My Passion For Endangered Species Research

I had a passion for biology before I even knew what the word meant. As a young child, I enjoyed interacting with the snakes and insects that my father found in the fields, and I sought out as much information about both domestic and wild animals as I could find. Yet although I wanted to learn about a wide variety of animals, my particular passion was for endangered species and marine life. Even as a third-grader I wished that I could do something to protect the beautiful, threatened creatures that I was reading about. For many years I dreamed of one day working as a zookeeper; however, while volunteering at a nature park during the summer of 2014, I was startled to learn that most zoos do not contribute to conservation efforts. Armed with this knowledge, I realized that although it was enjoyable to spend time with the wallabies and lemurs, I would need to look in a different career direction if I wanted to protect endangered species. As I faced this new dilemma, I also felt that whatever job I chose should address the needs of humans, who are far more important than

My two career goals, which are actually interconnected, are to conduct research that will benefit endangered species and to educate people in both developed and developing countries about sustainable living practices. Ideally, I would like to gain employment at a non-profit institute that combines research, education, and humanitarian work in a holistic approach to end human and animal suffering. In addition, I desire to travel to various ecological research sites around the world so that I can both carry out fieldwork and teach local fisherman, farmers, and children about the importance of sustainable development. The application of proper environmental stewardship not only benefits threatened habitats, but it also facilitates more efficient harvesting and has long-term benefits for workers and their