In
a world that is becoming increasingly accessible, where well-traveled people
claim that “everyone speaks English” and smartphone apps can instantly
translate any book, it may seem as though learning a second language is a waste
of time. For future conservation professionals, this myth is promoted through
course requirements that leave out foreign languages and in turn focus on math
and economics. While math and economics are undoubtedly important, if you want
to work towards conservation in another country, I can attest that learning a
second language can be as good as a ticket there.
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| (C) Jen Morton 2013 |
I recently finished a field season in
the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve in the Russian Far East. This reserve has
been set aside strictly for tiger conservation and is only open to researchers
and managers. My work was focused on analyzing prey populations for the endangered
Amur tiger. I spent three months collaborating with some of the world’s most
renowned tiger researchers and participating in tiger conservation efforts. I
had the opportunity to photograph tigers in the wild and spend a great deal of
time in one of the world’s great wild places. For me this was a dream come
true, and I attribute it in large part to learning Russian while I was an
undergrad.
When
I began searching for a graduate school, I was required to find an advisor to
take me under his/her wing and into their lab for the research component of my
Master’s degree. While I wrote dozens of emails, the only promising response I
received was from Dr. David Tonkyn of Clemson University.
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| (C) Jen Morton 2013 |
When
David called, he wasn’t impressed by my GPA and didn’t want to hear about any
extracurricular activities or leadership roles or any of the typical college
acceptance things. He wanted to talk to me about Russia. He noticed a singular
line on my resume that said I had double majored in my undergraduate program
and that I had received a degree in Russian. I should point out here that the
only reason I double majored was because I took a few Russian classes on a whim
and I really liked them.
David
had been interested in Russian ecosystems for a long time and had always been
on the lookout for a student that he could send that way. It was a great match
for both of us and before I knew it I was on a plane, another plane, another
plane, and a long bus ride down a dusty road to Ternei, Russia.
We
all know, of course, that learning a second language will not guarantee you a dream
trip to one of the world’s great wild places. Many of the researchers that live
the dream saving the great and threatened flora and fauna of the world though will tell you that a second language can be a very nice
bridge between a dream and a job.
Jen Morton
Clemson University Graduate Student
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