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A Naturalist's Life
This is your chance to pick the brain of a real-life Naturalist. These motivational concepts could be the foundation that every prospective naturalist might need to build a successful career.
LOOK for a win - win relationship.
- In nature this is called mutualism - when one organism helps another. With people, remember that work isn't altruism.
Get a good compass.
- Life's a journey, so it's important to have an idea where you're headed. It is much easier to reach your goals if you are as clear as you can possibly be about where you want to go.
Get as much experience as possible.
- Theory is not much good if untried. Skills build with experience. So be open to starting at the bottom and getting your foot in the door.
Attitude IS everything.
- Jump in and show you can get a job done. Remember, a bell curve exists in most things, particularly human behavior. Make sure you're on the productive end of the curve.
Can't is a four letter word.
- If you don't believe in your dream, nobody else ever will either.
Never take no for an answer.
- Most of the best ideas in wildlife conservation and biology were novel, and even resisted, at first. Keep going. As Garrison Keillor said, "The ship of hope often sinks nearly within sight of shore." So keep rowing!
Money is not the issue.
- As Wendell Berry, the poet of Kentucky put it, "The work of planet saving is humble work and will never make its effective pursuers wealthy." Forget about the money - focus on your goals.
Learn the language.
- As in many fields, there is a special language unique to wildlife work. Behavioral ecology uses the most remarkable phrases to express the study of ethology. As does herpetology in its work with reptiles. Whatever the specialty, if you're going to communicate with colleagues, you must know the language.
Incentive runs the world.
- In a world of 6 billion people, relationships matter more than ever. Working closely with others makes it easier to move your projects forward, especially when it works for everyone.
Career Insights
The world of work is like an ecosystem. As in nature, where every plant and animal has a niche, or a place in the system, jobs that involve working with wildlife each fill a particular niche. You need to find your place in the wildife "system."
Here are some suggestions from Thane's new book "
Working with Wildlife" to guide you through the pressures of finding a job working with wildlife.
Top 10 Things to DO
Top 10 Things NOT to do
Be a Sponge
Have a parent call for you
Become an expert on something
Wait until you are an adult to get started
Ask questions
Hesitate because you are not already good at something
Turn off your TV
Worry about being "cool"
Spend time outside
Think that individuals can't make a difference
Learn a foreign language
Worry about money
Be curious
Use the word "CAN'T" a lot
Read
Think you already know it all
Make yourself useful
Show up late
Get muddy
Whine and complain