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How to navigate from higher education to a career in conservation

Posted on: 5 February, 2025

With experience of working with creatures ranging from parrots, monkeys, turtles, and spectacled bears to snakes, birds of prey, bats, hedgehogs, grey seals, and now elephants, we welcome our new Lecturer in Conservation Science, Carolina Hernandez Riano to Bristol Zoological Society.

Joining the Society after a fruitful career in caring for and researching wildlife, Carolina has transitioned from student to alumni and now staff member. Here, she shares how her job history and passions led her to study with Bristol Zoological Society, and how she became a member of the team.

A lady stood infront of a Condor statue with a sign that says Carolina, tell us a bit about yourself and what has led you to the conservation sector

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, my love for animals and passion for animal care led me to study veterinary medicine before starting a career in wildlife veterinary medicine and rehabilitation. As a vet in Colombia, conservation was an integral part of the job, including how to identify species and train them for future release into the wild.

After four years as a vet working closely with illegal wildlife trafficking and recognising where my efforts were greatly needed, I decided to shift my focus to wildlife rescue and conservation in rural communities. It was here I quickly realised the sheer impact of habitat destruction, wildlife trade, and how unsafe the environment was for animals to be reintroduced back into the wild. This led me to turn my attention to habitat restoration and management, as well as community engagement in Colombia.

After doing this for three years I was keen to gain more knowledge in other areas of conservation and experience this outside of my native country, which led me to seek opportunities in the UK. When I received the offer, I jumped at the chance to study an MSc in Advanced Wildlife Conservation in Practice (now MSc Applied Wildlife Conservation) at the University of West England, in conjunction with Bristol Zoological Society.

What was your student experience like?

Upon applying to university courses, I was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship from UWE to study for the MSc in Advanced Wildlife Conservation in Practice, which was an exceptional opportunity I couldn’t refuse. I moved to Bristol to begin my studies in January 2021, during the height of the COVID pandemic, which resulted in a large portion of the course being conducted online. This also meant that field studies and practical placements were limited to the UK. In May 2021, I had the incredible opportunity to begin my research with the Livingstone’s fruit bats at Bristol Zoo Gardens. This experience not only deepened my passion for protecting threatened species but also offered me a new perspective on the role some zoos play in conservation efforts.  

When I applied to study, a huge draw for me was the opportunity to engage in hands-on work with Bristol Zoological Society’s wonderful animals and learn from their dedicated conservation specialist teams. However, it was only after I began working with the Society that I truly understood the remarkable extent of their efforts to safeguard some of the world's most threatened species and fully realise that it operates as a conservation and education charity. This deeper understanding resonated strongly with my background in wildlife veterinary medicine and conservation. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my studies with UWE and the Society, especially my in-depth behaviour studies of the Livingstone’s bats. At the time I dreamed of returning to work at Bristol Zoological Society, but I believed I needed extensive qualifications, including a PhD, to make that a reality. As a result, I began exploring other opportunities to gain valuable experience in UK wildlife.

A lady saving a snake amongst foliageHow did your career begin again after your master's studies?

My first role after my Master's degree was at the RSPCA wildlife rehabilitation centre in Taunton, where I worked for around two years. I learned so much about British wildlife during my time there, mostly focusing on the rehabilitation of grey seals and hedgehogs, however it came to a point where I wanted to grow my experience in higher education teaching and conservation.

It was then that I came across the advert for a Lecturer and Conservation Project Manager role at Bristol Zoological Society in further education, which was also to be part of the Equatorial Guinea Conservation Programme team, with the ability to speak Spanish. Everything about the role seemed to fit perfectly and I quickly applied.   

Tell us more about your role at Bristol Zoological Society and what you hope to gain from it.

I started at the Society in October 2024 and have really enjoyed teaching enthusiastic students who share my passion for saving and protecting wildlife of all shapes and sizes.  Alongside a weekly teaching schedule, another major part of the role is to manage projects and collaborate with several teams all over the world who are funded and supported by Bristol Zoological Society. A particularly exciting aspect of this position is conducting field trips to monitor project progress. I’m looking forward to visiting Kenya in February and Equatorial Guinea in March.

In this role I aim to progress with the projects assigned to me and make a greater positive impact through my work. This includes applying for grants and funding to support the full scope of the project, as well as our ongoing focus on addressing human-elephant interactions in Equatorial Guinea.

A lady working talking to a local community in Colombia. The villagers are looking at pictures in their back gardenWhat do you enjoy about the role and do you have any advice for students, or prospective students, who want to follow a similar career path?

My favourite part of the role so far is being able to inspire more students who are interested in pursuing a career in conservation, and I hope to promote a sense of positivity even in this challenging sector. Changing perceptions and conserving the planet can often seem like a steep upward hill, but any little contribution matters. For those looking to enter conservation, I highly recommend sticking with it, even when it feels tough. Conservation science and wildlife ecology is a competitive industry to get into, but there are so many paths to take within the industry, whether that is science-driven research, education, communication, as well as many more. One of the main things I have learned is that the future of conservation lies in connecting people to wildlife and raising awareness about the consequences of biodiversity loss and wildlife trade. As humans become increasingly detached from nature, it becomes harder for them to understand the challenges and impacts of environmental degradation.

My main advice would be to take all the opportunities you can in different areas of conservation, paid and unpaid, and focus on building a diverse skill set. It is important to remember that if you want to make a difference, there are many ways you can do it. Show passion, be willing to learn, and take in as much knowledge and experience as you can.

A lady talking to officials in Colombia in a room with the group of people listening to her talkBristol Zoological Society offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in conservation and zoological management in partnership with leading local universities, as well as opportunities to undertake conservation research and PhD projects at Bristol Zoo Project and around the world at our field conservation sites.

Courses include, FdSc Integrated Wildlife Conservation, BSc Zoological Management & Conservation, BSc Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science, MSc Conservation Leadership, MSc Applied Wildlife Conservation, and more.

Find out about all the courses we offer, as well as all the information about our higher education programmes below.

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