Dylan T.
"The difference between what you know you don't know, and what you don't know you don't know, is astounding."
From tortoise surveys in the Mojave Desert to managing seven nature preserves across Southern Utah, Dylan T. is putting his Wildlife Conservation degree to work where it matters most: in the field.
As a Land Steward and Field Technician splitting his time between The Nature Conservancy and the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan in Utah, Dylan’s days look nothing like a typical office job. He maintains tortoise fences and conducts surveys for Mojave Desert Tortoises and ravens. He also manages a Temporary Care Facility for tortoises and restores habitat through invasive species removal and plant transplantation, along with erosion maintenance.
At The Nature Conservancy, he oversees seven nature preserves across Southern Utah, each purchased specifically to protect habitat for species of concern. From habitat restoration and infrastructure maintenance to public outreach and education, the work is as varied as the landscape it protects.
The goal behind all of it is straightforward, even if the work never is.
“Preservation of local biodiversity,” Dylan says. “And it is always ongoing.”
That last part matters. Conservation isn’t a problem you solve and move on from. It’s a commitment to showing up, day after day, in places most people never see, doing work that may not show results for years. Dylan’s Unity education in Wildlife Conservation prepared him for exactly that reality.
“Every class for my Wildlife Conservation degree has been beneficial,” he says.
What Unity gave Dylan wasn’t just knowledge about species and ecosystems. It gave him the ability to learn: to approach an unfamiliar situation with the right questions and figure out what he doesn’t yet know. In field conservation work, that skill is often more valuable than any single fact a textbook can provide.
“From learning about how to learn about species to public education and perception,” he says, “it’s a lot to cover.”
His advice to anyone considering a Wildlife Conservation program cuts right to the heart of what makes the field both humbling and endlessly compelling.
“The difference between what you know you don’t know, and what you don’t know you don’t know, is astounding.”
In other words: get in the field. The real education starts there.
Take Your Education Into the Field
Dylan’s story shows where a Wildlife Conservation degree can lead: out of the virtual classroom and into the field, protecting species that depend on people showing up. At Unity Environmental University, students build the knowledge and the problem-solving skills that hands-on conservation work demands.
Explore Unity’s programs and discover how you can turn your passion for wildlife into a career protecting the places and species that need it most.
