July 13, 2010
Become An Environmental Scientist And Help Save The Planet!
One of the hottest areas of employment these days are those considered green. It has created a wide variety of new jobs, some taking STEM personnel into arenas the general public would never think of. One such example is the conservation scientist. Usually, when one hears the term scientist, they think of labs and classrooms, not farms and forests.
This occupation works on preserving and getting the greatest yield possible out of the soil. Among their responsibilities are conducting soil surveys, determining the best uses of plains and other farm country, cleaning up polluted wastelands, and suggesting the best kinds of structures to build for agricultural and live stock, from barns to fences, water reservoirs to rotating crops. These professionals tend to specialize in three specializations:
Park Naturalists – Probably the most easily recognized of the three. They provide visitor services at national parks and surrounding areas, perform routine maintenance on park structures, and often prepare brochures and write newspaper articles. It’s not as simple a job as some might think. If you need more information about online degrees, look on the internet.
Range Managers – Where Naturalists work the wild lands, these scientists assist farmers and ranchers. Their job is assist producing the greatest possible crops without depleting the land. They constantly check farms and rangers for soil stability, plan and oversee the construction and maintenance of farm architecture including fencing, corrals, barns, silos and water irrigation systems.
Soil & Water Conservationists – These scientists apply specialized science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives. They also advise land users on conservation plans, problems and solutions, and provide technical and planning assistance, including crop rotation, re-forestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing to maintain soil and conserve water. For any additional information about science degree check the internet.
Even though these types of scientists spend much of their time in the field, they are still considered a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) discipline. Conservation scientists need a Bachelor’s degree in natural resource and/or rangeland management, agricultural science, or environmental science to get started in the profession, although there are a number of different internship opportunities. The best places to obtain degrees are considered land-grant universities or related online schools. Most also end up getting a Masters or PhD.
In general all three professions make a little over $60,000 a year. Most tend to work for federal or state agencies, colleges and the food business. At present, about 14,000 work domestically, with another 4,000 needed by 2019. There is an abundance of information about science bachelor degree on the web.
Not all conservation scientists live completely in the Great Outdoors. Many become recognized media figures, delivering lectures, publishing books and being called to testify before Congress. Still, with the ever growing world population, and the need to feed and house them getting near crisis level, it’s a safe bet this occupation will be in demand for some time to come.
Filed under Scholarships For Minorities by Kate