Forget Halloween, Fourth of July, or even Christmas. Earth Day is your favorite holiday. You love this planet—recycling, conserving water, and planting trees are totally your jam.
Now, if only you could find a career that allows you to utilize your passion for Mother Nature and the world around you. Sounds like a total dream, right?
Well, prepare for your “pinch me” moment—because your wildest fantasy can definitely be a reality. Here are ten career paths that are perfectly suitable for the person who’s obsessed with Earth Day. Now, the only hard part is picking one.
1. Conservationist
This is the most obvious choice for someone who’s obsessed with the preservation of our planet and resources. A conservationist’s entire job is to spread awareness of nature and the health of our planet—whether that’s authoring books, studying ecosystems, or rolling up their sleeves and interacting directly with the wonders of our natural world. Jane Goodall is a great example. She’s one of the most well-known conservationists of our time.
2. Sustainability Consultant
Well, that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? The job title may seem fancy, but the responsibilities make total sense. As a sustainability consultant, you’ll help businesses and even government agencies reduce their environmental footprint and increase their environmental efficiency. This can include reducing waste, decreasing energy consumption, and identifying alternative sources of energy these organizations can implement. With this gig, you’ll be making real, positive changes.
3. Clean Car Engineer
Clean cars are growing in popularity. But, the whole “build it and they will come” situation only works if you actually build it. Needless to say, if you have (or want to get!) an engineering degree, you can jump onboard and be one of the people actually creating these clean cars for the masses.
4. Green Chemist
No, this isn’t a chemist in a green lab coat. A green chemist is someone who works to decrease the use and generation of hazardous substances by designing different products and processes. It’s a newer form of chemistry that came about to try to reduce the amount of pollution in our atmosphere. Limiting the amount of nasty stuff that’s a part of our everyday life? Well, it’s the perfect job for someone with a huge love for the health and wellbeing of our planet.
5. Landscape Designer
Let’s move away from all the science and dig into something new—literally. As a landscape designer, you’ll come up with plans for beautiful and functional outdoor spaces for homeowners, businesses, schools, and all sorts of other buildings that need a little life added to their curb appeal. You’re bringing a little more beauty—and more importantly greenery—to a world that’s often overrun with concrete and stripmalls. What could be better than that?
6. Park Ranger
Parks are one of the few places where our planet’s natural beauty is still allowed to grow and thrive without interruption. However, many guests obviously want to visit our nation’s parks and soak in all of that nature. So, a park ranger really acts like the gatekeeper. The ranger patrols the park’s grounds and ensures that all visitors are abiding by the rules—including fire safety. That way, people can enjoy the beauty of the park, without detracting from it. Rangers also often give presentations and tours.
7. Photographer
You’ve seen all of those breathtaking photos in the glossy pages of National Geographic. But, have you ever stopped to think about who took them? A photographer (particularly a wildlife photographer) gets to immerse him or herself in natural habitats in order to snap stunning images to be shared with—and more importantly, educate—others.
8. Wildlife Rehabilitator
If your heart breaks at the site of a bird with an injured wing or a group of orphaned baby opossums, then a career as a wildlife rehabilitator could be perfect for you. In this position, you’ll likely be employed by a wildlife sanctuary or refuge, helping to nurse injured animals back to health so that they can either be released back into the wild or kept in a safe habitat for educational purposes.
9. Wildlands Firefighter
Wildfires can have devastating effects on some of our planet’s most beautiful scenery—not to mention the lives at stake when those wild blazes get out of control. As a wildlands firefighter, you’re on the frontlines battling those flames that pose such a terrible threat. There’s no denying it’s a dangerous job, but it’s definitely rewarding.
10. Educator
Yes, you care deeply about our planet. But, in the end, there’s really only so much a single person can do. As an educator, such as a science teacher, you can share the important message of preserving our planet with countless impressionable minds. It’s a great way to make a large, lasting difference on the way our future generations view our planet.
Of course, this is only a handful of career paths out there for people who love our planet. In fact, there are plenty more opportunities that will allow you to exercise your passion for the earth. So, make polishing up your resume part of your Earth Day celebration, and prepare for a career that’s not only good for you—but good for our planet!
