Naturalists
Overview
Introduction
The primary role of naturalists is to educate the public about the environment and maintain the natural environment on land specifically dedicated to wilderness populations. Their primary responsibilities are preserving, restoring, maintaining, and protecting a natural habitat. Among the related responsibilities in these jobs are teaching, public speaking, writing, giving scientific and ecological demonstrations, and handling public relations and administrative tasks. Naturalists may work in a variety of environments, including priv...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Earnings for naturalists are influenced by several factors, including the naturalist's specific job (for example, a wildlife biologist, a water and soil conservationist, or a game manager), the employer (for example, a state or federal agency), and the naturalist's experience and education.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that biologists working for this department have starti...
Work Environment
Field naturalists spend a majority of their working hours outdoors. Depending on the location, the naturalist must work in a wide variety of weather conditions: from frigid cold to sweltering heat to torrential rain. Remote sites are common, and long periods of working either in isolation or in small teams is not uncommon for field research and management. Heavy lifting, hauling, working with m...
Outlook
The outlook for naturalists is expected to be good in the coming years. Growing public concern about environmental issues, as well as an increasing need to contend with wildfires in the West, will increase demand for naturalists. However, this trend could be offset by government cutbacks in funding for nature programs. Reduced government spending on education may indirectly affect the demand fo...
