Ecologist
If you ever observed a bug or watched an animal gather food for the winter, you studied a bit of ecology. Ecology is the study of organisms and their interactions in their natural environments. Ecologists study the effects of rainfall, pollution, temperature shifts, and industrialization. Through the use of scientific research, an ecologist can change the way people think about the environment. One of the most famous ecologists was Charles Darwin, who worked as a theoretical ecologist.
Charles Darwin believed in the importance of humans and animals working together. He said, “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
Ecologists work in zoos, wildlife centers and parks, and universities. Ecologists can specialize in working with plants or mammals. Other ecologists work in universities as professors. Many have backgrounds in chemistry, environmental science, geology, biology, climatology, and statistics. They often hold master's or doctoral degrees.
The field is opening up, and many ecologists become environmentalists. It's an easy switch since both use their scientific and statistics-based backgrounds to lobby for positive changes within the environment.
Those with higher degrees earn more money. Most make comfortable salaries, and can earn upward of $100,000.
