Our alumni work around the country and the world in a wide variety of jobs, from conservation science to education to urban planning. Linking them all is a deep commitment to helping the Earth's inhabitants — humans and other animals, plants, fungi, microbes — live together sustainably and in mutually beneficial ways. Click through career profiles with the gray arrow below to get an idea of where the Field Naturalist Program propels its graduates.
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Janet Coles '89
As the Supervisory Botanist at Olympic National Park in Washington, Janet oversees vegetation programs on forest health, invasive plants, and revegetation of disturbed lands. She ensures that park projects are consistent with environmental laws and don’t result in the spread of invasive plants or impact rare plants. Her primary function is to write proposals, manage budgets, coordinate hiring, and develop partnerships. She also coordinates projects that have a cultural nexus, like removing hazardous trees from campgrounds, restoring controlled fire in areas traditionally used for tribal foraging, replanting historic landscapes, or conserving homesteaders' fruit trees. Never a dull moment!
