What was your first job and what’s your current job?

Ask A Biologist Monday 3/20/23

Answers from Biologists:

• Limited term at a state park, now a permanent conservation biologist for a state agency.

• Sea turtle nesting tech in FL, now contract Fisheries Biologist for NOAA in FL.

• Aviculture warden, now a seabird ecologist.

• Horse wrangler/naturalist, now wildlife biologist.

• Trapping turtles in the Bronx River, now wildlife damage mitigation with the federal government.

• Seasonal wildlife tech with CA Department of F&W, now a master’s student at UAM in AR.

• Undergraduate researcher, now NPS Park ranger.

• Bat tech for VT natural resources department, now (18 yrs and a MS later), Biologist for Wyoming GFD.

• Field intern at a raptor observatory, now federal fish and wildlife biologist.

• Zookeeper for primates and small cats, now lead biologist for ex-situ ES breeding programs.

• Cerulean Warbler tech for CMI in VA, now hawk bander for MSRW in MI.

• Field tech for USGS, now Natural Resources Manager for a Tribe in Southern California.

• Trail camera technician for a Serengeti project, now a wildlife guide.

• Naturalist teaching folks about tide pools, now an Environmental Coordinator.

• Photo tagging/data entry, now human-wildlife conflict biologist.

• NPS invasive tech, now FWS wildlife biologist.

• Bookstore warehouse, now wildlife technician for a consulting company.

• Tech in a university lamprey lab, now a higher level of tech in a fish lab.

• Seasonal retail associate, now wildlife biologist in AK.

• Recreation tech, now wildlife biologist.

• Sea turtle technician, now freshwater turtle biologist.

• Environmental scientist, now Raptor Biologist.

• Park naturalist at a NY state park, now Wildlife ecologist at a non-profit organization.

• Salmon hatchery technician, now Habitat Biologist.

• Technician performing telemetry tracking squirrels, now Native fish biologist.

• Seabird tech at MCINWR (2011), now Arizona R3 Coordinator with NWTF (2023).

• Forest Service Seasonal Botany Tech, now Forest Service District Wildlife Biologist.

• Bio tech aid (Forest Service), now Wildlife Program Manager (Forest Service).

• Student tech for a forestry company, now an intermediate biologist in environmental consulting.

• Conservation intern (Nature Conservancy of Canada), now a wildlife biologist.

• Tech at Forbes bio station, now Private lands biologist with Ducks Unlimited.

• Wildlife rehab, now doing wildlife conflict prevention and management for state government.

• Boat steward for the ADKs, now an Assistant Research Scientist at the NYS Department of Health.

• Elk habitat technician, now Jr specialist researching desert tortoises.

• Mountain lion field tech in N. California, now Tribal biologist in ID (lots of time E. of Rockies in between).

• Habitat technician, now wildlife biologist.

• Maintenance at a wildlife refuge, now a consultant.

• Park aide for CA State Parks, now Forestry Assistant II for State Parks.

• Fire radio operator, now climate change champion.

• Alligator intern, now shorebird program manager.

• Childcare provider, now consulting botanist.

• CWD/Wildlife Health Assistant Wisconsin DNR, now Wildlife Disease biologist USDA Wildlife Services.

• Summer intern at USFWS NWR, now Restoration Ecologist at wetland/stream mitigation bank.

• Wildlife tech for a grad student, now natural resources specialist for NRCS.

• Zookeeper, now biological science technician.

• State Wildlife tech collaring black bears, now USFWS fish biologist with shortnose suckers.

• Library assistant, now master’s student researching microplastics (10 year journey so far, ages 16-26).

• Vegetation tech with university of MT, now soil conservationist with NRCS.

• Working in agriculture (canola), then ground squirrels, then bees, now cancer research.

• Wetlands technician doing vegetation samples, now lab tech in animal vaccines.

• Biological aide for WI USFS, now field biologist for Quebec parcs.

• Biological science aid for NPS in MT, now research scientist for NOAA in American Samoa.

• Intern, now USFS wildlife biologist in ND.

• Fisheries technician at a university, now Fisheries Biologist for the state.

• USFWD invasive plant removal crew, now USS Wildlife Biologist.

• Forestry technician for NC State, now a soil science PhD student.

• Bird tech in Arizona, now postdoc on mouse olfaction in Pennsylvania.

• AmeriCorps trail crew, now avian ecology MS program.

• Deer tech at MSU, now furbearer/bear tech for CT department of energy and environmental protection.

• Exotic Veterinary Technician, now Biomedical Researcher (Microbiologist/Geneticist).

• Plant ecology tech, now plant ecologist.

• Waterfowl/Migratory bird banding tech, now Graduate student in Renewable Natural Resources.

• Zoology lab assistant, now environmental educator.

• Fish bio aide for USFWS, now Natural Resources Specialist for the BLM.

• Wildlife tech on grizzly bar project in WY, now researcher of songbirds in MT.

• Laboratory Animal Medicine at Charles River, now Laboratory Manager (Physiology).

• Lifeguard, first bio job: lab tech, now field botanist.

• Biological Science Tech at the National Wildlife Research Center, now Master’s student.

• Utility forester, now a biologist with a water district.

• Neotropical migrant nest survey, now out of the field.

• Noah’s Bagels crew member, now Wildlife Biologist.

• Wildlife tech for the NPS on the channel islands in CA, now wildlife biologist for the Forest Service in WY.

• Ice cream slinger, now wildlife biologist for the BLM.

• Motorcycle rider coach assistant, now freshwater mussel ecologist.

• Field officer, now a naturalist.

• Slinging pizzas, now a state wildlife biologist.

• Field tech VT shorebirds, now Lead biologist Guam Sali project.

• Sea turtle tagging intern with USGS, now a Biologist at a WMA in Florida.