Would you like to submit a question to the community of Biologists?
What’s an area of the country/world you enjoyed working and why?
Ask a Biologist Monday 2/19/24
Answers from Biologists:
Southern Louisiana. It’s such a dynamic ecosystem facing a number of very unique challenges.
Black rock desert NV. The surrounding landscape is beautiful and unsuspecting.
Glacial lakes region of Minnesota. Ordway prairie is beautiful.
Southern Appalachia-incredible biodiversity and breathtaking views.
Northeast Oklahoma and the Ozarks-amazing species and beautiful scenery.
Wyoming-I love the ferrets, weasels, badgers, and otters I saw.
South central Alaska-amazing variety of wildlife and gorgeous mountains along the coast.
Prairie pothole region of ND/MN-lots of wildlife, public land, and watching thunderstorms over the landscape.
Etosha Heights in Namibia-savanna par excellence right there.
The basin and range of Nevada-it’s incredible to go from Mojave desert to alpine forests.
Asturias in Spain -it’s like out of a fairytale.
The foothills of the Rockies. Stunning, especially the flowers.
Mojave Valley, USA-most people don’t think of the amazing fish in the desert.
Southeastern NC coast-lots to do in a short distance, especially for naturalists and ocean lovers.
Everglades-such a complex system with so many people concerned for wildlife.
Hudson River Valley-stunning beauty and diversity of habitats and communities.
The Alaska Peninsula
Way South Texas-down on the border-so much to love about the ecosystem and community.
Jemez mountains, New Mexico.
Anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Southern NM-the sky islands here are home to so many species, many of which are endemic.
High Sierras in California-stunning views worth the climb.
Chesapeake Bay
Juniper scrub woodland in the Colorado Plateau-some of the most difficult and beautiful country.
East of the Cascades is so weird! Gorgeous and super dry.
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument-stunning biology, archeology, geology.
Texas coast-such diverse mix of habitats and beautiful birds.
Panhandle of Florida is beautiful and different than the rest of the state.
Swamps and longleaf pine uplands of Georgia and South Carolina-awesome herps.
US Central Hardwood Forest-extremely diverse and abundant flora/fauna.
Brackish marshes of the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana-so unique.
Eastern Sierras in CA
Mojave Desert-made me rethink how I viewed the desert.
Puerto Rico-Cultural experience, people, and food.
Great Basin in Nevada and Idaho-underrated
The Sonoran Desert-so underrated.
Sagebrush Steppe-few mosquitoes and lots of cool herps.
Sandhills in Nebraska-a gorgeous, open landscape and low human population.
Caribbean-relaxed attitude but most importantly small islands mean visible results.
Tidal marshes of New England and Maritime Canada-special kind of gorgeous.
Hawaii-weather
PNW-has everything mountains, ocean, forest, rivers, cities, and rural areas.
What advice do you have for those considering a master’s?
Ask a Biologist Monday 2/12/24
Answers from Biologists:
Don’t just consider the PI. Consider the rest of the committee too as they can balance things out.
Do. Tech. Work. First.
Make sure the courses offer match what you want to learn. Mine taught outdated stats.
Make sure you pick a topic that can be completed in your time frame.
Make sure you can complete your project in house. If not, make sure you will have funding available.
Think long and hard about potential pitfalls of relying on other collaborators to complete a project.
Make sure your advisor has some degree of expertise regarding the topic you want to study.
Getting one because you need it for a job is enough reason to do it if you have the means to do it.
Realize it will be your job and income for 2-3 years.
If you have a very specific goal it’s okay, but if not, then really focus on experience and networking.
Go to as many conferences as possible while doing it.
Don’t just do it to do it. Do it to help you achieve a specific goal or explore an interest of yours.
Ask where the program’s past students ended up in their careers after graduation.
Ask if conferences and travel are fully funded by the program.
Identify what you are hoping to gain from a master’s ahead of accepting a position.
Don’t just take the first project that comes along. Find something you are passionate about.
Do it because you want/need to, not just because you feel it’s the next step.
Choose committee members that will support you.
Ask if the committee has already been formed and who is on it.
Find out where the funding for it is coming from, what it covers, and how solid/safe it is.
Talk with current and former lab members, vet out the school, and people/program, look into classes.
Take a gap between undergrad and grad school to develop your interests and field experience.
Study a species that will give you lots of data. Carnivores are really hard to get strong statistics from.
Make sure you have a top-notch support system in place outside of school. No one gets through alone.
Don’t rush into it. Make sure the school/project/advisor are right for your career goals and lifestyle.
Funding. Does the project have funding?
Really understand your working style and level of supervising you need to succeed.
Reach out to previous or current grad student’s about the advisor’s expertise.
Talk to your potential advisor’s current and former students.
Reach out to your prospective advisor’s current and former students. You’ll get an idea of what to expect.
Discuss available funding with all potential advisors before committing to anything.
Funding. Does it cover tuition, supplies, summertime pay, travel/registration for conferences? Is it solid?
The project you do doesn’t lock you into working on that subject after grad school.
The school itself doesn’t matter all that much. Advisor and specific program are more important.
Find out how many of their students successfully defended and how long it took them.
Find out if your potential advisor is still connected and well liked in the field.
Would you recommend this field to others? Why or why not?
Ask A Biologist Monday 2/5/24
Answers from Biologists:
Yes, but it will be different from what you initially think. Having a safety net/no obligations is helpful.
I’m always brutally honest about the reality of this field when people ask me.
If you can fund your life by your parent’s money, yeah sure why not. Otherwise, no
I’d make sure they’re aware it’s not all animal cuddling and easy times.
Yes. Honestly easily yes. I love my life so much. It’s not all toxicity and poverty, really.
As a primary parent, no. As a mom, no and there’s no support. Young and childfree, it’s a grand adventure.
If they are interested but have an honest talk about what it is vs. what they think it is.
100% there’s no perfect job, but there are moments of this work that get very close.
Yes, if you have a financial support system to supplement instability in early career.
No. After 13 years of seasonal jobs, financial instability, challenges in finding permanent positions, nope.
Yes but I admit I got really lucky and it can be a very difficult field to work in.
I would if it’s their passion. But also have them know they’ll never be rich or pain/stress free.
Yes: Incredible adventures and experiences. No: I’m so poor.
No if you’re going to be the main income for a household. This career does not pay well.
As a career, yes. As a career change, no. The pay and exploitation is hard enough as 18 yrs old.
No. Very limited number of full time, stable, well paying jobs and the sacrifices you make to be successful.
I would only recommend this to people who are truly passionate about it. It’s bitter work.
Not any more. The realities of the job are not what I thought going in.
Yes, depending on the person.
No, I can’t justify recommending this career to anyone at this point.
Yes, but be flexible. Biology is a broad field with a lot of different specializations.
It’s not always holding animals and most of it is not glamorous. You’ve gotta really have that passion.
No. Do volunteer work if you’re passionate. Otherwise get a stable, well-paying career.
Yes, only if you’re fully aware of what you’re signing up for. It can be rewarding.
Only if you’re willing to do something you absolutely love at the cost of pay and toxicity.
Yes with caveats. It’s fun but the job hunt can be brutal.
Yes. It’s a great way to travel the country and meet incredible people while working for the environment.
I always tell people it’s not as cool as it seems.
Yes with the caveat that it’s a broad, broad field and some flexibility will likely be required.
No I would. I fully expected poor pay but not such poor opportunities and toxic culture.
I will not let my daughters even consider working in this field. They deserve better.
Yes but not if you want to be rich and famous.
Yes but with a serious dose of reality. It’s not all sparkles and rainbows.
Yes but I’m very upfront and honest. I think this field needs a different perspective.
Yes if you have disposable income and connections already in the field.
Only for those individuals that are really driven. It’s hard to have a “normal” life as a bio.
It’s very rewarding and exhausting work-recommend it if you are passionate with healthy boundaries.
No-if you can be happy doing something else that gives you stable income, do that instead.
What is a favorite Biology themed book that you would recommend?
Ask A Biologist Monday 1/29/24
Reclaiming South Georgia: The defeat of furry invaders on a sub-Antarctic island
Fuzz
Song of the Dodo by David Quammen
Spillover
Far From Land: The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds
Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
Their blood runs cold: adventures with reptiles and amphibians-Whit Gibbons
Bitch by Lucy Cooke
The Last Sunset in the West by Natalie Sanders
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
Spying on Whales by Nick Pyenson
The Sun is a Compass: A 4000 Mile Journey Into the Alaskan Wilds
Wolfer by Carter Niemeyer
Why fish don’t exist by LuLu Miller
The invention of nature
Song of the Dodo by David Quamman
The Conservation Professional’s Guide to Working with people by Scott A Bonar
A Most Remarkable Creature by Jonathan Meiburg
My Double Life by Fran Hammerson
The Sun is a Compass
Braiding Sweetgrass
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Living Planet - David Attenborough
How to Conserve Conservationists
Being caribou
The rise of the American conservation movement
Eager: The Surprisingly, Sweet Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb
A song for the blue ocean - Carl Safina
A Sand County Almanac
Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A World On the Wing by Scott Weidensaul
Gathering Moss
Codd by Mark Kurlansky
Spying on Whales by Nick Pyenson
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Fresh Banana Leaves
Owls of the Eastern Ice
A different shade of green
An Immense World
Born Free by Joy Adamson
Sand County Almanac by Leopold
A sand county almanac
My side of the mountain
The nature fix by Florence Williams
Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller
Eager by Ben Goldfarb
Cuckoo by Nature by Nick Davies
An Immense World by Ed Young
Salmon by Mark Kurlansky
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer
A Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy
Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid
The Life and Death of the Great Lakes
Braiding sweetgrass
Silent Spring
Overstory
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer
Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller
49 Years in the 49th State - Patrick Valkenburg
American Bison by Steve Rinella
An Immense World by Ed Yong
The Wolverine Way by Douglas Chadwick
Braiding Sweetgrass
Two Old Women
Mean and lowly things - Kate Jackson
Life As We Made It - Beth Shapiro
The Life and Death of the Great Lakes - Dan Egan
Zoobiquity
Lovelocks Gaia series
A View From the Wolf’s Eye by Carolyn Peterson
Braiding Sweetgrass
Lab Girl
Braiding Sweetgrass by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer
Owls of the Eastern Ice
Wild Trees by Richard Preston
Why Fish Don’t Exist by LuLu Miller
Improbable Destinies by Jonathan Losos
Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art by Harry Greene
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
What random skill has been useful in your job?
Ask a Biologist Monday 1/22/24
Answers from Biologists:
Baking-good food is one of the top morale sources for individuals and teams.
Kayaking as a hobby got me a job doing water bird monitoring.
Haunted house crowd control-keeping my cool in high stress environments.
Changing tires, especially in remote field settings.
Driving with a trailer/ working heavy equipment of any kind.
Basic mechanical skills.
Basic construction/repair (plumbing, electrical, carpentry, mechanical).
Duct taping joeys back into wallaby pouches.
Basic technical drawing to design equipment.
The ability to talk to condescending men and not curse.
Anatomical illustration.
Keeping a straight face when people are being dumb.
Houseplants translates to growing plants in a greenhouse for experiments.
Drawing.
Any sort of mechanical ability.
Tool use.
Tying knots-joining boat lines, fixing traps, securing truck loads.
Defensive driving.
Emotional intelligence.
Backing up trailers.
Using basic power tools to fix and build stuff.
Understanding local slang/dialects. It’s easier to talk to land owners and people at outreach events.
Humor. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at bad field days.
Basic maintenance skills-learning how to do repairs on everything from gates to sinks to mowers.
Basic carpentry/welding/electrical skills.
Small engine repair.
General carpentry/small tool skills.
Having a good sense of direction/ability to read a map.
Driving a vehicle with manual transmission. Handy for some older field trucks.
Mechanical knowledge and being able to fix things when they break.
How to fix fence.
Welding/general mechanical skills.
Drawing.
Reading the sun/light/stars.
Drawing-the most universal way to communicate and design what we want to build.
Empathy.
Towing and backing trailers.
What new to market tech has been helpful in your job?
Ask a Biologist Monday 1/15/24
Answers from Biologists:
Handheld FLIR. Makes quick work of finding raccoon babies hidden in folk’s walls.
InReach helps me feel so much safer in the field.
Cellular trail cameras.
P-style. It feels more sanitary than a kula cloth to me and gives privacy in a treeless environment.
Drones.
Virtual fencing for cattle.
Drones for herbicide application/fire/inventory.
Avenza with georeferenced PDFs.
Garmin InReach-super useful for texting without service/safety.
Ipads with ESRI field maps and survey123.
Pee funnel.
Teeny tiny MOTUS tags. We’re able to track free-tailed bats as they migrate south.
Heated vest and insoles for your boots. Much better than disposable warmers.
Kula pee cloths for field work.
Getting a kula cloth has changed my life for the better.
Chat GPT for my R-script coding questions.
Carhartt double knee pants. Amazing for walking through brambles.
GPS apps like Gaia or OnX.
A drone to better scan vegetation communities and identify restoration sites.
Blavor Solar Chargers are great portable field phone chargers.
Rechargeable hand warmers and heated socks.
What’s the worst advice/most untrue thing you’ve heard about this field?
Ask a Biologist Monday 1/8/24
Answers from Biologists:
You can’t be in a relationship or have a pet while in grad school.
If you want to be a female biologist, you can’t have children.
You have to prioritize the grind culture to be successful.
Education is more important than experience.
Federal work is the only way to build a career.
You can’t date/have a partner in the same field because it’s “too hard”.
You need higher than a bachelor’s degree.
You have to go to grad school straight out of undergraduate.
You need to eat/breathe conservation.
That taking unpaid or volunteer positions are “worth it” for the experience.
You can’t have a work/life balance. Your job is your whole identity.
If you’re taking time off, you’re taking help away from the team.
You have to be a perfectly healthy, able-bodied person to be a biologist.
You will get far just by working hard.
Raptors like to be hugged.
Doing a master’s at the same university you went to for undergrad is bad.
You must have a science'/natural resources major to get anywhere.
It’s impossible to find jobs for a bio couple in the same area. It’s hard but it can be done.
You need to move around.
Your biological clock will stop you from returning if you take a break between undergrad and grad school.
Presenting at conferences means everyone will know your name and you’ll get hired.
A big gap between undergrad and grad school is bad for your career.
You can’t be a biologist. You’re too smart. Go premed.
As long as the work/position interests you, where you have to live for it doesn’t matter.
You have to be one of the smarter ones in undergrad to get into and succeed at grad school.
As a woman, you should always go into the field with at least one man to be taken seriously.
It’s easier to find a job after finishing your degree.
You’re getting paid in the privilege to work with animals.
Use unpaid internships/positions to work with someone prominent.
It’s impossible to get a permanent job without years of seasonal jobs.
It’s not made for “working moms”.
You must have a master’s or doctorate to be successful.
You have to get a PhD to meaningfully contribute to the field.
You have to stick out any job or you’ll be blacklisted.
You have to take a certain path in undergrad (chem/stats/math) to go to grad school.
If you start a MS or PhD, you have to finish it or that time was wasted.
You have to stick it out in a hostile, abusive work environment so you can make connections.
Your job has to be your main priority.
You can’t be a mom and have a career in this field.
You have to work unpaid positions and it’s what everyone does.
You’ll never get a job as a biologist without a thesis.
What is a new thing in the field of Biology that you are excited about?
Ask a Biologist Monday 1/1/24
Answers from Biologists:
The Colorado wolf reintroduction.
Lidar.
Drones for wildlife and wild rice monitoring.
Updates to Program MARK.
The use of ring doorbells as opportunistic camera traps.
Molecular clock ageing.
Environmental DNA.
A noninvasive, reliable CWD test for live animals.
Scanner technology that makes 3D models of organisms without euthanasia.
Use of drones.
The extra weight given to opinions of marginalized communities driving new innovation.
The increased research on homosexual behavior in wildlife.
Backpack eDNA sampler from Smith-Root.
Use of drones for radio tracking.
Safe use of drones in many aspects.
The use of drones for surveying replacing helicopter surveys in many areas.
Drones for surveying and more.
Machine learning for camera trap and ARU analysis.
GPR ear tags developing further and someday used for short term capture outcomes.
What are you looking forward to next year?
Ask a Biologist Monday 12/25/23
Answers from Biologists:
Looking for fieldwork after graduation.
Starting grad school in a brand new state.
My first year post PhD.
Graduating with my master’s.
Getting back to the Mojave. Super excited to head back and work on some restoration projects out there.
Hopefully a job reclassification and raise. We are overworked and understaffed.
Staring my own firm and getting to hire fantastic young biologists with fair pay.
Going to Alaska and seeing whales again.
Life post undergrad. Hopefully including a tech job in Alaska.
Graduating college and starting a job out of state.
Future field positions.
Teaching ornithology lab and earning my MS degree.
Getting my first seasonal job after graduation.
Graduating.
My work is hiring more people. Looking forward to a bigger team for our conservation charity.
Mentoring undergrads for the first time and we get to do international raptor research.
My students working through a camera trap on NWR.
Defending my master’s.
Starting my master’s program.
My first oral presentation at a conference.
Finally starting graduate school.
Starting my new turkey tech position.
Graduating my master’s.
Publishing my first paper from my thesis.
Figuring out what I want after my PhD.
Finally getting my master’s after 6 long years and getting a decent job with it.
Finding a direction for my career.
Graduating my master’s.
Finishing my PhD.
My new role as lead biologist.
Finishing out my contract and hopefully moving onto something new.
Starting grad school.
Starting grad school and my research.
Hopefully finding a new job with better work culture/environment.
My first real wildlife job experience.
Hopefully leaving my current position.
Getting to explore my new field area while searching for rare trees with awesome folks.
New field experiences.
The opportunity to collect awesome data and try to get published.
Finally getting the 10+ years of data collected by my predecessors analyzed.
Beginning my conservation career with my first job in the field.
My first field season of grad school.
Writing my book about Oklahoma natural history.
Supervising seasonals for the first time.
A better year now that I’ve started working on my mental health.
Hopefully getting my first field tech position.
Having a permanent job and not having to move for fieldwork.
Working in Hawai’i.
My first field tech position.
What is something related to work this year that you’re proud of?
Ask a Biologist Monday 12/18/23
Answers from Biologists:
Spawned a new fish species in a hatchery for the first time and successfully hatched a lot of them.
I finished my last job without quitting. It broke me a little but at least it’s over.
Getting my first full time permanent job.
After 1.5 yrs of delay, finally completed a 6 day intensive baited camera campaign for sharks.
Finally being able to work on a master’s project after years of applying.
Standing up for myself when harassed by a superior and writing a report on his behavior.
Became the president of our university’s ecological society.
Learned more about moss identification.
Supported Native communities in an effort to rework toxic lead water systems in schools.
3 bat species have been recommended for endangered status based on a report I helped write.
Securing my first contract as an independent biological consultant.
Started rebuilding a neglected monitoring program from the ground up.
I got a wildlife job.
Led my first field crew.
Got out of a toxic work environment.
Got into grad school.
Piloted a national monitoring program as a field lead.
Got my first permanent job.
Getting into my first choice graduate assistantship program.
Installed bird friendly glass window treatments on our entire building.
Months of fieldwork about moose behavior in Alaska.
Graduated with my master’s and got a federal job offer.
Nailed down my first permanent position.
Finally wrote my own working R scripts for my job.
Our team brought the first multimillion dollar grant to our region.
Presenting results from my master’s at 3 separate conferences.
Learned how to band birds.
Got a faculty position without a PhD.
Had an undergrad professor reach out about a fully funded grad position they wanted me to apply for.
Completed my genetics and evolution class.
Made a list of local rehabilitations so the public can have someone to call.
Spent 5 months as a botanist in an agency overseas and applied what I’ve learned at home.
Started a new TWS working group.
Wrote a couple grants that brought in nearly $300k for wildlife monitoring.
Got a job.
Had a young friend I mentored represent her country at COP.
Started a job in a new state. Worked to learn new plant species and add value to my team.
Redoing my CV. It had been 10 years.
Discovered a severe invasive plant infestation on a lake that wasn’t on our survey list.
Finished my MS degree and published my first 2 first author publications.
Got a promotion and moved to a new area I love.
Got collars in a bison herd for the first time in 30 years.
Published my master’s research.
Landed a job in the field as an environmental specialist.
Banded my first bird.
Developed a reputation as a battle axe. I’ll always advocate for wildlife.
Survived my current job and am on to the next.
Proud of how quickly I hit my stride running my program for my first permanent position.
Share a winter fieldwork tip
Ask a Biologist Monday 12/11/23
Answers from Biologists:
Carry extra batteries/battery packs for devices. They drain quickly in the cold.
Wear ice spikes on your boots for better traction while walking.
Better to cancel a day of fieldwork than damage the desert due to desert rains.
Warm soup in an insulated jar/travel mug is a mood booster during lunch.
Soup in a thermos. Simple but really helps on long cold days and is worth the extra weight.
Bring extra socks/sweats to change into for a warm and dry ride home.
Packs or electric handwarmers are amazing.
Hand warmers. They’re small and light. A 4hr field day can turn into 6-8 trekking in the snow.
Handwarmers. I’ve used them to thaw out locks.
Drain your hoses after using them so they don’t freeze.
Find a quality insulated thermos.
Keep extra warm socks in your pack.
Pocket hand warmers for gloves.
Invest in a good thermos.
Baseball cap under toque/beenie. It’s warm and keeps snow/rain off your face.
Wool is worth the extra expense.
Bama sockettes inside rubber boots. Extra insulation and absolute witchcraft levels of wicking.
Stick firm in your boundaries about road conditions and warming up. No work is worth your safety.
Learn how to put your snow chains on vehicles before the snow starts to fall.
Keep hand warmers in your coat pockets.
Sand/roof tiles in the back of your truck to weigh it down (stops sliding) and use to get vehicle unstuck.
Bring extra grips for your shoes.
Hothands are good for you or small animals you might be tracking.
Pocket hand warmers DO NOT heat when wet.
Layer clothes so you can take on and off easily.
Always carry a handkerchief. Good for runny noses or to flag down help if needed, or mark locations.
Hot water bottle if you job consists of long sits for observations or whatever.
Get rechargeable handwarmers.
Layers upon layers upon layers.
You can’t have too many extra pairs of socks with you.
Invest in a high-quality thermos and take warm tea/coffee.
Need to pee? Don’t hold it for too long. Your body heats up your bladder making less warmth flow to hands and feet.
Neoprene boots with felt insoles are great in cold temps.
Stand on a mat when doing observations so it gives more insulation from the ground.
Layers are better than one heavy jacket so you can shed them as you warm up. Sweating is dangerous.
Extra pair of pants and socks. Being wet and cold is not fun or healthy.
Pack in high calorie, sugar and protein foods to keep your body temp up.
Wear a waterproof outerlayer to help keep snow melt and wind out.
Petrol fired handwarmers are a game changer. They last forever, are really safe, and can save your life.
Gaiters to keep snow out of your boots and lower legs dry.
Heated socks. Worth every penny.
Always turn your truck around when you get to/park at your site.
In order to stay warm, you have to stay dry.
Wool baselayers! They wick moisture and stay very warm.
Snack on things during the day and keep snacks and water tucket in your jacket.
Fleece is warm even when wet, unlike many other fabrics including wool.
Bring a jet boil or camp stove and instant noodle soup to warm up.
Bama socks-I’ve never had a blister or trench foot.
What’s a memorable work moment for you?
Ask a Biologist Monday 12/4/23
Answers from Biologists:
Hearing the metal clanging of elephants smashing my camera trap cases and turning around.
A bolt of lightning exploded directly ahead of us and everything went white.
Seeing a tick larvae for the first time. So tiny!
Hearing a grunt above and turning to be 2 feet from a lemur you’re tracking in the dense undergrowth.
Snorkeling face to face with a deadly irukandi jellyfish.
Actually finding the turtles we were eDNA slurping for.
Seeing my first wild endangered Black-footed ferret after weeks of wondering if they existed.
Assisting in barn owl research in the sandhill prairies of Nebraska.
Getting stalked by a mountain lion.
Recapturing a little brown bat 28 yrs after its first capture (1993-2021).
Saved a 14 yr old bison cow that was stuck in the calf chute.
Trapping the first bobcat of the season (my first bobcat I’d ever seen/handled).
Finding cougar kittens in a huge thicket of vegetation after a grueling hike.
Banding a sandhill crane.
Rearing and caring for a red wolf puppy as part of their SSP.
Snorkeling with a 6 ft long Atlantic sturgeon.
Watching a black bear come down into a river canyon and effortlessly swim across the river we were on.
Collaring and tagging wolf pups.
Checking tern eggs pipping and having an adult land on my head.
Working with one of the rarest crayfish species in North America.
Waking up to a moose nudging my foot through my tent.
Crawling into a Mexican wolf den to vaccinate the mother of the pack. Beautiful brown eyes.
A cow elk ran up on me when I finished doing a northern goshawk call.
Got slapped by a Chinook tail.
Hearing a female mountain lion screaming from less than 100 yards away.
Almost stepping on a very large and venomous Fer-d-lance snake in the tropics.
Seeing a bobcat run across the road.
Having a Black footed ferret try to nip my ankles.
Catching the biggest lake trout I’ve ever seen on my first remote field trip.
Hearing a whizzing sound over my head and looked up to see a CA condor soaring.
Hearing a Sprague’s pipit sing in a reseeded grassland.
First time encountering a tiger shark on a shark tagging expedition.
Finding my first rusty patch bumblebee after many surveys.
Finding my first bank swallow colony in habitat I identified.
Seeing my first spotted owl of the season after having a really rough month. I cried.
Finding a weed grow in a reforestation site.
Downstream snorkeling survey with thousands of Chinook returning to spawn.
Garibaldi coming up to bite my pencil eraser while I was trying to record its behavior.
Almost stumbling into a weeks old bear cub sleeping in the shrubs of FL.
Got nibbled on by a chamois while waiting for an eagle owl on a rock wall. Almost fell down the cliff.
Releasing a black-footed ferret at a reintroduction site.
Releasing baby lake sturgeon into the wild and watching them swim en mass to their new home.
First time seeing a sea turtle nesting on a beach. Childhood dream come true.
Having a spotted owl survey interrupted by a curious mountain lion.
Our wildlife dog Athena found that pangolins bury their scat. No one knew this before.
A bear passing right by me as I did a bird count survey and how it bolted when it saw me.
Driving up to a site that was on the cliffs above the Llano Escatado. Beautiful country.
Finding a turtle that had been poached and we rescued ten years later nesting in the wild again.
Doing seabird surveys and a huge beluga pod of 150 swam below the cliff we were on.
Seeing two mountain lions playing on a trail camera.
Watching a bald eagle fly over the smolt trap with the second salmon it caught of the day.
A salt marsh black bear encounter in North Carolina.
I got to assist with a Mexican spotted owl capture. It was such an incredible experience.
Seeing 5 black footed ferrets in a single night and capturing zero.
A common loon swimming right under our canoe in shallow crystal clear water.
Walked up on a fresh pair of fawns doing my MS field work. Mom was still cleaning them.
Running across a beach, avoiding all the T&E nests and eggs, in order to grad a trapped RTHA.
Watching the Mojave desert come to life during the superbloom.
Seeing 30 or so elk crossing a snowy field and white mountains in the background.
Working at a local shelter to help do research on a feral cat population.
Seeing an owl’s ears for the first time.
Watching the silhouettes of Paddlefish dancing just below the surface.
Seeing a moose down the trail as I was setting cameras in the rain. Beautiful and majestic.
Why did you go into the field of Biology?
Ask a Biologist Monday 11/27/23
Answers from Biologists:
Always loved nature and bugs as a kid.
I have always deeply cared for the planet and wanted to help protect every inhabitant.
Was pressured to join a plant ID contest in high school and fell in love with natural resources.
Turtles.
In 5th grade we had to recite a poem. Mine was “Where Once there was a Wood”
I always loved nature and Steve Irwin.
I just really wanted to pick up wildlife with my hands. Now I have better reasons.
Wanted to learn more about the animals we hunt and whether it is actually good or not (Australia).
As a landlocked kid I was obsessed with all things ocean and love asking questions/finding answers.
Wanted to be a vet growing up but discovered that vets are not the only people doing animal stuff.
Spent my 20s working crap jobs and decided I wanted to make a difference.
Life just looks so beautiful.
To contribute to conservation and get paid to go birding.
I was on a university bus that drove past the college of Ecology sign. Changed my major that week.
Watching the “How Wolves Change Rivers” video about Yellowstone in high school.
The quality of Australian bushland I grew up in. I reckon it’s still the best in the world.
Just love nature and the more I learned the more I wanted to know and protect.
Grew up with a parent who loved the outdoors. It definitely influenced my interest.
It seemed more fun than vet school and I was right.
A passionate high school biology teacher.
Wanting to help with species conservation turned into wanting to explain science.
To prove that I and other queer people can. More diversity and representation in STEM.
Got a great professor in my first semester of college and now I’m obsessed with plants.
Hated my engineering class. Took intro to fish and wildlife. Got hooked by the potential to do good.
Childhood special interest was dolphins. Figured why not make a career of it.
Fell in love with wetlands and just couldn’t leave them.
Obsessed with animals. I couldn’t pick a favorited as a kid so ecology it is.
I was raised to love the natural world. I knew I’d never be happy doing anything else.
To protect the places I love.
“I can be paid to be outside?!”
Bunch of free tickets to the aquarium within a year. I was hooked.
Field techniques course and the final push was not going to vet school.
Started with plants and nature in general then fell in love with biodiversity/taxonomy.
I have an unhealthy obsession with bats.
Conservation, preservation, protection of wildlife and habitat. Oh, and we work outside.
I get to go outside and mess with animals and get paid for it.
I started working for a research biologist in high school and found that I loved it.
I loved Jack Hanna growing up and my grandma ran an exotic bird rescue.
I wanted to help, so I went for conservation and management.
Initially a civil engineer. I hope to bridge the gap and integrate our ecological systems and infrastructure.
Sat next to a fish bio major who crashed the engineering BBQ. It seemed cool.
Saw a Doug Smith lecture on the YNP wolf reintroduction and wanted to help other species.
I took ag science, but fell in love with plant reproduction and ecology.
I grew up outdoors hunting and fishing, loved animals, and was always fascinated by ecosystems.
Watched PBS nature shows as a kid and said “I’m gonna do that!”.
Took a camping trip in middle school to an FFA and I’ve been stuck learning about trees and forests since.
A deep desire to protect and save the animals I love.
Biology merges my passion for conservation with a career I could see myself excelling in.
Bugs! Then I had the best AP bio course in high school.
It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was 5. But the UAF fisheries department recruiter talked me into my career.
Steve Irwin and Animal Planet shows.
Because natural life can’t advocate for itself.
I love being outdoors and noticing small wonders easily missed in our modern lives.
No matter how old I get, I get to learn new things every day in this field. And I love animals.
I’ve always loved the outdoors and observing and trying to understand living organisms.
I always wanted to be a Pokemon trainers and wildlife biologist is the next best thing.
I loved animals and nature and wanted to learn everything about them.
Wildlife is so awe inspiring that it needs to be conserved for the future.
I loved spending time outdoors hunting and fishing.
Had a summer job as a spray tech for invasive species and switched my major from psych to bio.
My AP Bio teacher in high school. I liked animals but he showed me all the possibilities of wildlife biology.
I had access to wild spaces and parents who encouraged my interest in the outdoors.
I wanted to help protect animals and “give them a voice” since they can’t speak up for themselves.
Intro to ecology professor was TOO GOOD.
Hoping to educate people on the natural world around them and develop respect for all wildlife.
Wanted to be Captain Planet as a kid.
I have always loved science. I took wildlife conservation and was determined to make things better.
I’ve always found parasites cool.
The passion of Steve Irwin, my parents, and love for wildlife.
I just felt right.
I enjoyed Nature on public television as a kid and wanted to help.
Species conservation. Hopefully I can help even if only a little.
Childhood of learning about and spending time in nature.
Thought I’d go crazy if I had a job inside all day.
I’m passionate about wildlife conservation and it never hurts to love your job.
One good intro to Bio for non-majors professor had the AUDACITY to by inspiring.
Wanted to work with floofs. Now I work with bugs so we definitely lost the plot.
What do you do to lift your spirits when your job gets you down?
Ask a Biologist Monday 11/20/23
Answers from Biologists:
Take a sick day to go out on the trails.
Take a short walk to get out of that environment for a bit and focus on the parts I enjoy.
Talk to my friends outside of Biology and remember that good jobs exist outside this field too.
Take a day for myself to get outside and to make something (crafty or cooking).
Time away or working with kids. It helps to see the next generation getting excited about nature.
Tell myself that I could have had a boring office job and that I’m lucky I get to work with animals.
Get outside, wildlife watch, stop to smell the roses and remember why I do this.
Try to find a school group to talk to. Watching kids discover nature makes me happy.
Scream to Boygenius as I drive home.
Try to remember dreaming of being a Biologist when younger then I remind myself I got there.
Play with my dogs.
If I’m out doing fieldwork, just sit down for awhile and enjoy where I am.
Read an inspiring book.
Run!
Remember how long I spent imagining I could be doing this and the hard work it took to get here.
Play video games, have fun with my kid, or grab coffee with a friend.
Watch the interactions of animals I work with. They can always make me smile.
Vent to a friend.
I think about the alternatives.
Remember how lucky I am to be in a field I love so much.
Go for a hike in the woods. It relaxes my brain and reminds me why I do this work.
Go home.
Count how many weeks left in my seasonal appointment and remember someday I go home.
Go outside. It reminds me of the best parts of my job.
Talk to my biologist friends. They can commiserate and make me feel better.
Change up my focus as work for the day. If one thing isn’t working, I do something else.
What is the most valuable skill/thing you learned in Grad school?
Ask a Biologist Monday 11/13/23
Answers from Biologists:
Krebs cycle
Where I need to build my skillset
Science outreach certificated
That being a successful biologist includes have a life outside of my career.
How to write scientific papers well.
How to give scientific presentations.
How to ask for help.
Coding skills
How to take time for myself.
Prioritizing my happiness and well being.
Networking skills.
GIS and R. The applications are endless and only make my job easier.
What type of mentorship style I need.
The importance of prioritizing my mental health.
Leadership
Patience/Perseverance
How to adjust when things keep going wrong/not as planned.
That things never go as planned.
How to fail.
Statistical modeling.
Grant writing
Budgeting for a project
Managing technicians
How to run a project
Tips for conferences
Ask A Biologist Monday 11/6/23
Answers from Biologists:
Sometimes the best networking happens after the conference activities over a meal or drink.
Strategically give your extra drink tickets to people who you want to remember you.
Business cards with your photo on them to help people remember your name and face together.
For the introverts-give your people breaks! Go on a walk, grab a coffee, etc.
Take time to break away from your core group to go make new connections.
Plan nap/break time.
Schedule alone time to explore the area.
Reach out to presenters that interested you after their sessions.
Wear comfy shoes.
Prepare an elevator pitch.
Wear something fun and memorable (ex: animal print shirt, jewelry, etc.) so you stick in people’s heads.
Check out the conference map beforehand and plan ahead on talks.
Bring water and snacks.
Bring your phone charger with you. Extra points if you bring a power strip.
Bring a jacket for cold rooms.
Really make an effort to go outside your friend group. Networking is invaluable.
Set goals/intentions for networking.
Ask others about the dress code beforehand.
Pace yourself. Take time to unwind and rest.
Pros/Cons of working in different sectors?
Ask a Biologist Monday 10/30/23
Answers from Biologists:
Feds:
Cons
Difficult to advance
Drowning in hiring pool
Waiting 6 months for simple hiring paperwork
Low pay to cost of living
Bureaucracy
Politics
Red tape
Steady work
Rate caps on pay
Can be limited by jurisdiction
Drama between orgs
Less field time/more office work
Hard to get a permanent position
Long timelines
Burnout potential is high
Pros
We do a lot of science in house
Programs well funded
Training potential
Lots of experience
flexible
Decent pay
Private land conservation
Good pay
Funding
Job security
Hours worked are respected
Overtime pay
Holidays
Paid trainings
Better work/life balance
Unionized (Canada)
Meaningful work
Academia
Cons
Toxic
Soft money
Poor pay
Pros
Groundbreaking projects
Good benefits
Private
Cons
Health insurance not always provided
Competitive
Crazy hours
Demanding clients
Pros
Good pay
Can be enjoyable (if you find the right one)
Rewarding
Exposure to a wide variety of work
State
Cons
Terrible pay
Paperwork
Slow approval process
Politics
Lack of pay increases
Different departments vary in pay
Boy’s club
Awful culture
Hard to get permanent position
Often overworked
Anti-government public
Bureaucracy
Pros
Good health insurance/benefits
Decent pay
Job security
Health insurance
Paid Time Off
Variety of work
Vacation hours/pay
People
Consulting
Cons
High workload
Travel
Job insecurity
Unpredictable schedule
Underpaid
Not environmentally friendly
Pros
Remote work
Variety of projects
Decent pay
Non-profit
Cons
Grant funded/unstable funding
High work load
Less people-power
Bad pay
Overworked
More business than science
Limited funds
Pros
Local impact
Direct change
Networking
Variety of experiences
Hands-on work
Good pay/benefits
Freedom/flexibility
Meaningful work
Tribal
Cons
Funding
Jurisdiction/co-management issues
Pros
Conservation values
Independence
Grant opportunities
Favors tribal citizens
Less restrictions
Freedom to pursue new projects
Contracting
Cons
Easier to get than federal jobs
Pros
No job security
Energy
Cons
Awful hours
Pros
Fantastic pay
Good benefits
What was your path to your first permanent position?
Ask a Biologist Monday 10/23/23
Answers from Biologists:
BS, 1 seasonal, 1 intern, 4 yrs MS, substitute teaching, 7 yrs. PhD, perm job at yr 5 of PhD.
Community college, 2 yrs undergrad, an internship, 2 temp positions, then it finally happened.
3 yrs undergrad-wrong path 2 yr detour, 3 yrs new undergrad, 3 yrs seasonal, 4 yrs pt time grad and work.
4 yrs undergrad, 3 yrs seasonal, 2.5 yrs grad school, 1 yr seasonal, finally in a permanent position.
3 yrs undergrad, 1.5 yrs masters, 3 months volunteering, and 3 months seasonal work.
3.5 yrs undergrad for a BSc, then applying to almost 50 jobs (Australia).
5 yrs undergrad, 6 months unpaid internship, 4.5 yrs seasonal, and just now a permanent job.
4 yrs undergrad, 4 yrs seasonal jobs, 3 yrs grad school, then a permanent w/nonprofit.
4 yrs undergrad, 1 yr internships, 2 yrs grad, 4 yrs temp jobs.
4.5 yrs (took semester off for seasonal position), 2 yrs seasonal, 2 yrs term, 3 states.
2 summer internships during 4 yrs of college plus some volunteering and being a tech.
5 yrs undergrad, 3 yrs work in an unrelated field, 1 long term/8 month seasonal position.
3 BS over 5 yrs with research/internships in school.
2 yrs seasonal work, 1.5 yrs federal contracting, 1 more seasonal job, 1.5 yrs grad school.
5 yrs undergrad, 2 internships, 4 yrs seasonal, 3 yrs grad school, 2 more seasonals, then perm. Moved a lot.
Summer seasonal and grad project. Volunteer during undergraduate.
4 yrs undergrad, worked in labs during that time.
Undergrad, unpaid internship, 1 yr volunteering, temp position 9 months became permanent.
Hired as on-call during my last yr of undergrad. Turned permanent after graduating.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs grad school, 1 postmasters in specialty area, permanent position.
4.5 yrs undergrad and 3 yrs seasonal work.
6 yrs undergrad including 2 summer terms at my job. 4 yrs of terms, now 6 months/yr “permanent”.
4 yrs undergrad, 1 yr unpaid volunteer, 6 yrs temp seasonal.
5 yr undergrad, 4 yrs tech position, 3 yrs grad school.
4 yrs undergrad, 1 yr seasonals, currently in 3 yr position with agency that should renew.
4 yrs undergrad, 4 summers of seasonal work, now a grad student.
Undergrad, seasonal at NGO, 3 yrs grad school.
4 yrs undergrad with paid internships in summers, 4 yrs seasonal, permanent.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs seasonal, 2 yrs Americorps, 3 yrs masters, 1 yr student pathway conversion.
6 yrs undergrad, 4 internships and GIS cert, 4 yrs graduate with full time job and promotion after graduation.
Oils and bird monitoring, consulting, both with slow layoff seasons. Now full time.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs Americorps, 3 fed seasonal jobs, then permanent.
4.5 yrs undergrad, then getting lucky that the lab I interned for during undergrad was hiring.
4 yrs undergrad, 7 yrs seasonal jobs in 5 different states during and after college.
5 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs seasonal, 2 yrs Peace Corps.
Undergrad, seasonal positions, graduate certificate, then permanent.
Undergrad with paid internships, industry job for 6 months, then master’s degree.
4 yrs undergrad, 5 yrs seasonal tech, 2.5 yrs MS.
4 yrs BS, 1 seasonal job, 5 yrs MS, 2 years with Pheasants forever.
4 yrs undergrad with 2 internships, 3 yrs grad school, 9 months unemployed.
5 yrs undergrad, 3.5 yrs seasonal (9 different jobs across the country), 2.5 yrs grad school.
4 yrs undergrad with internships, 3 yrs intern/seasonal work.
11 seasonal positions in 4 states before getting a BA then permanent.
4 yr undergrad, 3 yrs seasonal, half of a master’s (1 yr).
2 internships in high school, 2 internships in undergrad, 1 lab job, 3 seasonal tech jobs.
3 yrs of casual contracts alternating between 2 jobs and unemployment.
BS engineering, 3 yrs job, quit w/savings to endure 3 yrs tech work, 2 yrs MS.
4 seasons of ecology work as a tech.
4 yrs unrelated undergrad, 6 months unpaid internship, 2.5 yrs part time consulting, now permanent job.
3 yrs community college, 3 yrs BS, 2.5 yrs seasonal.
4 yrs undergrad, 5 yrs seasonal.
4 yrs undergrad, season of volunteering, 2 yrs grad school, 2 yrs seasonal.
Converted to permanent upon completion of pathways 2 yr probationary period.
Seasonal during undergrad, recent grad pathways position.
4 yrs undergrad, 1 yr internship, 3 yrs with one org, 2 yrs seasonal, now getting MS.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs grad, 4 months paid internship.
Undergrad, internship, 2 years contracting.
Undergrad, 2 seasons as a tech, 1 season as a lead.
4 yrs undergrad, 6 months seasonal work.
4 yrs undergrad, 7 yrs seasonal, 3 yrs term, 7 yrs permanent, now MS online while working.
4 yrs BS, 2 seasonal jobs, 2 yrs grad, 1 more seasonal, 1 yr odd jobs.
BS 4 yrs tech, MS, 1 yr tech position, 2 yrs temp.
4 yrs undergrad w/summer seasonal jobs, 4 yrs seasonal, on-call, and temp work.
Volunteering at my local conservation center.
4 yrs undergrad volunteering, 1 unpaid internship, 2 paid internships.
3.5 yrs undergrad, 5 months continuing in lab I was working in during undergrad, then permanent.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs seasonal, 1 professional training, 8 months applying.
4.5 yrs undergrad w/3 internships, working in lab for 2 yrs, and independent study.
DHA internships for 5 months then permanent.
4 yrs undergrad, multiple volunteer positions during undergrad.
4.5 yrs BS with seasonals during summer, 1 yr temp job, 2 yrs MS, 2 yrs temp jobs.
4 yrs undergrad, 4 yrs part-time tech, 1 yr sci aid.
2 yrs CC, 2 yrs undergrad, 7.5 yrs tec work.
Undergrad w/internships and study abroad, 2 yrs permanent, 4 yrs MS, now back to permanent.
7 yrs undergrad, 6 yrs seasonal, 2 yrs grad school, 1 yr volunteering.
4 yrs undergrad w/2 seasonal jobs, 1 yr in different field, 1 seasonal job.
15 seasonal jobs, 15 off season jobs, 1 independent grant/research project. Full time at 31.
2 seasons while in undergrad, 3 seasons after.
4 yrs undergrad, 3 yrs seasonal, 4 yrs grad school, 1 yr postdoc with another to come.
BS, unpaid tech job, 2 yrs lab analyst, 3 seasonal jobs.
5 yrs undergrad, 5 yrs PhD, 6 months applications.
4 yrs undergrad, 1.5 yrs seasonal, permanent (which I quit).
4 summer jobs during undergrad, permanent after graduation.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs grad, 1 yr seasonal.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 yrs grad school, 6 yrs tech positions in 8 states.
Internship in high school, 4 yrs undergrad, 8 yrs seasonal (6 states).
4 yrs undergrad, 3 yrs grad school, 3 tech positions.
4 yrs undergrad, 2 seasonal jobs.
2 yrs community college, 2.5 yrs undergrad, 8 seasonal jobs, 2.5 yrs grad school.
BSc, internship at federal agency.
Writing my own grant for my current project, but still seasonal most of the yr.
What stands out the most in job applications/people reaching out to you?
Ask a Biologist Monday 10/16/23
Answers from Biologists:
Realistic about their skills-you don’t have to know everything to start a position.
Comfortable in the field in occasionally not so great environmental conditions.
They seem genuinely interested in moving to a rural area and engaging with community.
Using the cover letter to connect the dots (or gaps)in experience that fit the job post.
Willingness and aptitude to learn with new species and new areas.
A team player
Has fun while working in the field.
Kindness, curiosity, and problem solving skills.
Ability to hold a conversation and ask directed, thoughtful questions.
Off trail navigation/using GPS/being able to find your way back to the vehicle without seeing it.
Good grammar in their email/cover letter.
Willingness to ask questions.
Humility.
Having a future goal in mind and how the position will serve them with that goal in mind.
Ability to be humble and not act like they know everything.
Indication that they know they won’t know everything but they can use their resources.
They ask thoughtful questions beyond specifics of posting.
Plant skills.
Experience with “less exciting” jobs-shows me you can handle the more mundane tasks too.
A demonstrated passion for learning through self-study, naturalist groups, etc,.
What do you wish you knew about grad school before going?
Ask A Biologist Monday 10/9/23
Answers from Biologists:
That it can be really clique-y and dramatic at times.
How hard it can be having so much responsibility for your own deadlines/decisions.
Make a budget with expected income and expenses so you know if you can afford it.
A lot of people never publish their MS research. It’s harder than you think.
Predator-based projects often have really small sample sizes which make your analyses weak.
You can live pretty much anywhere for a few years. It goes by quickly.
The school that you go to doesn’t matter as much as the project and advisor.
You don’t need every skill for the project from the get-go. It’s a learning process.
I wish I’d known how mentally challenging it can be.
You’ll be making contacts that can influence the rest of your career.
Find out if there is funding to pay for you to go to conferences. Otherwise they get expensive.
Whether you advisor/dept partners with outside agencies. Huge for networking and finding a job after.
Make sure you’re excited about your project. Grad school is hard and loving your project makes a difference.
Don’t accept a position for a project you don’t like because it’s all you’ll do for years.
Ask about a supervisor’s managerial style. Make sure it works for you.
Many professors don’t use stats or programming in their daily work. You’ll learn that stuff from other students.
Ask about things like tuition remission/living stipend up front. Don’t save that detail for last.
Two years seems like a huge commitment, but it really isn’t. It goes by so fast.
If you can visit and gain a feel for the department culture, do it. Choose like you would a job.
Contact grad students outside of those with your potential advisor and ask them what the advisor is like. They’ll be more honest than current/former students can be.
Your advisor can make or break your experience. Choose carefully and do your background research.