A lot of research went in to writing this paper, and I though it was a little bit challenging to meet the outline required without going over the word count. There were a lot of things to cover and tying them into the Swale’s six characteristics was tricky but the overall result was good.
Entering the Discourse Community of a Wildlife Technician
Introduction
The career of a Wildlife Technician is very diverse, often complex and difficult, but also very rewarding. This report is for newcomers and will provide information and advice on how they might join the discourse community of Wildlife Technicians. A discourse community is a “group of people who communicate with one another in specific ways in order to achieve goals that unite the group” (COMM202-Communications, 2017). I will provide background information on the general workings of the community, talk about the importance and variety of communications involved in this community, and provide recommendations on how to enter this community.
Background
The community of Wildlife Technicians is a wide ranging community of people devoted to studying our environment in order to understand how it functions and how best to preserve it. This community is part of a larger community of environmental scientists, biologists, ecologists, and others who all contribute to the greater scientific understanding of our planet.
In Ontario, Wildlife Technicians commonly work in Federal or Provincial government positions, for Colleges and Universities, Environmental Consulting firms as well as Natural Resource and Utilities companies. In essence Wildlife Technicians collect field data, analyse it, and report their findings (ECO Canada, 2017) based on the needs and requirements of the scientists they support or the organization which they represent.
A great deal of the work done by Wildlife Technicians involves work in the field such as population surveys, catching animals, banding birds, tagging fish, habitat assessments, and environmental impact assessments (EnvironmentalScience.org, 2017). However, a significant and important part of the job deals with how that data is used. Analyzing data, including spatial mapping and statistical analysis, managing databases, and preparing reports to document findings are all very important (ECO Canada, 2017).
Research and Analysis
Communication within this community adheres to Swale’s six characteristics of a discourse community: there is a specific set of goals, methods of intercommunication, opportunity for feedback, a unique language, scientific genre or text is used, and there is a hierarchy between novices & experts (COMM202-Communications, 2017). The main goal of the Wildlife Technician community is to “provide support and services to scientists working in wildlife management and animal biology” (ECO Canada, 2017). In broader terms Wildlife Technicians seek to improve the health of our ecosystem as well as conserve and protect natural resources for the health of all communities.
Communication among Technicians often involves use of scientific names and classifications.
Knowing the scientific “lingo” is crucial. Habitat types are classified according to systems as directed by the government ministry guidelines. Work relies heavily on genres such as field guides or scientific text and is often conducted in accordance to federal laws such as the Species at Risk Act (SARA) or Endangered Species Act (ESA). Scientific data is analysed and reports generated. The results of these studies are published for review and comment by the public.
Communication between Wildlife Technicians and the general public is also critically important. Fortunately with today’s technologies in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), conveying this information has become much easier. Complex data can now be communicated with color graded maps, charts and graphs making the data much easier to understand. This aids in responding to information requests from the public. This type of communication also aids in the procurement of funding for continued research.
As with any discourse community there is a broad cross-section of novice to expert technicians. For a newcomer this relates directly to education. Those with a community college background start at entry level positions. University level degrees carry the most weight and can result in more senior positions. Practical experience still goes a long way, and the amount of volunteer work or citizen science work can be a great aid in getting into the industry further up the ladder.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The following are 3 recommendations for those wishing to enter this discourse community:
- Pursue a college or university education.
- Volunteer. Employers are looking for workers with hands on experience which volunteering can provide.
- Study the genre of the industry and develop your communication skills.
The diversity and complexity of the natural environment may seem overwhelming at first, but given patience and time those with a love and curiosity for the natural world can succeed in this career path. With the combination of post-secondary education and hands on practical volunteer experience one is well on the way to a full and rewarding career as a Wildlife Technician.
References
COMM202-Communications. (2017, January). Module One. Retrieved from Fleming College: Desire to learn: https://fleming.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/65717/viewContent/735895/View
ECO Canada. (2017). Career Profiles – Explore Environmental Careers. Retrieved from ECO Canada: http://www.eco.ca/career-profiles/wildlife-techniciantechnologist/
EnvironmentalScience.org. (2017). What is a Wildlife Manager? Retrieved from EnvironmentalScience.org: http://www.environmentalscience.org/career/wildlife-manager
Research, I. f. (2005). Career As a Naturalist: Wildlife Conservation Professionals. Chicago: Institute for Career Research.
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