Daniel Evans has an undergraduate degree in wildlife management and zoology and a master's degree in wildlife ecology and conservation. Since 1996 he has worked at the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Florida, the world's oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. He is somewhat of a renaissance man within the organization, doing everything from communicating with volunteers and leading observation tours to writing grant proposals and working hands on with sea turtles. Evans also maintains the organization's website and blog, Sea Turtle Conservancy.

What do you do, and why did you decide to pursue this career field?
I do a wide variety of things at the Sea Turtle Conservancy. My job includes maintaining the website, overseeing a grants program, publications, graphic design, educational presentations, leading sea turtle walks and conducting field research. Since I was a kid, I wanted to work with animals. During college, I realized that what I really wanted to do was help protect wildlife. While most of my time is behind a desk, I get a chance every summer to work directly with sea turtles and to teach others about sea turtles. And, ultimately, my various responsibilities and the opportunities I get are working toward protecting, and hopefully saving, endangered species.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field, such as educational experience and work experience?
My undergraduate education is in Wildlife Management and Zoology. My graduate degree is in wildlife ecology and conservation. Every summer during my undergraduate year I would work on a field project; some were paid, some were not. In addition, I just happened to like messing with computers and using lots of different programs. I also tried to make the most of every opportunity. This included co-authoring several papers as an undergraduate based on some of the fieldwork and my own independent research.

If your education was directly related to your career, what types of classes and projects did you have to do?
I took mostly biology, wildlife management and statistically based classes. I wish I had taken more public relations and actual graphic design classes. Most of what I know I have taught myself.

How did your education help you in your career?
My educational experience exposed me to a lot of the elements that I now use at my job. But it did not start out that way. I was originally hired based on my computer skills, not my biology background. While that background certainly helped when applying to a wildlife conservation organization, it was not what I was being hired to do. I also took opportunities that came along to get hands on with turtles, such as leading the summer sea turtle walks and conducting field research. These opportunities would not have been available without having a background in wildlife ecology and fieldwork experience.

What was your career path like in this field? For example, did you begin in one position and advance through others to reach where you are now?
I was first hired to manage the membership database as a part-time job back in 1996. As the organization grew and staff moved, I took on more responsibilities and new jobs.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
The joke in the office is that the job title on my business card should read “jack of all trades.” I have always tried to have a background in a variety of subjects. If you specialize in something these days, you need to be at the very top of whatever you do to get a job. Being really good in a few things and being good in a wide number of other things makes you flexible and able to fit into any number of jobs. Once you are with an organization, it is easier to move into other positions, especially if you are committed to, and stay with, that organization. Good skills to have are flexibility, being able to talk in front of crowds, being able to learn new skills, being able to manage your time, and being able to both work independently and as part of a team.

What do you do on a typical workday?
A typical day during the off-season (non-sea turtle nesting season) involves working from a desk in our main office. I communicate with people who want to volunteer on our research programs. I answer questions about our organization and sea turtles. I may be working on a publication, such as our newsletter or educational brochure. Some days I deal with people who have received funds through our grants program, and I get really busy around the time grant proposals are due and the meeting where funds are awarded nears.

A typical day during the sea turtle nesting season can be very different. I’m coordinating travel and equipment for different research projects, traveling to our different research sites throughout the Caribbean, working nights on beaches with nesting sea turtles, taking groups of people out to safely observe a sea turtle lay her eggs, and working with the data being collected to post on our website and to eventually present/publish the findings.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
A person who is flexible, friendly, fairly well-organized, motivated, and is able to learn and adapt as the need arises.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
Sometimes you are lucky, or the timing is just right, and you go straight to what you want to be doing. But more often than not, this is not the case. And, while it is good to be passionate about what you want to do, don’t let the passion get in the way of taking a job doing something else with a group or agency that operates within your field of interest. That something else may eventually lead you to fulfilling your passion.