In December of last year I dusted off my nice suit, pleasantly learned that I can still tie a tie, and took a job with an environmental non-profit in Galveston called Artist Boat. It’s a small but passionate organization dedicated to promoting the preservation and awareness of coastal and marine ecosystems through science and art. This is my first experience with on-the-ground conservation and land management, and though I still have plenty to learn I thought I’d share some of my experiences with you all.

My official title is Habitat and Stewardship Program Manager, which means I oversee our habitat restoration programs and the management of our 360-acre Coastal Heritage Preserve (CHP). A large-scale conservation project such as this is incredibly collaborative. Within 24 hours of starting at Artist Boat, I had a list of about 20 names and numbers of various agency folks (National Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Location Outdoorsy Term and Wildlife, etc.) who I needed to introduce myself to, because what we do wouldn’t work without them. Now our habitat restoration projects are largely volunteer based, and our management actions at CHP (removing invasive species, planting native grasses, and monitoring the Preserve to name a few) will largely be done by volunteers as well. Organizations with more staff may not require these types of partnerships for their conservation projects, because they can to do more work in house. For the most part though, preserving, managing, and monitoring habitats has become so complex and expensive that it’s just not done alone anymore. Therefore, social skills and emotional intelligence can be just as important as technical skills in this field.

The downside of involving so many parties is that new ideas, methods, or any other shifts in management take much longer to implement and face more obstacles. With all of the current threats facing habitat conservation (development, lack of funding, a changing climate), it’s going to be necessary for stewards of these areas to not only be flexible and open-minded, but to be proactive rather than reactive. As far as planning goes, there’s a fine line between remaining flexible to changing conditions and not planning for anything. There is some level of specificity a habitat management plan should have, and it’s greater than “we’ll manage the habitat according to the best available practices at any given time.” This is something that I’ve personally struggled with, yet has also been a catalyst for my professional growth. The best managers can plan for things effectively enough that rapid implementation can occur if needed, but are also flexible enough to change paths should the data or scenario require it.

I’ve been working at Artist Boat for a little over nine months now. Like any genuine learning experience, it’s had plenty of disappointing and satisfying days. I’ve felt anxious, proud, challenged, overwhelmed, exhilarated, stressed, fulfilled, ignorant, engaged, confused, and many other adjectives throughout my employment. However, I am thrilled to be working for a company whose values line up so well with my own. And throughout my brief stint overseeing various habitat restoration projects, there’s been some evidence that I don’t totally suck at it. One of our beach renourishment projects was deemed one of the top 5 restored beaches in the country by the American Shores and Beaches Preservation Association, and we were recently awarded a year long grant to fund management and stewardship tasks at CHP. So to any of our readers who may be looking for (or recently accepted) conservation jobs in the private sector, specifically with NGOs, let me say it’s going to be a hell of an experience. But if you’re someone who is stupidly persistent, can handle five different things at once, and wants to be engaged in meaningful and relevant work, you’d exactly what the field needs (and send me your resume).

Some other lessons that I’ve learned since entering the non-profit world:

-I find it much easier to obtain quality genetic data from seventy worms than to solve the Rubik’s Cube that is setting the schedules for five staff members. However, when done correctly, both are extremely satisfying.

-I’m pretty sure that a $15 coffee bag is responsible for approximately $3,000 in employee productivity.

-Some of our best partners in our restoration projects work for the oil and gas industry (specifically Shell and CITGO). Interesting, but true.

-Creating a culture of learning would do wonders for organizations who’s work is inherently scientific and complex. This could be accomplished by spending thirty minutes a day reading scientific articles or listening to seminars in ecology, resiliency, or other relevant disciplines.

-Buy lunch for your accountant or finance manager regularly, they are extremely undervalued.

-It’s so important to work in a community that supports, emotionally and financially, conservation projects. I’m lucky that Galveston is so aware of its natural habitats and that the community fosters a culture of environmental stewardship. However, there are many places where this isn’t the case. In such areas shifting this culture can be an arduous process, though it’s necessary for any restoration or conservation work to be successful,

-If you like not having a regular work day, trying new things, and being involved in on-the-ground work, working in the nonprofit sector is for you. If you like working with people, spending time outside, and work for intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivators, then environmental outreach and conservation is for you.

November 6, 2015