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What Can I Do With a Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Degree?

The Wildest Major at UC Davis

  • by Jaylynn C Velhagen-Dizon
Blogs
A graduate student looks closely and smiles at a pink axolotl in a small aquarium.
Graduate student Joanne Mendez, a biochemistry, molecular, cellular and developmental biology major, studies an axolotl in Associate Professor Crystal Rogers' lab. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

Did you know elephants communicate using low-frequency sounds that travel miles? Or that pangolin scales are so strong even lions struggle to break them? Sadly, both species are endangered, facing the threat of extinction.

But there’s hope. Understanding the challenges these species face is vital to their survival. For those passionate about protecting wild animals and spending time in nature, a career in wildlife or conservation biology may be the path to take.

The study of wildlife

A UC Davis student measures a swallow with a staff wildlife biologist in a field aglow with golden-hour light.
Felicia Wang (left), an evolution, ecology and biodiversity major, works with Hanika Cook, a wildlife, fish and conservation biologist, to band and weigh fledgling tree swallows on the Putah Creek Nestbox Highway. This ongoing conservation project teaches students like Wang how to properly measure and band the birds. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

The wildlife, fish and conservation biology major at UC Davis explores the relationships between human needs and wildlife needs, focusing on habitat preservation.

“The major gives students a personalized education on wildlife while also equipping them to tackle conservation issues,” said third-year student Rachel-Ann Arias.

Through specialized coursework, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address complex challenges in the natural world.

Definitions

  • Wildlife means non-domesticated animals, including other organisms like insects and plants, that live in the wild or in captivity.
     
  • Conservation is the protection and care of nature, ensuring wildlife and habitats survive and thrive for future generations.
     
  • Wildlife biology is the study of wild animals — focusing on their interactions with each other, humans and their environment — and how to protect them.
     

  • Wildlife biologists are scientists who study wild animals, their behaviors and ecosystems, aiming to conserve species and maintain biodiversity, the variety of life in nature.

What is it like to be a wildlife biology major?

Professor John Eadie holding a wood duck in front of a nest box.
Dr. John Eadie holds a wood duck in front of its nest box. (Elena Zhukova/UC Davis)

Wildlife biology students often work with and protect a variety of animals. Edilyn Lazo, a fourth-year wildlife biology major, has been passionate about conservation from a young age.

“The moment I realized a career in this field was possible, I immediately started researching how to get involved,” said Lazo, who is also majoring in cinema and digital media.

Combining her passion with creativity, she created a documentary on the Wood Duck Nest Box Program, a unique opportunity for UC Davis students to study wood ducks.

are one of the few waterfowl species that nest in trees. They nearly went extinct in the late 19th century due to over-hunting and habitat loss, and they still face threats from habitat loss today.

A look inside a wood duck nest box from above shows a fluffy nest, made of gray duck feathers and small twigs, containing more than a dozen small beige wood duck eggs.
Wood duck nest boxes fill with eggs every year thanks to the efforts of wildlife student researchers. (Courtesy of Ƶ Regents)
Four UC Davis wildlife, fish and conservation biology majors delicately hold fluffy wood ducklings in a sunny outdoor field.
Pictured, from left: Glenna Wardlaw, Trinity Pineda, Bailey Higa and Skylar McAnelly. These wildlife, fish and conservation biology majors hold ducklings before they are tagged for tracking and further research. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

Dr. John Eadie, a UC Davis ornithology professor, has led the for two decades, providing hands-on conservation experience to hundreds of students. Every year, up to 90 wildlife interns gain practical skills in nest monitoring, egg measurement, bird banding and waterfowl research. 

Due to a combination of wildlife protection laws, policies and programs like Dr. Eadie's, wood ducks are now an example of species restoration — when a species