science in a Small City 🌍 After four years of dedicated work in the field of ecology, I find myself facing significant challenges in securing a position in my hometown of Sibiu. Despite my experience in identifying invertebrate species and assessing natural habitats, the opportunities here are limited. It’s disheartening to see the gap between my qualifications and the available roles. I believe that fostering a strong ecological community is crucial, and I hope to connect with like-minded professionals who understand the value of our work in smaller cities. Let’s share insights and strategies for overcoming these obstacles together! #Ecology #JobSearch #Sibiu #EnvironmentalConservation

Did you miss our latest webinar in Exploring Career Opportunities in Ecology? You can watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eiSE7zrq We tackled some really great and useful questions, such as... "How should I re-enter the job market after taking time off?" "What are some important classes that would help me get a career in consulting?" "What is the ecological job market looking like in the next few years?" I will be announcing the next webinar and speakers shortly! Follow me and #ESA to stay up to date for latest seminars! Also...the penguin has nothing to do with anything. I just like penguins. #penguins #jobs #ecology #networking #environment #webinar #ecologicalsocietyofamerica #esa #careeradvice #careers #mentoring

You don't necessarily need to have studied ecology, in order to start a career in the field. In our latest blog, one of our ecologists, Ross, explains how his enthusiasm for nature has led him to working for Ecology by Design. #ecology #ecologycareers #biodiversity

Attention my (CA) Bay Area folks! Check out this great Liberation Ecology Field Course being offered, tuition-free. Here's a snippet: "Our course is designed to build theoretical understanding, marginalized community resilience, and technical skills that holistically address the scaling nature of systemic oppression — key components for overcoming the social and planetary crisis we face locally and globally. Eligibility: Individuals between the ages of 23-35 who have been dedicated to addressing environmental challenges from any discipline or approach. Eligible individuals from socially marginalized backgrounds including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, gender, and disability backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply." #urbanecology #landscapearchitecture #environmentalrestoration