Welcome to ‘Jungle Science’!
My name is Jamie, I’m a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham, studying gibbon behavioural ecology. Previously, I graduated from the University of Bristol with a MSc in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation and from Nottingham Trent University with a BSc in Zoo Biology. Apart from my academic experience, I have worked with domestic animals in a farm and rescue setting, I’ve worked in zoo, conservation, sustainability and science education, and I have worked in primate rehabilitation.
I was inspired to start this blog, because I would like to share my wildlife experiences and research journey with you. I plan to write about and record my experiences and share this here with you on this blog. I will also write about interesting research and conservation work as conducted by other scientists that I have come across, as well as the issues that endangered species face today and the research that is helping to conserve them.
This blog is primarily about raising awareness about wildlife conservation and research, but also about building a platform where young conservationists like myself can share experiences. Therefore, I encourage you to share your experiences with wildlife both in a personal and professional capacity. The reason for this is because there are many of you out there building your career in the field of zoology and I think that everyone can greatly benefit from hearing eachother’s stories. I have experienced and seen how difficult it is to build a career in wildlife conservation and research. There aren’t many jobs out there and I often find myself thinking that it seems like you need two PhD’s and five years of professional experience to land an entry-level job. Or the phrase I’ve heard many times: ‘You need experience to get a job, but a job to get experience…’.
As an early-career scientist and conservationist, I thought I would share my experience with those of you who are equally enthusiastic about research, conservation and education, whatever career stage you are in. I hope that the knowledge and experience shared on this blog will help raise awareness and motivate readers to continue their journey to help save endangered wildlife.
Jungle Science 