Over-educated and Underfunded
Weird, wacky and wonderful stories and sketches from biologists in the field.
By Ariana LoehrLeadership in conservation biology is a topic that, while rather taboo, needs to be discussed. Thousands of young people are entering the extremely tight job market every year eager to make a difference, but are left at the whims of a select few individuals in leadership. As this new generation of environmentalists age, can they step up to the challenge of improving leadership in conservation? Or will they burnout even before they get there? This series is meant to open up frank and honest discussions on how to make our workplaces as enjoyable as the wildlife that we work with. Before the pandemic hit, whilst severely unemployed like most North American biologists during winter, I sat on my parent’s couch scrolling through job boards, linkedin and let’s be honest here, lots of social media. As I scrolled through various conservation related posts, two words kept popping up- “imposter syndrome”. Most of these posts were describing how rampant this issue is in the conservation world. I continued to question, what the hell was happening in conservation biology to cause this syndrome to be so prevalent? For those who may not be familiar, the term “imposter syndrome” was first coined by Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970’s as a way to describe a high achieving individual who “persits in believing they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise”. Those who suffer from imposter syndrome often enter jobs or education feeling that they only got there by luck, and are really not bright enough to be there. This then encourages the individual to try harder to fit in, achieve more and continue to feel like they haven’t earned their keep. Many of the people I saw posting about their own experiences with this syndrome were young, less than 10 years into their careers in conservation biology. Why were so many young environmentalists, while very eager to make a difference in the world, feeling such a heavy weight of “not being good enough” in conservation? A young naturalist working in a popular national park, Sarah*, felt that the “high barriers to entry and low pay that can contribute to feeling undervalued”. Another young and energetic environmental education professional, Riley*, echoed the sentiment, “I feel undervalued... I’m expected to work for less than minimum wage, less than 10 pounds an hour, just for the opportunity to do something that I love. “When you are bouncing between low-paying temporary jobs it is difficult to see yourself as “successful” Sarah and Riley are the lucky ones in conservation. Both managed to secure paid internships after finishing their undergraduate degrees to help build their experience. They worked up to 16 hours a day in the field studying wildlife, then tackling logistics, contacting partners and managing budgets in the hour or two before falling asleep. All this at a pay more than 3 times lower than the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. What’s worse is that these internships did not lead to higher paying positions. In conservation, as with many industries, companies try to keep the staffing costs low by maintaining a revolving door of hiring. On several occasions I’ve entered meetings, excited to share the huge updates of my projects, only to be told I’m “too expensive” to keep on the payroll. “When you are bouncing between low-paying temporary jobs it is difficult to see yourself as 'successful'" states Sarah. By the time many conservationists pay for the advanced degrees to end up in a stable job with a living wage, they’ve spent years battling this feeling of being undervalued. It's no surprise that many find it incredulous to finally get paid for work that they had been told for so many years wasn’t worth anything. It’s these early years of being undervalued that can lead to greater issues of imposter syndrome later on in an individual’s career. Feeling undervalued is not a personal problem. It’s a problem stemming from improper leadership. The leaders in conservation organizations are the people who have the power to make staff feel valued and important. They have the power to choose how much they pay their staff, which is one way to show their appreciation of their employee’s hard work. Another way to show appreciation to staff members is by listening to their ideas, and not taking it as a threat to your own job. The more safe and secure your staff feel, the more creative they will become. This creativity is detrimental for finding new solutions to conservation problems. It could help you expand your program, build partnerships or even provide more funding (look for Leadership in Conservation, vol. III coming soon!). Not only does this help your own financial issues, but it gives young conservationists the confidence needed to branch out and start their own projects. In the end, you will all have more mental capacity to focus on what you’re truly passionate about: protecting wildlife. *names have been changed. How have you dealt with imposter syndrome? What other issues with leadership have you seen in conservation? Let us know in the comments below or get in touch with us today!
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About the AuthorsThese stories come from several biologists working in the field around the globe. Archives
July 2020
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