Working in Fish and Wildlife Refuge Management Provides Many Opportunities?

Answer 1

For someone who loves the outdoors and feels strongly about protecting Natural Resources, a career in fish and wildlife refuge management may be the perfect option. This job provides many opportunities to spend time out in nature, to educate people about the importance of wildlife refuges and to protect the natural world from those who would harm it.

A fish and wildlife refuge manager may be employed by a state park or a national park or by a private wildlife refuge. If employed as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge Management system, this is a government job.

Duties of this job may be diverse and could include research into wildlife conservation methods, field work such as rescuing animals or controlled forest burns, or teaching classes. Fish and wildlife refuge employees may spend time at lakes or rivers studying patterns of nature or in the forests doing the same. They may also spend time enforcing rules on things such as boating and fishing regulations or camping and hiking regulations. They may be called on to go into wildlife areas to help hikers or campers who are lost or otherwise in trouble.

The paths to a career in fish and wildlife refuge management are as diverse as the job opportunities. For some jobs, such as a park ranger, a high school diploma and experience may be all that’s required. For most jobs in the field, though, prospective employees need a degree in wildlife management. Some may concentrate more on the research side and others may concentrate more on field work, but anyone in fish and wildlife refuge management will need to have some study on both sides.

To work in fish and wildlife refuge management, a person must have a love of nature and a real desire to see it preserved. He must enjoy working outdoors and not be afraid to get dirty. He must be in fairly good physical condition. For some fish and wildlife refuge management jobs, candidates must have an affinity for working with people, too, as they’ll be greeting the public and may be teaching the public about important issues in fish and wildlife refuge management.

Salaries in fish and wildlife refuge management vary widely based on what job is being done and how much education was required. Park rangers may make about $25,000 a year. Wildlife research scientists may make upward of $70,000 a year.