20 Environmental Jobs for People Who Love Nature

Most farmers tend to be in it not for the money but because they love the land. Good farmers also find ways to work the land with as little impact as possible on nature. You don’t even need to buy or inherit a farm. With its Agricultural Land Programme that gives away land for free, the Yukon is one of the places that will actually pay you to live there.

As one of the better entry level environmental jobs, environmental engineers have one of the highest paying jobs for Generation Z. An environmental engineer uses a variety of disciplines, including engineering, chemistry, biology and soil science, to find ways to deal with environmental problems such as pollution.

If you don’t want to leave the city but still want environmental jobs, Vancouver is one of the places with a great option for you. As an increasing number of buildings are incorporating rooftop gardens (even the Vancouver Public Library now has a rooftop park!) urban growers will find more and more opportunities. You get to work with the soil, grow fresh produce and help cities reduce their harmful carbon emissions.

When you think about environmental jobs, firefighting is probably not one of the first ones that come to mind. However, if you love nature, you hate seeing it going up in flames. Firefighters who specialize in wildfires have a dangerous and physically demanding job but as climate change produces more of the conditions conducive to destructive forest fires, they’ll always be in demand. It’s one of the environmental jobs that don’t require STEM either.

If you want to combine a creative streak with environmental jobs, Canada has some great examples of what can be done. The Montreal Botanical Garden, High Park and Stanley Park would never have been as stunning as they are if it weren’t for visionary landscape architects. As a landscape architect your job is to create beautiful green spaces and to complement buildings and because you don’t have to travel far away from home, it’s one of the best careers for moms.

Saying you’re a recycling and waste manager may not sound very sexy but it can be a very lucrative career. In fact, one of the companies with female CEOs in Canada is the Emterra Group, which has recycling and waste management operations in Canada and the United States. Getting rid of trash in a sustainable way is one of the most important environmental jobs too. After all, there is no "away": everyone’s garbage goes somewhere.

With Canada bordering three of the world’s oceans, it’s no surprise that oceanographers can find job opportunities here. In fact, they have one of the highest paying jobs for newcomers to the country. An oceanographer may specialize in different aspects related to oceans: ocean currents, plate tectonics, marine ecosystems and so on.

In a country that relies so heavily on its natural resources, one of the best careers for introverts who also love nature is that of the conservation scientist. This job entails working with farmers, foresters and mining companies to find the best ways to extract natural resources without causing irreparable damage to the environment.

If you love nature and people and are looking for environmental jobs, Ontario is another part of the country where you’ll find great opportunities. With five national and 72 provincial parks, the province will always have work for park rangers. You get to be tour guide, educator and conservationist, all in one of the world’s most beautiful office environments.

Photography is one of the best jobs for lazy people because it generally doesn’t take too much effort. However, if you want to throw in a bit of physical exertion, enjoy the great outdoors and do your bit for the environment too, you might want to consider becoming a wildlife photographer. After all, what better way is there to inspire people to take care of the planet than to show them the magical creatures that live on it?

We wouldn’t have known about climate change if it wasn’t for the tireless work of meteorologists. They study the weather, how it changes and how it affects everyone on Earth. While a large part of the job involves interpreting data, you’ll also spend time in nature to collect that information. This makes meteorology one of the best careers that don’t involve sitting at a desk all day.

Technically minded people looking for environmental jobs in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and other provinces may want to explore the relatively new career of wind turbine service technician, or windtech. Windtechs are responsible for the repair and maintenance of wind turbines, which are found in many provinces in the quest for clean, renewable energy. They spend most their time outdoors but it’s worth remembering that they also spend most of their time working at vertigo-inducing heights.

One of those jobs that didn’t exist ten years ago is that of sustainability manager. Whether you’re looking for environmental jobs in Ontario, Alberta or Nunavut, you’ll find sustainability management opportunities throughout Canada.

So what does it entail? A sustainability manager is responsible for an organization’s environmental strategies. After all, whether it’s the resources they use or the way they get rid of their office waste, all organizations have an impact on nature in some way.

Unfortunately there will always be people who want to exploit nature but luckily there will always be people who want to fight for nature too. Environmental lawyers are at the forefront of this battle, using their legal skills to protect the land and all that lives on it.

Everyone wants puppies and kittens to be healthy but pets aren’t the only animals that get sick. In fact, outbreaks of diseases can decimate wildlife populations and upset the ecosystem. To prevent this and to deal with sick or injured animals both domestic and wild, veterinarians have a crucial job. It’s one of the jobs that pay shockingly less than you think but if you care about nature, you’re not really in it to get rich anyway, are you?

With all its lakes and rivers, Canada will always need people who study freshwater ecosystems. This is what limnologists do. They study the plant and animal life in lakes, ponds and rivers and look for ways to protect these ecosystems.

Legends such as Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey have shown that one of the best careers for women in science and engineering is to be a wildlife biologist. Because the job entails studying animals in their natural habitat and living in close quarters with them to do so, this is one of the most perfect environmental careers in Canada if you truly love nature.

When most of us think of geologists, we think of people working with volcanoes and earthquakes. Canada isn’t really known for either of these, so why are geologists in such great demand? The truth is that geology entails a much wider variety of the Earth’s movements. They can assess the risk of landslides, for instance, or the impact that the mining and oil and gas industries have on the strata beneath the Earth’s surface.

You may love nature but find that your talents lie in organization. If this is the case, becoming an animal sanctuary administrator may be just the job for you. You get to run the day-to-day business of the sanctuary, including budgeting and fundraising, while having the animals right there for fluffy – or scaly – hugs. This is one of the most vegan friendly jobs out there.

Instagram is not only for people who want to flog make-up, show us what they’re eating or boast about their travels. There is a small but inspiring number of Instagram influencers who use the social media platform to educate about environmental issues. Some show us how to live a zero-waste lifestyle for instance, while others document the impact of climate change or pollution.