Naturalists

One of the best ways to learn about the job of a naturalist is to volunteer at one of the many national and state parks or nature centers. These institutions often recruit volunteers for outdoor work. College students, for example, are sometimes hired to work as summer or part-time nature guides. Outdoor recreation and training organizations, such as Outward Bound (https://www.outwardbound.org) and NOLS (https://www.nols.edu), are especially good resources. Many volunteer positions, though, require a high school diploma and some college credit. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers volunteer opportunities for people of all ages at its more than 500 refuges and hatcheries throughout the United States. Visit https://www.fws.gov/volunteer-opportunity for more information. The Sierra Club (https://www.sierraclub.org/volunteer) and Nature Conservancy (https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/volunteer) also provide volunteer opportunities.

You should also consider college internship programs. In addition, conservation programs and organizations throughout the country and the world offer opportunities for volunteer work in a wide variety of areas, including working with the public, giving lectures and guided tours, and working with others to build or maintain an ecosystem. For more frequent, up-to-date information, you can read newsletters, such as Environmental Career Opportunities (http://ecojobs.com), which post internship and job positions.

Participate in information interviews with naturalists. In such an interview—which can be conducted in-person, on the phone, or through video-conferencing technology—you will get the opportunity to ask naturalists about their job duties, work environment, pros and cons of their careers, educational training, employment outlook, and other topics that will help you to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor or a science teacher to help you set up information interviews. Perhaps you could even job-shadow a naturalist to learn even more about the field.