Learn About | Wildlife Biologists
Nature is filled with clues that tell stories. Field biologists find these small details and interpret their significance. For example, a set of animal tracks can tell a wildlife biologist which animals live in an area, which direction the animal was going and if it was walking or running. The scientists can tell if the animal was being chased by a predator and also whether it was traveling alone or with other adults or babies.
Wildlife biologists work systematically to gather clues to answer questions like
- What is going on?
- Where are the organisms?
- How many are there?
- Why are they there?
More formally, they conduct population surveys, restore habitat, reintroduce endangered species, and evaluate the impact of Federal projects. A few specific examples of the work they do is to monitor the status and trends of waterfowl migrating across North America, reconstruct wildlife habitats such as wetlands and tall grass prairie lands, use aerial and ground surveys to examine animal populations, and work with conservation officials in the states and around the world to track animals of mutual management concern, including polar bears, walrus, and seals.
Their equipment includes comfortable clothing, hiking boots, hats, sunglasses, waders, walking stick, backpack, field notebooks, tracking equipment, towers and helicopters to watch from, tranquilizing darts, weight scales, syringes to take blood, remote cameras, binoculars, tape measures, field guides for identification, binoculars and parabolic dishes, and collecting and measuring devices, such as berlese funnels, pit traps, aspirators, nets, meter sticks, and tape measures.
In the office, field biologists also work with sophisticated equipment and technology: telemetry equipment, remote cameras, database programs and modeling programs. They often are involved with developing the technology needed to do their job. They also analyze specimens gathered in the field such as blood and DNA.
They spend lots of time documenting results on the computer. They also manage wildlife refuges including working with people who hunt, fish, watch birds, and vacation on wildlife refuges; enforce conservation regulations; educate people about wildlife conservation; and work with private landowners to develop habitat improvement projects.