Con Bio

It's comforting to know that conservation advocates don't attempt to completely understand the mechanisms of the earth; I was overwhelmed by the complexity of barely ONE ecosystem on our hike on Sunday! The high degree of uncertainty really bothers me though, especially since I'm used to asking questions and getting definitive answers. But conservation biology just can't do that--it really is an inexact science. I can't even imagine trying to understand all the bio/geo/chem cycles within an ecosystem and between ecosystems. Aaaaaaah it's so mindblowing!!! How God has made such a beautifully convoluted universe is totally beyond me. But just because I can't understand it completely, knowing that the environment is intimately linked with humanity is enough impetus to seek its preservation.

Conservation biology is also definitely not what many people make it to be, an arena headed by tree-hugging hippies.My mom, for instance, disagrees with my desire to conserve the environment, and we tend to get into mild arguments over the issue. "Ay, esos ambientalistas prefieren cuidar los animales mas que a los ninos," my mom often says, "Oh, those environmentalist prefer to protect animals more than they do children." But conservation is not about a bird's nest taking precedence over a family hearth. I'm excited thus that con bio is so interdisciplinary. While I am interested in "hard" science and absolutely enjoy its objective and quantitative nature, I just can't see myself doing it as a career. I neeeed people! haha That conservation biology offers me a position in the applied and/or social sciences, where great people skills and a knack for pragmatism are vital, I can be of use for convincing the public that conserving the environment is necessary and beneficial to all. While nifty tree-huggers have their place, conservation isn't only about them (Thank goodness! Or I'd never live it down with mom...).