Hello Ecologgers! I know this thread was originally meant for conservation in the tropics, but I think it is indicative of many other areas of biology as well. The main thing I would like to add is that teaching biology is becoming a more viable pathway for many, including myself. And because almost all teaching positions offer summers off, no matter where your job is you can usually escape to another part of the world to do research. Perhaps this is too much of a compromise for some who desire to live and research full time in remote locations. It has enabled me to find consistent and well-salaried employment, time for research, and the opportunity to instill a love for biology in others.
Because I started my career as a high school teacher in Northern California, I had time during the summer to do a wildlife conservation/ecology internship halfway across the country (Oklahoma). The researchers running the internship helped me get into grad school there. They told me that "serious biology programs are free" (usually through TA positions that cover tuition). Thus, my tuition was waived and I received a small stipend, while fulfilling duties as a teaching assistant. I highly recommend graduate school as long as you don't have to pay for it. Personally, I have never encountered a situation in which my education has worked against me. Because of my strong educational background (and CA teaching credential), I ended up getting a job as a Science Coordinator/Instructional Coach for a K-12 school district back in Northern California. This job gave me the opportunity to engage younger students (grades 7-12) in cool research projects. And I still had summers off to continue my own research, albeit without institutional backing. Additionally, in California there seems to be strong demand for community college professors (mostly adjunct positions teaching intro bio and anatomy/physiology). With a PhD and an extensive teaching background, I have been able to land a few part-time positions locally. Currently, I am just starting as an assistant prof at a tiny, non-traditional pre-med college, with an emphasis on teaching. The two major benefits I have seen in pursuing a more education-focused route for me are: 1) being a K-12 science coach/teacher pays better than a postdoc in most places (my PhD and corresponding units boosted my salary by about ~$9000/year) 2) I've only had to live in 2 places (with a young family it would be difficult to move to a new place with no friends or family). Of course these could be drawbacks as well! In any case, I just want to emphasize teaching as a viable academic career choice, even at the K-12 level. I know many middle and high school teachers who incorporate personal research projects into their classroom. Here's one awesome example <https://arcadecreekproject.org/>. I hope this serves as an optimistic example! Regards, Kit -- *Kit T. Keane, Ph.D.* Assistant Professor of Biology California Northstate University <http://healthsciences.cnsu.edu/> College of Health Sciences <http://healthsciences.cnsu.edu/> Twitter: @kitkeane <https://twitter.com/kitkeane>
