Advice From a Conservation Educator: Liz Webb, the Conservation Training Academy Manager at Chester Zoo

A lady with blonde hair, wearing a Chester Zoo jacket, smiles at the camera. — Liz Webb, Conservation Training Academy Manager at Chester Zoo (Chester Zoo)

I think the biggest piece of advice I’d give anyone going into training or looking for a role is to have the confidence to get it wrong and try again. The second is to give things a go.

I wasn’t planning to work in conservation. I’d signed up to study computer science at university when a work placement fell through. The only available slot was at Kent Wildlife Trust, so I went to that, and it changed everything. I withdrew my university application and went back to college to do a national diploma, where I got my boots muddy, spent days hedge laying and building fencing and had the best time.

A mouse is caught in a clear plastic trap with a green lid, held by a person wearing a green plastic glove and a high-vis top. — A mouse caught during a survey (Chester Zoo)

It wasn’t a field I’d planned to go into, but after the work experience, I did a degree in animal conservation and undertook placements at Wildwood Trust, where I helped carry out dormice and water vole surveys, and the Kent Biological Records Centre, which collects and shares species and habitat data.

Being involved in UK wildlife was brilliant, and ultimately I then moved into formal teaching as the HE Team Leader in animal management, conservation and agriculture at a college. That started my career in conservation teaching. When the Chester Zoo job in the Conservation Training Academy came up, I decided to go for it. I moved up to Cheshire from Kent to take the role, which was a completely new position. It was a bit of a leap of faith, but it was also a chance to start up something from scratch with a focus on training conservation professionals.

A group of people stand in grassland surveying — Liz out on survey (Chester Zoo)

It's difficult to describe a day in the life in my role because it changes from day to day. I look after everything from undergrad university placements to postdoc students and continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers. I put together teaching resources and deliver lectures online and in person. On Monday I might be involved in apprenticeship training, on Tuesday I may be observing learners carrying out work on-site. On Wednesday I could be running postgrad workshops, on Thursday I may be pulling together course content and on Friday I might be lecturing on anything from rhinos to rodents. I don’t really have an average day.

A group of people wearing facemasks, with one of them holding a bag containing a frog, which is about to be weighed. — Liz holding a frog. The frogs are very briefly held in plastic bags for weighing before release (Chester Zoo)

Coming from a teaching and fieldwork background is useful, as it allows me to identify areas where there might be skills gaps, but I think the most important thing is that I understand that it’s okay to make wrong choices, to change your mind, and then take a step back and put a solution in place. Whether you’re learning about reptile husbandry or managing overseas conservation, it is possible to change your focus. My path isn’t what I thought it would be.

Whatever you set out to do, try to get as much experience as possible. You might want to specialise but try as much as you can before you commit, because you might find something that suits you better. Look out for volunteering and entry-level work – countrysidejobs is perfect for that as everyone posts here – and see what’s out there.

Find out more about conservation work at Chester Zoo here: Conservation, Science and Education | Chester Zoo