How Abbey turned her passion for wildlife into a fulfilling career

What inspired you to study wildlife conservation? 

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a deep passion for wildlife and a strong desire to protect it. I always knew I wanted to work with animals, but it wasn’t until early high school that I realised there were other animal-related careers to pursue other than veterinary science or zoo keeping.  

I was gifted an overnight stay at Taronga Zoo, and it was during this experience that I first heard about the field of wildlife conservation. I was amazed at the idea of a job dedicated to protecting native species that used science to inform decision-making and management.

I later completed a week of work experience at Taronga in the Herpetofauna division which completely affirmed my interest in conservation, especially with amphibians. After these experiences, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in conservation science.

Why did you choose to study the Taronga Wildlife Conservation degree? 

I was interested in studying zoology and had received offers to study at several universities, but I was finding it difficult to choose. Around this time, a family member sent me an article about a new wildlife conservation degree that would be offered at the University of Sydney as part of an educational alliance with Taronga.  

I was impressed by how much the degree offered in terms of practical skills, fieldwork, and well-rounded content that primed students for a variety of career pathways. I was also drawn in by the degree’s strong links to industry. 

What were the most valuable things you learnt during your degree? 

My degree allowed me to take subjects in several research areas including biology, ecology, animal behaviour, genetics and animal health and welfare. I’ve found the breadth of material covered in my degree incredibly helpful.     

I’ve also found the connections offered by the Taronga degree to be invaluable – my time at university introduced me to Taronga’s science, education and zoo keeping teams who are now my colleagues. 

The most valuable skills I gained were in scientific writing, experimental design and statistical analysis (yes, even coding in R!). I use these skills almost every day. The fieldwork and laboratory skills I developed through my studies have also proven to be very useful in my current role.   

What do you do for work now? 

I currently work at Taronga across two different roles – I work part time as a Research and Conservation Officer within the Welfare, Conservation and Science team, and casually as a Guest Experience Officer/Coordinator within the Education and Community Programs teams.   

In my Research role, I provide administrative and technical support services to the Conservation Science team. My work varies a lot -, I might find myself writing reports, helping researchers prepare ethics applications or grant submissions, analysing data, or maintaining Taronga’s CryoDiversity Bank filled with thousands of animal samples! 

In my Programs role, I have the privilege of working with people from all kinds of backgrounds and getting to support their passion for wildlife. This work includes meeting with school groups, teaching people animal husbandry skills and leading guided tours. I particularly love our community outreach programs, where we get to work with vulnerable peoples and encourage their personal development and empowerment by sharing our passion for animals.   

What's been your biggest career highlight? 

My conservation career has only just started – I’m very excited to see what else I’ll learn and the skills I’ll develop throughout my career. So far in my Research role at Taronga, I’ve particularly enjoyed helping our reproductive biologists undertake reproductive health assessments on some of our Zoo animals (it’s not every day that you get to help collect sperm from a tiger!). I feel incredibly proud to work alongside an amazing team of dedicated scientists whose expertise is being applied in real-time to the conservation and management of threatened species across Australia and the world.  

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to pursue a career in wildlife conservation? 

Be proactive when it comes to volunteer and work opportunities – take as many as you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for them! This is a great way to figure out exactly where you’d like your career to go and gives you experience that could help land you a job.  

If there are researchers whose work you’re interested in, don’t be scared to reach out to them and see if they have any volunteering opportunities available.

Experience isn’t everything in this industry, though – being passionate and having a willingness to learn are equally as important and are things employers look upon favourably.