UNBC offering new degree

The University of Northern British Columbia will launch a new degree this fall.

Students in the bachelor of science in conservation science and practice program will develop skills to restore ecosystems, plan for conservation, inform policy, conduct citizen science, make and analyze decisions involving ecological, social and economic criteria.

It includes majors in either wildland conservation and recreation or landscape conservation and management.

Graduates with the WCR major will have the skills to identify, plan, monitor, and manage conservation values within the parks, recreation, and nature-based tourism sectors in new and innovative ways.

Graduates with the LCM major will gain the cutting-edge technical skills and knowledge for solving some of the most complex and pressing challenges facing the conservation of the planet’s biodiversity.

Career opportunities include working in the public sector with municipal, regional, provincial, federal, and First Nation governments and non-governmental organizations.

Graduates might work as researchers, outdoor or environmental educators, planners, policy advisors, or field biologists.

Private sector opportunities include starting a business, working as a consultant, or employment with companies in the resource or outdoor industries.

“We are in a time of expanding awareness and support for the value of conservation in protected areas,” said Dr. Tory Stevens, an ecologist with BC Parks.

“Having a program well rooted in science and maintaining currency will be invaluable.”