Conservation Officer

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Clean equipment or facilities.
• Harvest agricultural products.
• Perform forest firefighting activities.
• Plant crops, trees, or other plants.
• Transport animals, crops, or equipment.
• Determine forestry techniques or methods.
• Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities.
• Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
• Apply chemical solutions to plants to protect against disease or insects or to enhance growth.
• Build agricultural structures.

Typical Working Conditions

• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Using e-mail.
• Working in a closed vehicle or equipment.
• Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
• Dealing with external customers.
• The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
• Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
• Responsibility for outcomes and results.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

Tools & Technology used by Conservation Officer

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Conservation Officer

• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Conservation Officer

• Geography—Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very low growth compared to other careers. There will be a decline in growth for Conservation Officers between 2018-2028.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career requires at least some college, and most professionals have a bachelors or masters degree. This career does not require a license but there are certifications are helpful for growth.

View the local post-secondary education options for this career from Central Lakes College.

Spotlight on Central Lakes College

• Why consider CLC?
• Virtual Campus Tours: Brainerd Campus, Staples Campus
• Learn more about the CLC Honors Program.
• Attend CLC, and you may never need to buy a textbook.

If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at CLC.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Accounting
• Algebra I and II
• Biology
• Business English
• Chemistry
• Entrepreneurship
• Environmental Science
• Mechanics
• Trigonometry
• Wildlife Management

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise