In this very special episode of the podcast, we take you behind the scenes of our NEW Conservation Pathway Programme.

The Conservation Pathway Programme is designed to help career switchers like you discover how to confidently switch your career to conservation with expert guidance and support.

In this episode I'm joined by Starlight Mundy, Business Growth Strategist and Community Accelerator, who's working with us to take our community programmes to the next level.

I'm also joined by Kristi Foster, Head of Engagement at Conservation Careers, who mapped the Key Conservation Roles and helped create the step-by-step process to becoming a conservationist.

Together we talk about how we brought the Conservation Pathway Programme to life... from the initial vision, to the strategy, to why it's a total game-changer for career switchers and the conservation sector. Enjoy!

How do you switch careers from something entirely unrelated to wildlife and start to carve out a role for yourself in the conservation sector? How do you find your purpose, network effectively, get training support and secure high-quality experiences which can transform your work?

In this episode, guest Edward Sanders discusses how he overcame these challenges and more. Ed has worked in the UK, Far East, Southern Africa, Middle East and Australasia in properly development and management for over 20 years. He spent a magical two years in Botswana in his early career, and has since held a passion to return to Africa and dedicate himself to wildlife conservation efforts.

We've been supporting Ed on his career journey over the last six months, and he's stood out as a really engaged, dynamic and driven career switcher who's going places. I wanted to share his career journey and advice with you.

During our chat we talk about his career background in property and real estate and also the practical steps he's taken to start transferring his skills into the conservation sector. From self reflection and Ikigai, to career planning, coaching and networking, Ed shares his honest experience, along with his practical tips for anyone to learn from.

It's an inspiring, exciting and really useful podcast for anyone seeking to switch into or secure a career in conservation. Enjoy.

Can you picture yourself rescuing, rehabilitating or even releasing individuals from a Critically Endangered species in the wild? Or translocating wolves from Canada to be released in Yellowstone National Park in the US?

Those are just two examples of the work of Dr. Malcolm McAdie, a Canadian wildlife veterinarian who’s worked with species such as wolves, snakes, Bald Eagle and Critically Endangered Vancouver Island Marmots.

As a wildlife vet, Malcolm works with the Marmot Recovery Foundation, overseeing all the captive breeding and Marmot care, and rescuing and releasing Marmots. He also provides specialized care to all the animals at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association, among many other exciting projects.

In this episode, Malcolm shares his career journey, the highlights of being a wildlife vet, and the importance of sharing conservation success stories. He also explains some of the keys to his own career success - including being flexible and available, and making connections that led to work.

What role do zoos play in conservation, why is diversity important and how can you get upskilled to have more impact? 

We discuss these topics in front of an audience from within our CC Pro community on today’s podcast with Dr Helen Gath from the Durrell Conservation Academy. 

Helen is a conservation ecologist passionate about enthusing others to protect the natural world. She holds a PhD on the Mauritius Echo parakeet and in her role as Conservation Training Officer enjoys collaborating with world-leading conservation practitioners to facilitate and deliver a wide range of training for aspiring and professional conservationists. 

She shares what it’s like to do her work day-today and also her career path; including some struggles along the way. 

It’s a wide-ranging, fun and inspiring chat where we also had a great chat with the audience after the recording ended.  

As always, enjoy. 

Stella Diamant is a passionate conservation biologist who founded the Madagascar Whale Shark Project, introduced a code of conduct for whale shark tourism, initiated an environmental education programme for Malagasy youth, and has identified almost 500 individual Whale Sharks.  

She’s now working in collaboration with other NGOs and has helped ensure the code of conduct is being added to Malagasy law, and will soon be compulsory for all operators across Madagascar interacting with marine megafauna.  

An old friend of CC, Stella talks candidly about her insights from her experience founding and running the NGO single-handedly. She talks passionately about why Whale Sharks matter and what she’s doing to help conserve them. We also discuss her careers advice for budding marine conservationists.  

This is also a new format of the podcast, where we invited our community members into the recording as an audience and invited them to ask questions of Stella once the mics were turned off. 

If you’d like to be in the audience of our podcast recordings, please join the CC Academy and come along.  

Righty, let’s hand over Stella and get this show on the road… 

In this episode we’re speaking with Lucy Standing, who’s the Co-Founder of Brave Starts which offers career change and start-up business programmes to help people over 50 lead more purposeful lives. 

Lucy talks openly about the challenges mature people face in their careers and within the workplace. 

We discuss why age is being ignored in discussions about diversity and inclusion, and what can be done about it. 

We cover a lot of really fascinating ground in this podchat, from her views of career advice to reforms needed in recruitment, to practical steps and advice for people seeking to switch gears in their careers when 50+ years old. 

It’s a really wide-ranging, engaging and value packed discussion. 

Enjoy. 

Today we’re speaking with ocean writer and PR freelancer Melissa Hobson. 

Mel is passionate about communicating how we can all make a difference for the marine environment, our planet and people’s lives. 

She’s a certified scuba diver and has worked in PR for over a decade – at first outside of conservation and then more recently turning her considerable talents towards helping wildlife to flourish. 

During our chat we talk about her work in PR and writing and she shares tips on how to be a freelancer in conservation, win clients and craft messages that work. 

We also discuss her squiggly career to date, and how we switched into wildlife conservation. 

Finally Mel shares her advice for people who might be wishing to work in conservation too. 

It’s a wide-ranging, engaging and fun discussion.  

Enjoy. 

Today we’re speaking with Valérie D'Hoedt Meyer, who is the Director of the IUCN Academy. 

Launched in September 2021, the IUCN Academy seeks to harness expertise from within the International Union for Conservation of Nature network to provide training for those seeking to make a meaningful contribution to the dynamic world of conservation.  

The IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations, and in the podcast we discuss what exactly it is and how it works.  

We then talk about the IUCN Academy, before Valerie shares her career journey as a switcher – moving from law to education and finally into conservation.  

She shares her careers advice for switchers, and also explains the IUCN recruitment process from an insider’s perspective.  

It’s an interesting discussion about the role of education in conservation, and also the importance of resilience when switching careers. 

Enjoy. 

If you’re interested in conservation, then you’ve probably heard the term rewilding. 

Over the past decade or so it has represented a growing movement within the industry to restore nature back to its former glory. Sometimes involving reintroducing long-lost species back into landscapes.  

One of the organisations involved in the movement is Citizen Zoo – a young UK charity dedicated to rewilding, made up of a passionate team and volunteers around the country working to restore nature and help species and habitats thrive. 

Today we’re speaking to Ben Stockwell, Senior Rewilding Officer at Citizen Zoo. 

We discuss why rewilding is such an exciting opportunity for conservationists, how it works and some examples of how you can get involved. 

As always, we also talk about what it’s like to do this type of work and Ben's advice people like you who might be interested in following in his footsteps. 

It’s an inspiring, thought-provoking and wild chat - enjoy!

Are you keen to switch your career into conservation in 2023?

Perhaps you’re feeling a little stuck in a job you’re not fully happy with, and you want to follow your passion and help wildlife to flourish as your day job.

Well, today I want to show you that this is possible by sharing the inspiring success stories of four amazing ladies who switched their careers into conservation in 2022 with our support.

In a minute you’re going to hear a recording of a live event we did win collaboration with my co-host, and all round good egg, Ebony Escalona from Vets Stay Go Diversify.

During the webinar we spoke to the following people who recently switched their careers, and who share their honest reflections of their journeys:

First up we have Magda Zachara. After almost 10 years in Molecular Life Sciences Magda recently switched careers into conservation and is now working for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

We then have Jennifer Cantley. An experienced British veterinary surgeon who recently switched careers to become a Communications Officer for the One Health European Joint Programme, based at the University of Surrey.

We also hear from Stephanie Gentle. Formally working in emergency management in Washington DC, Stephanie switched career and is now working in cross-border conservation with Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA).

And last but not least we hear from Kate Stephenson. A blogger, journalist and educational media specialist who recently switched careers into conservation to become Head of Communications at Whitley Fund for Nature.

I found it such an inspiring, honest and reflective session and I’m sure you’re going to love it too.

Before you jump into the session … If you’d like our help to get your career on track in 2023 we’ve just opened our Conservation Career Kick-starter.

The Conservation Career Kick-Starter is a comprehensive programme of training, support, community and jobs designed to get you hired quicker as a professional wildlife conservationist.

We’ve supported over 2,500 people through the programme today and many of them – as you’re about to hear - are flying in their careers as a result.

Success is totally possible, and we can help you to achieve it.

If you’d like to find out more, please visit conservation-careers.com/kick

That’s enough waffle from me, let’s jump into the live event.

Enjoy.