So You Want To Be A Wildlife Biologist

The essential guide for anyone planning a career in wildlife management and conservation. Working with wildlife can be a thrilling adventure steeped in the wonders of the natural world, but entering the field demands a strong personal commitment. With proper training and guidance, students can transform themselves into competitive applicants and forge successful careers. This book reveals the best way to become a wildlife management professional. Becoming a Wildlife Professional is the first comprehensive book to describe the entry-level jobs available for the next generation of wildlife biologists and conservationists. Scott E. Henke and Paul R. Krausman include detailed chapters on how students should prepare for a vocation in the wildlife profession while offering pragmatic advice about applying for and obtaining a job. The core of the book presents more than 100 diverse career options that are available to aspiring wildlife workers, including work in biological field research, forestry, rehabilitation, ranching, photography, and refuge management. It also details each position's educational and technical requirements, challenges, salaries, and opportunities for advancement. Bringing together useful advice from a range of seasoned experts who actually hold these jobs and have used these techniques to secure employment, Becoming a Wildlife Professional conveys important philosophical messages about the responsibilities and challenges of a career in wildlife conservation and management. This how-to manual is an essential text for wildlife science students interested in making themselves marketable for employers across a wide spectrum of wildlife jobs. Chapter Author Contributors: Rick Baydack, Jessica L. Blickley, Monika Burchette, Shawn Cleveland, Kristy Deiner, Kelly Garbach, Ashley R. Gramza, Jim Heffelfinger, Scott E. Henke, Fidel Hernández, Serra J. Hoagland, Jessica A. Homyack, Winifred B. Kessler, Holley Kline, Lianne Koczur, Michel T. Kohl, John L. Koprowski, Blaise Korzekwa, Paul R. Krausman, Iara Lacher, Mariah H. Meek, Kelly F. Millenbah, Karen E. Munroe, Kerry L. Nicholson, John P. O'Loughlin, Lindsey Phillips, Lauren M. Porensky, William F. Porter, Terra Rentz, Nova J. Silvy, Kelley M. Stewart, Marit L. Wilkerson, Eric Winford. An additional 52 wildlife professionals describe the work of the profession. Published in association with The Wildlife Society.

Winner, 2020 National Outdoor Book Award, Nature and the Environment Snakes inspire extreme reactions. Love or hate these limbless reptiles, almost everyone is fascinated by them. Although snakes are widespread and frequently encountered, they may be more misunderstood than any other group of animals. From giant rattlesnakes to mating dances, there are dozens of myths and misconceptions about snakes. In Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths, wildlife biologist David Steen tackles the most frequently asked questions and clears up prevailing myths. In a conversational style with a bit of humor, Steen presents the relevant biology and natural history of snakes, making the latest scientific research accessible to a general audience. When addressing myths about snakes, he explains how researchers use the scientific method to explain which parts of the myth are biologically plausible and which are not. Steen also takes a close look at conventional wisdom and common advice about snakes. For example, people are told they can distinguish coralsnakes from non-venomous mimics by remembering the rhyme, “red on black, friend of Jack, red on yellow, kill a fellow,” but this tip is only relevant to coralsnakes and two mimics living in the southeastern United States, and it does not always work with other species or in other countries. Enhanced by more than 100 stunning color photographs and three original drawings, Secrets of Snakes: The Science beyond the Myths encourages readers to learn about the snakes around them and introduces them to how scientists use the scientific method and critical thinking to learn about the natural world. Number Sixty-one: W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series

“Both a mystery and a survival story, here is a novel written with a naturalist’s eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. It reminded me of the best of Nevada Barr." —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey The first book in a thrilling series featuring an intrepid wildlife biologist who's dedicated to saving endangered species...and relies on her superior survival skills to thwart those who aim to stop her. While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land. Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds. After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human—and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much—she's stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat. In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead—using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

Winner of the 2022 Rachel Carson Environment Book Award * Winner of the 2022 Science in Society Journalism Award (Books) * Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize “Thoughtful, insightful, and wise, Wild Souls is a landmark work.”--Ed Yong, author of An Immense World "Fascinating . . . hands-on philosophy, put to test in the real world . . . Marris believes that our idea of wildness--our obsession with purity--is misguided. No animal remains untouched by human hands . . . the science isn't the hard part. The real challenge is the ethics, the act of imagining our appropriate place in that world." --Outside Magazine From an acclaimed environmental writer, a groundbreaking and provocative new vision for our relationships with--and responsibilities toward--the planet's wild animals. Protecting wild animals and preserving the environment are two ideals so seemingly compatible as to be almost inseparable. But in fact, between animal welfare and conservation science there exists a space of underexamined and unresolved tension: wildness itself. When is it right to capture or feed wild animals for the good of their species? How do we balance the rights of introduced species with those already established within an ecosystem? Can hunting be ecological? Are any animals truly wild on a planet that humans have so thoroughly changed? No clear guidelines yet exist to help us resolve such questions. Transporting readers into the field with scientists tackling these profound challenges, Emma Marris tells the affecting and inspiring stories of animals around the globe--from Peruvian monkeys to Australian bilbies, rare Hawai'ian birds to majestic Oregon wolves. And she offers a companionable tour of the philosophical ideas that may steer our search for sustainability and justice in the non-human world. Revealing just how intertwined animal life and human life really are, Wild Souls will change the way we think about nature-and our place within it.