2 answers
Jess’s Answer
Hi Taylor,
It's great that you want to help protect the outdoors—we need more people like you! Being a game warden is one way, but there are lots of other job opportunities, too. I'd encourage you to explore the many different ways you could support your passion for preserving the outdoors.
• Working for the government: Game wardens are public servants who work for local, state, or federal government. The National Park Service has a good list of additional opportunities: http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/workwithus.htm
The link above also includes links to jobs for students that might interest you.
• Nonprofit conservation: Many nonprofits work to protect the environment and outdoors. These include large environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), animal and wildlife groups like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and issue-specific groups like Charity:Water, Water.org. The list is endless. There are also lots and lots of smaller organizations working to protect the outdoors at the local level.
As you can see, there are LOTS of ways to help the outdoors. A great way to figure out a more specific path for yourself might be to volunteer for a local conservation or wildlife group. That can help give you a taste for the type of work or specific outdoors-related cause that most interests you.
Best of luck!