Agriculture - Ecologist
Agriculture - Ecologist
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Ecologists study the relationship between plants, animals and the environment.
Your day-to-day tasks will depend on the sector in which you work. For example, as an ecological scientist you could:
- carry out fieldwork
- survey and record information on plants, animals, environmental conditions and biodiversity
- deliver lessons or lectures
As a consultant ecologist you could:
- research the impact of human activity, like housing and intensive agriculture, on the environment
- build computer models to predict the effects of development or climate change
- research and contribute to legislation and policy
As a landscape ecologist, you could:
- manage and create wildlife conservation areas, woodland and meadows
- monitor species and habitats
- manage a team of volunteers
As an Ecologist, you could work in the countryside, at a university, in an office or in a laboratory.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
Ecologists tend to work between 39 to 41 hours a week. You could also work evenings and weekends.
Starting: £22,000
Experienced: £42,000
You'll need a degree or postgraduate qualification in a subject like:
- ecology
- conservation biology
- zoology
- marine or plant biology
- environmental science
- botany
- ecology and environmental sustainability
You may be able to do a postgraduate ecologist degree apprenticeship.
This typically takes around 3 years to complete.
You'll need a qualification and experience in an ecological science to apply.
Volunteering is a great way to get experience and may improve your chances of finding work. You can also build up contacts within conservation, which will be useful when looking for jobs.