Nature conservation officer

Nature conservation officers manage and improve the local environment within all the sectors of a local community. They promote awareness of and understanding about the natural environment. This work can be very varied and involve projects related to species, habitats and communities. They educate people and raise overall awareness of environmental issues.

The following job titles also refer to nature conservation officer:

heritage coast warden
forester
environmental enforcement officer
conservation officer
countryside ranger
heritage coast ranger
conservation programmes officer
wildlife control agent
fish and game warden
park ranger
zoo field conservation officer

Master’s degree is generally required to work as nature conservation officer. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Nature conservation officer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to nature conservation officer.

natural resources consultant
curator of horticulture
conservation scientist
ecologist
environmental programme coordinator

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of nature conservation officer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of nature conservation officer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of nature conservation officer.

Environmental legislation: The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
Fire prevention procedures: The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.
Biology: Tissues, cells, and functions of plant and animal organisms and their interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.
Ecology: The study of how organisms interact and their relation to the ambient environment.

These skills are necessary for the role of nature conservation officer.

Conduct research on flora: Collect and analyse data about plants in order to discover their basic aspects such as origin, anatomy, and function.
Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
Monitor nature conservation: Evaluate and monitor features of nature conservation interest in habitats and sites.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
Promote sustainability: Promote the concept of sustainability to the public, colleagues and fellow professionals through speeches, guided tours, displays and workshops.
Protect wilderness areas: Protect a wilderness area by monitoring uses and enforcing regulations.
Promote sustainable management: Contribute to planning and policy development for sustainable management, including input in environmental impact assessments.
Educate people about nature: Speak to a variety of audiences about e.g. information, concepts, theories and/or activities related to nature and its conservation. Produce written information. This information may be presented in a range of formats e.g. display signs, information sheets, posters, website text etc.
Analyse environmental data: Analyse data that interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.
Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
Advise on nature conservation: Provide information and suggested actions relating to the conservation of nature.
Implement biodiversity action plans: Promoting and implementing local and national biodiversity action plans in partnership with local/national statutory and voluntary organisations.
Assess environmental impact: Monitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation’s environmental risks while taking costs into account.
Conduct research on fauna: Collect and analyse data about animal life in order to discover the basic aspects such as origin, anatomy, and function.
Report on environmental issues: Compile environmental reports and communicate on issues. Inform the public or any interested parties in a given context on relevant recent developments in the environment, forecasts on the future of the environment, and any problems and possible solutions.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of nature conservation officer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Business management principles: Principles governing business management methods such as strategy planning, methods of efficient production, people and resources coordination.
Botany: The taxonomy or classification of plant life, phylogeny and evolution, anatomy and morphology, and physiology.
Aquatic ecology: Aquatic ecology is the study of aquatic organisms, how they interact, where they live, and what they do.
Animal welfare legislation: The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.
Ecological principles: The understanding of how an ecosystem functions and its relationship to environmental planning and design.
Natural areas maintenance: The methods to maintain the assets (both natural and constructed) of natural areas, including program development and implementation.
Fish biology: The study of fish, shellfish or crustacean organisms, categorized into many specialised fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origins and distribution.
Wildlife: Undomesticated animal species, as well as all plants, fungi and other organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems such as deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands and other areas including the most developed urban areas, all have distinct forms of wildlife. Handling of wildlife capture equipment.
Molecular biology: The interactions between the various systems of a cell, the interactions between the different types of genetic material and how these interactions are regulated.
Applied zoology: The science of applying animal anatomy, physiology, ecology, and behaviour in a particular practical context.
Wildlife projects: Wildlife and animal conservation projects, which aim to protect and preserve ecosystems and habitats of a wide range of animals under threat from urbanisation.
Animal biology: The structure, evolution and classification of animals and how they interact with their ecosystems.
Forest ecology: The ecosystems existing in a forest, starting from bacteria to trees and soil types.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of nature conservation officer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Work in outdoor conditions: Can cope with the different climate conditions such as heat, rain, cold or in strong wind.
Manage volunteers: Manage volunteers’ tasks, recruitment, programmes and budgets.
Work within communities: Establish social projects aimed at community development and active citizen participation.
Investigate pollution: Identify the cause of pollution incidents, as well as its nature and the extent of the risks, by performing tests on the site of pollution as well as in a laboratory and performing research.
Advise on soil and water protection: Advise on the effects of soil and water management practices in controlling pollutant loss, nitrate leaching and reduce soil erosion.
Analyse ecological data: Analyse and interpret ecological and biological data, using specialist software programs.
Monitor wildlife: Conduct fieldwork to observe wildlife.
Conduct educational activities: Plan, perform and supervise educational activities for a variety of audiences, such as for school children, university students, specialist groups, or members of the public.
Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Manage contracts: Negotiate the terms, conditions, costs and other specifications of a contract while making sure they comply with legal requirements and are legally enforceable. Oversee the execution of the contract, agree on and document any changes.
Coordinate educational programmes: Plan and coordinate educational and public outreach programs such as workshops, tours, lectures and classes.
Conduct environmental surveys: Conduct surveys in order to collect information for analysis and management of environmental risks within an organisation or in a wider context.
Conserve natural resources: Protect waters and natural resources and coordinate actions. Work with environmental agencies and resource management personnel.
Brief volunteers: Brief volunteers and introduce them into the professional work environment.
Estimate duration of work: Produce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given project.
Educate public on fire safety: Develop and execute educational and promotional plans to educate the public on fire prevention knowledge and methods, fire safety such as the ability to identify hazards and the use of fire safety equipment, and to raise awareness on fire prevention issues.
Ensure the safety of endangered species and protected areas: Ensure that projects do not adversely affect migratory birds, rare or endangered animal species, critical habitat or environmentally protected areas.
Support volunteers: Follow up volunteer activity.

2133 – Environmental protection professionals

 

 

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References

1. Nature conservation officer – ESCO