The Field

Conserving Earth’s biological diversity and safeguarding the benefits or “ecosystem services” that functioning ecosystems provide for humans are two major objectives of natural resources conservation. As human populations increase and natural resources and habitats become more limited, trained conservation professionals are urgently needed for natural resources conservation. This major provides students with the academic background and professional training to pursue careers in the rapidly growing field of natural resources and environmental conservation. Natural Resources Conservation (NRC) is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates rigorous academic training in the natural, conservation, and social sciences with hands-on field skills. Students in NRC also gain experience from summer jobs, internships, and cooperative education positions with conservation organizations and the green industry. Students learn about the ecology of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and how these systems can be managed to conserve biodiversity and protect ecosystem functions while providing sustainable benefits to society.