Work experience for a wannabe zoologist??

Hollzy

Well I've finally lost all hope of acquiring useful or at least relevant information on Yahoo answers so here I am!!

I'm a seventeen year old Leaving Cert student (yikes) and if all goes according to plan I'll be doing Science in Trinity next Autumn and specialising in zoology for the last two years of my course. I can't wait. I've wanted to be a zoologist since I first heard the word when I was ten. After much effort I managed to get myself a week of work experience in Fota Wildlife Park this summer.

Now to the question... Fota will be wonderful but a girl I know told me about some course or something you can do somewhere in Africa, around Kenya I believe, and you choose whether you want to do work experience as a zoologist or wildlife vet and you get a real insight into the job, working on a game reserve. I drool at the thought of doing something like this next summer. Does anyone have any information on courses like these? It doesn't even have to be in Africa. I'd just love a real taste of the job and a bit of travelling! Any links to websites offering courses like this would be hugely helpful. Thanks

banjopaul

Might not be what you're thinking of, but Operation Wallacea do similar stuff. They run conservation zoology trips for students, and you volunteer and help with research. They have research interests all over the world too, so lots of options. Unfortunately you are too late for this summer though, all the spaces get booked up around November.

Lots of people from trinity science go with them, and a few do their thesis research with them in zoology in 4th year. A few of the botany and zoology lecturers are involved as well.

Worth a look for you anyway:
http://www.opwall.com

Hollzy

Thanks so much!! That's really helpful. I can't go this summer anyway so that's grand. I'll check out the website now, thanks again
x

steddyeddy

I have done some work in zoology and I would have to say your best bet is to travel abroad as theres not a huge amount of work available here. That said I would join the Irish wildlife trust If I were you they sometimes organise field trips to study populations of vertain species, the most recent being newts.

banjopaul

Hollzy wrote: »

Thanks so much!! That's really helpful. I can't go this summer anyway so that's grand. I'll check out the website now, thanks again
x

No bother at all, they're great trips, but on the expensive side. If you have any particular questions feel free to send me a message, was away with them for 6 weeks last summer, and I'm going again this summer too.

Hollzy

steddyeddy wrote: »

I have done some work in zoology and I would have to say your best bet is to travel abroad as theres not a huge amount of work available here. That said I would join the Irish wildlife trust If I were you they sometimes organise field trips to study populations of vertain species, the most recent being newts.

Oh cool I'll look into them! I'm definitely emigrating after college but some field trips like that would be great for the time being =]
x

RocketFalls

You could try volunteer with the NPWS. Accompany a ranger out into the field, or something. Probably cheaper.

Hollzy

RocketFalls wrote: »

You could try volunteer with the NPWS. Accompany a ranger out into the field, or something. Probably cheaper.

Thanks =] checking out the website now!

RocketFalls

Oh, Gerald Durrell's Jersey Wildlife Trust might also be worth looking into, because Durrell was awesome.
Seriously, pick up some of his books and read them.

Hollzy

RocketFalls wrote: »

Oh, Gerald Durrell's Jersey Wildlife Trust might also be worth looking into, because Durrell was awesome.
Seriously, pick up some of his books and read them.

I've heard of him before but I haven't read any of his books. I'll definitely look into that =]
x

daisyscience

Check out www.ecoteer.com, I think theres a monkey sanctuary over in England thats often looking for volunteers. You could try www.wwoof.org for work on organic farms.
Ecotourism is big money all around the world so be careful if you volunteer somewhere. If you have to pay a lot to do it, its often because its just a money making racket and the money isnt goin to better the animals lives (not always of course). Instead of forking out for some of those places you might as well just pay to go to the circus and hold one of the captive animals there. Ive heard about people who have went with the best of intentions to work in animal conservation only to find that the animals are inbred and being kept in awful conditions when they are supposed to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
You should also remember that if your inexperienced and they are promising that you will be able to work directly with wild animals then the place probably isnt reputable. Its dangerous to allow untrained people to work with animals and its not good for the animals either.
You should totally go for it though, but basically do your research before you fork out for anything.

Hollzy

That's really good advice, thank you.