Ecologist
Ecologists study the interaction between organisms and their environment. There are different levels of organization that an ecologist may study including species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere. With those in mind, an ecologist can get even more focused in their work, and research specific organisms and environments. Many ecologists specialize in areas such as botany, entomology, zoology, or mycology.
A Day in the Job
An ecologist typically works for a government agency, a private company, or at a university as a professor. On a typical day, an ecologist may conduct field work in a remote location or work in the lab analyzing field samples. Most ecologists work a typical 40-hour week with the exception of when they are conducting research in the field, which can last for weeks or months at a time with no set work hours.
Work Takes Place
Skills
Career Categories
Protecting the Natural World Investigating the Environment
Potential Employers
Federal government agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State departments of natural resources or environmental quality
Environmental consulting firms
Nonprofit and conservation organizations
A Day in the Life
Colorado Women Who Work in Conservation
Related Experiences
Bluff Lake Nature Center
Denver, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature
Learning Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Volunteer Positions, Unpaid Internships, Seasonal Jobs
Cal-Wood Education Center
Jamestown, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature, Investigating the Environment
Summer Camps, Volunteer Positions, Seasonal Jobs, Part-time Jobs, Full-time Jobs
City of Loveland Open Lands and Trails
Loveland, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature
Volunteer Positions, Unpaid Internships, Seasonal Jobs
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
DENVER, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature, Investigating the Environment, Designing & Building Sustainably
Volunteer Positions, Seasonal Jobs
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Denver, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature, Investigating the Environment
Recreational Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Volunteer Positions, Paid internships, Seasonal Jobs, Part-time Jobs, Full-time Jobs
Douglas County Conservation District
Franktown, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Investigating the Environment, Designing & Building Sustainably, Shaping Policy
Recreational Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Summer Camps, Volunteer Positions
Fort Collins Natural Areas
Fort Collins, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature, Investigating the Environment, Designing & Building Sustainably, Shaping Policy
Clubs, Recreational Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Volunteer Positions, Unpaid Internships, Paid internships, Seasonal Jobs, Part-time Jobs, Full-time Jobs
Futures Lab, Poudre School District
Fort Collins, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Investigating the Environment
Learning Experiences
Walking Mountains Science Center
Avon, CO
Protecting the Natural World, Connecting People with Nature, Investigating the Environment, Designing & Building Sustainably
Clubs, Recreational Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Summer Camps, Paid internships, Seasonal Jobs
Wildlands Restoration Volunteers
Longmont, CO
Connecting People with Nature
Recreational Experiences, Stewardship Experiences, Volunteer Positions, Unpaid Internships, Paid internships
