July 17, 2012

Conservation director Jim Wharton's cool job

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Jim Wharton is Seattle Aquarium's director of conservation and education. (Courtesy of Seattle Aquarium)

What do you do? I use education to inspire conservation of our marine environment. [At Seattle Aquarium], I work with a team of passionate, creative educators and volunteers, and together, we try to infect our audiences with a little of the wonder and respect we feel for our "one world" ocean.

There are five ocean basins or seas (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Southern/Antarctic), but only one world ocean. It’s actually one of our most important marine conservation messages because it helps people understand that what happens in their part of the world effects others (and vice versa). While that means that things we do to negatively affect Puget Sound affect the whole ocean, it also means that the things we do to help the Sound also have a positive ripple effect as well. It makes our actions very powerful … for better or worse.

How does someone get a job like yours? I have an advanced degree and over 15 years in the field, but I don't believe my education or experience would be enough to be successful in a job like this one. You need to be deeply connected to the mission. I've been ocean-addled since I was 7, a truly hopeless case.

What’s a typical day like? That's always been one of the best parts of my job, even now that I've moved into a much more administrative role: There is no “typical day.” I could be teaching in a tide pool, brainstorming new education programs with staff, writing a blog post, presenting at a conference ... who knows?

What’s the best part of the job? I love working with creative people. I love that I learn something new almost every day. I love being surrounded by people who are working with purpose, dedicated to a mission. I can walk downstairs and see a spiny lumpsucker anytime I want. What's not to love?

What surprises people about your job? People are surprised that some days my job is a lot like their job. I go to meetings. I answer email. I fax stuff. Some days my office seems a lot like anybody's office, but with lumpsuckers.

--NWjobs staff

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