Conservation of biodiversity: passing on the beauty of nature through a multi-generational endeavour

My current career role is as a Lecturer in Conservation Leadership at Fauna and Flora International. I was drawn to this role, because having had a full career in conservation, (initially as a forest department biologist, then as a policy analysis for the government of Trinidad and Tobago, in several leadership positions in NGOs in the Caribbean and subsequently in academia) I was keen to share my experiences of conservation with the next generation of conservation leaders. My current role is an exciting one as it allows me to both work with a fantastic team at FFI, while at the same time be embedded in the Geography Department at the University of Cambridge. This means I am part of conservation training for some of the most talented students from around the world. It is for me the best way to “pay forward” all the mentoring and training I have received in my career. Since conservation of biodiversity is a multi-generational endeavour, I am keen to be able to train the next generation of conservation professionals.

I (and my students and collaborators) work on multiple conservation questions. The various topics I work on reflect my evolving interests in conservation and also that working on a small island provides opportunities to work across multiple subjects, from population level biology and species distribution, to sustainable use of biodiversity, and policy-level conservation interventions on small islands. As a graduate student my research work included work on forest ecosystem classification on Trinidad and sustainable hunting of mammals on that island. More recently, for example, I and collaborators in Trinidad have been undertaking long-term monitoring of an endemic ground-orchid, Cyrtopodium parviflorum, trying to understand its population biology. At the genetic level, I continue to be involved in a study of the genetics of the Grenada dove, Leptotila wellsi an endemic species with highly fragmented distribution in its remaining range, while another of my students is currently completing work on species distribution on cetaceans in Trinidad and Tobago. I am also working with colleagues on the conservation status of endemic birds in the Caribbean and the effectiveness of protected areas. At the policy level, I co-led a recent project to mainstream climate change impacts on dry forest into Grenada national policy and, I am one of the coordinating lead authors for a chapter on ecosystem services for economic and social well-being for the Government of Grenada.  As you can see, my interests are very varied, but are centred around Caribbean ecology and conservation. This provides me with a ‘big picture’ overview, which I have found useful for understanding the complexity of the threats facing wildlife and habitats on small islands.

Conservation is a broad discipline, and a student can find many different paths to a successful career. As my own career demonstrates, your career can also change over time. For a student just starting their career, I think an important thing is to network as much as you can. A good way to do this is through volunteering, internships and also attending talks and meetings. This allows you to learn the technical elements of your sub-discipline, while networking and making a contribution at the same time. Today, the competition for jobs in our profession is intense, and it is important not only to excel in the academic elements of the profession, but to develop your soft skills (such as team-working, oral presentation, interview techniques, time management etc.). These are important to landing that first job in conservation. Another bit of advice is to find a good mentor – during my own career, I have been very fortunate to find very good mentors who have helped me to grow as a conservation professional. These people allow you to identify opportunities, pin-point weaknesses in your career that need work and perhaps act as sounding boards for key decision points in your development. Finally, be optimistic! Although a career in conservation can sometimes be challenging (any number of news headlines can illustrate this), the goal of ensuring that the beauty of nature is passed on to the folks coming after us, and the camaraderie of the profession make the journey worthwhile.

Read more about Howard Nelson on his Fellow's profile page.