Environmental conservation education prepares students for careers in environmental protection and education. Programs are available at various levels and can lead to jobs in teaching, habitat restoration, policy making, and consulting. Continuing education is important due to changing standards and practices in the industry. Professional organizations offer resources for staying up-to-date and developing new curricula.
An environmental conservation education prepares students for environment-related education jobs or careers in environmental protection. Degrees are available at varying levels, often as part of science or environmental education programs at colleges and universities. Graduates may need to apply for additional certifications if they want to work as teachers, depending on the age group they wish to teach and where they may be working. Continuing education is also an important part of environmental conservation education because advances in the sciences can result in changing standards and practices in the industry.
Some programs are designed to directly prepare educators. Participants are familiar with environmental conservation topics and may have a specific focus on a subject such as wetlands or sustainable forests. In an environmental conservation education program, they learn about offering assistance to members of the public. This may include age-appropriate environmental education, activities and curriculum development. Legal requirements for teachers can also be discussed, including curriculum standards set by government agencies.
Environmental educators can work directly in schools teaching science classes. They can also provide lectures and guest spots in the classroom, along with organized excursions and events. Others might work at camps or environmental facilities with a public outreach arm. They should be familiar with a variety of teaching techniques, including effective communication and information distribution. Environmental conservation education can also familiarize people with ways to use nature itself as a classroom by integrating direct interaction with the environment into a curriculum.
More generally, environmental conservation education can also provide training for people who want to work in conservation. This includes people directly involved in habitat restoration and protection, along with policy makers and consultants. A person with training in this field may work for government agencies or organizations interested in the environment. Others may work for consultancy firms or private companies who want to put conservation and accountability at the forefront of their work.
Generally, a master’s degree in education for environmental conservation is required for teachers and extension professionals. Graduate degrees can be useful for people planning to work directly in conservation, and in some cases a doctorate is strongly recommended. Professional organizations offer membership to people in the field so they can keep up with trends and information through trade magazines, conferences, and workshops. This can help people develop new curricula, discuss effective outreach techniques, and work through responses to regulatory changes that may affect conservation practices.
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