Conservation organisations have always needed outside expertise. What has changed is the scale of that need. Biodiversity targets, mandatory corporate nature reporting, and the increasing complexity of conservation delivery have combined to create a market that is larger and more varied than it has ever been. Short-term contracts, technical advisory roles, and specialist commissions are now a routine part of how conservation gets done.

For practitioners with the right skills, this represents a real opportunity. The difficulty is that knowing your subject and knowing how to build a consulting practice around it are two different things. Most conservationists arrive at consulting sideways, taking on work as it comes rather than building deliberately. That tends to mean undercharging, taking on the wrong clients, and growing slowly if at all.

What you will learn

The course takes you through the full arc of consulting practice. You will learn how to read a market and work out where your expertise fits, how to shape an offer that clients understand and value, how to build a profile that generates the right kind of attention, and how to move from first contact to a signed agreement without losing momentum. Beyond that, the course covers how to run a project in ways that leave clients satisfied and your professional reputation intact, and how to think about growth, whether that means taking on associates, building a small practice, or simply doing better work with less friction.

Certification and enrolment

The course is assessed by exam and leads to a WildTeam certificate. Bursaries are available for conservationists from disadvantaged backgrounds and geographies through WildTeam's one-for-one approach.

Enrol at training.wildteam.org.uk/course/consulting-for-wildlife-conservation.