Natural History and Humanities
interdisciplinary studies in the natural world



science       literature       philosophy       art

November Career Profile

photo: Michael Melford                                                   



Jeff Rennicke
Writer/Teacher/Wilderness Guide
http://www.jeffrennicke.com/
 

Accomplishments:

·         Author or co-author of 10 books including Treasures of Alaska (National Geographic Books, 2001), Jewels on the Water (FOAINL, 2005), and River Days: Collected Travels on Western Rivers (Fulcrum Press, 1990).

·         Author of more than 200 magazine articles (Backpacker, National Geographic Adventure, Reader’s Digest, Sierra and others).

·         Twice honored with Gold Medals for Excellence from the Society of American Travel Writers.

·         Teacher of literature and writing at The Conserve School.

·         Lecturer for the National Geographic Society Expeditions program.

Occupation:
"Not long ago I would have automatically said “writer” but I’ve come to see that the writing, teaching, wilderness guiding, and public speaking I do that all adds up to my “occupation” doesn’t fit neatly into one category. I’d like to think that “storyteller” comes closest."

Education:
The right college program (such as a Masters) is a great way to get exposure to ideas and sources you may have never imagined. You’ve got to push yourself as far as you can, and then let yourself be pushed farther. A good Masters program can do that. It is about opening doors – doors to the real world in terms of qualifications, and doors of the mind in terms of constantly seeing things in new and exciting ways. My own MFA (from Bennington) pushed my career in a whole new direction and led to my understanding that in life, as in nature, all things are connected. I now see that in a career like this, writing, teaching, speaking, guiding, and photography can be all parts of a really great whole.

Getting Started:
I stepped in the same river twice, so to speak to get my start. Early in my career I learned the skills and got the certifications necessary to become a whitewater rafting guide. This gave me access to wild places – Alaska, the American West, Canada, China, South America, and more – on someone else’s dime. So, I’d run rivers in the summer as a guide and then write about them in the winter as a writer. All the while I was reading, thinking, getting out there with my senses open, reading some more.

photo: Jill Wolf-Rennicke                          

Check out our other career profiles:

What does NHH help prepare you to do?

There's a wide world of nature out there and a job for every part of it. NHH can help prepare you not only for many freelance, seasonal, and entry level positions, but also for graduate studies in law, medicine, journalism, scientific illustration, museum studies...the only limit to possibility is the imagination.
 

See these links to other websites with information about careers in nature:

General Job Listings/Directories (these websites are usually updated regularly)
500 environmental jobs in Environmental Career Opportunities
The Orion Grassroots Network
OA Guide to Outdoor and Environmental Careers
AEOE Joblist Service
Environmental Jobs and Careers
Careers in Environmental Protection - Opportunities for Almost Every Interest, Environmental Career Opportunities
Environmental & Outdoor Education Jobs in Environmental Career Opportunities
Ornithological Jobs On-Line

Science/Environmental Writing
National Association of Science Writers
Society of Environmental Journalists

Naturalist
Park Naturalist Jobs - Park Naturalist Careers - Jobs As Park Naturalist
Online Park Naturalist job search sites & compensation info.
Telling Nature's Secrets The Interpretive Naturalist At Work
Naturalist - Ranger, Environmental Job Descriptions
EEK! - What does a park naturalist do
eNaturalist What Is A Naturalist

Environmental/Outdoor Education
Jobs & Careers in Outdoor, Environmental & Adventure Education
Environmental Job Listings
EE-Link Introduction
EE Link EE Jobs
EnviroEducation.com - Environment Careers and Jobs.
Outdoor Ed - The Outdoor Education Professional's Resource
Wilderdom - a project in natural living & transformation

Wilderness Medicine
Google Directory - Health Medicine Medical Specialties Wilderness Medicine
FIRST-EVER WILDERNESS MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP ESTABLISHED - Office of Communications & Public Affairs - Stanford University School
NOLS - WMI Wilderness Medicine Institute
Wilderness Medical Society
Wilderness Medicine Training Center

Environmental Law
http--www.cela.ca-pdf-careers.pdf
Earthjustice Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer Environmental Law
Job Opportunities Earthjustice Environmental Law
Master of Studies in Environmental Law - Careers
Environmental Policy and Law Careers
Environmental Law Careers Directory

Scientific Illustration
Artists and related workers
Becoming a scientific or medical illustrator
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
NMNH Paleobiology Illustration Techniques

Seasonal
Seasonal Jobs and Internships in the Outdoor, Environmental & Adventure Education Fields
Outdoor Adventure, Educational Travel, Wilderness Ventures and Guide Jobs in the U.S. and Worldwide

Service
http://www.peacecorps.gov/

For more information regarding the NHH degree, contact:

Dr. Susan Tomlinson
TTU Honors College
103 McClellan Hall
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-1828