​Careers in Wildlife Conservation

A career in wildlife conservation is rewarding and challenging. Conservation professionals dedicate their careers to managing and protecting wildlife for current and future generations and ensuring meaningful opportunities for outdoor recreation and the opportunity to connect to nature. 

At a state wildlife conservation agency like the Pennsylvania Game Commission, a career can take you down many exciting paths. Agency professionals are scientists, law enforcement officers, habitat managers, communicators, educators and more, and united by a common conservation mission. 

Discover more about career areas, skills, education, and the day-to-day life of a Game Commission employee below. You can also learn how to begin preparing yourself today by checking out our Wildlife Conservation Career Top 5 FAQs for Students. To learn about specific internships and jobs available, please visit Career Opportunities. For Educators, check out our Wildlife Conservation Career Lesson Plan.

Wildlife Science

Want to apply scientific principles to the hands-on study of wildlife? These are the careers for you! State wildlife biologists apply scientific principles to the hands-on study of wildlife. Game Commission biologists often have different focus areas. They may be experts on a specific species, or focus on species diversity and genetics, or work on game or non-game species including ones that are threatened and endangered. Wildlife technicians and disease specialists conduct field research to understand the health of state wildlife populations. On any given day, you may band a migrating duck, take disease samples from a white-tailed deer, install a barn owl nest box, or crawl into a black bear's den!

• From the Field  - Conservation Careers: Wildlife Diversity Biologist
• Game Commission #WildSciPa YouTube Series for various grades
• From the Field Video Series on YouTube for various grades
• Explore Wildlife Science Activity (for From the Field and #WildSciPA videos) for grades 6-12 (PDF) 6–12
• Mock Job Application Activity (for From the Field and #WildSciPA videos) grades 6 – 12 (PDF)
• Heron Rookery Surveys for grades 6–12

Habitat Management and Forestry

Wildlife needs food, water, shelter, and space to thrive. Human development like agriculture, residential and commercial properties can limit what habitat is available for wildlife. That's why the Game Commission owns and manages 1.5 million acres in Pennsylvania for wildlife. Habitat managers and foresters take an ecosystem view of these lands, ensuring vital habitat for wildlife is always available and well maintained. Foresters will conduct timber stand improvements and take part in prescribed fire crews that use this once-natural feature on the landscape in a controlled fashion to manage forest and grassland areas. Habitat crews, which includes game lands maintenance workers, put into action the habitat and ecosystem restoration plans created by managers and other experts. If you like being outside and working hard for wildlife, these are potential career paths for you!

• From the Field  - Conservation Careers: Field Forester
• Succession in Pennsylvania Forest Ecosystems for grades 6 – 12 (video 8:04)
• Wildlife Habitat Activity for grades 6 –12
• Game Commission Habitat Management homepage
  
• From the Field: What do Elk prefer to Eat? for grades 6–12
• Where to Implement Tamed Rough Grouse Habitat? Video for grades 6–12
• Pennsylvania State Game Land Hidden Habitats for all ages
• How to Build a Brush Pile for Wildlife for grades 6–12
• Healthy Habitat for all ages

Law Enforcement

Poaching, illegally selling species across state lines, hunting without a license. These are just a few of the wildlife crimes state game wardens are responsible for monitoring. They enforce wildlife law and regulations, respond to nuisance wildlife calls, educate the public about wildlife issues, and may even go undercover to penetrate illegal wildlife smuggling rings! Game wardens protect and speak for wildlife because animals cannot speak for themselves. They are state law enforcement officers that have enforcement authority throughout the commonwealth.        

• Wildlife Crime Forensics and Observation Activity for grades 6–12
• Becoming a State Game Warden for all ages
• State Game Warden Career and Opportunity page for all ages
• Wildlife Crime Forensics Activities Set for grades 3-8 (mid-page)
• Pennsylvania State Game Wardens Serving the Public Beyond the Season for all ages
• Game Commission K-9 Training: Week 1 and Week 2 for all ages

Marketing and Communications

A primary funding source for wildlife conservation is the sale of hunting licenses. Without a robust, engaged hunting population, funding for habitat management, ecosystem restoration, and endangered species protection would be limited. Marketing professionals inform the public about hunting and trapping opportunities while communication professionals like videographers, public relations experts, and social/digital media managers ensure clear communication to the public. Like nothing more than talking turkey, consider making it a career!

• Marketing and GIS Activity for grades 6–12
• Game Commission Hunting License and Permits page
• Game Commission Hunter Education YouTube Series
• How to Safely View Pennsylvania Elk Herd for all grades
• Game Commission Social Media Channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

Outreach and Education

Future generations cannot carry on the tradition of conserving wildlife without education today. That is why every employee at the Game Commission is an educator, working to share the work and principles that underpin our state's shared conservation heritage. Dedicated education and outreach professionals may guide school and adult membership groups, as well as the public, through wildlife lessons and activities. Specific programs like R3 (Recruit, Retention, Reactivation) are intended to reach out to new or lapsed recreationists, providing them a bridge back to hunting and trapping. 

• Create Your Own Lesson for grades 6–12
• • Example Lesson Plan – Raptors
• Hunter-Trapper Education Resources for all ages
• Game Commission Get Started Hunting Page for all ages
• Hays Bald Eagle Nest Cam Installation for all ages
• Pennsylvania Envirothon Study Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3 for all ages

GIS and Mapping

Are you a big picture person? Geographic Information Systems and other technologies enable the agency to make informed decisions about ecosystems and habitat. This includes land acquisition targets, biometric work, and recommendations to policymakers for new state game lands and other conservation areas.  

• Marketing and GIS Activity for grades 6–12
• Pennsylvania State Game Lands
• Game Commission Mapping Center for grades 6–12
  
• Mapping Center Webinar for grades 6–12