247-10 Competencies and Skills beyond Traditional Paleontology to Prepare Students for Careers in Conservation Paleobiology

Session: Balancing Tradition and Innovation: Evolving Geoscience Curricula for a Changing World, Part I

Presenting Author:

Patricia Kelley

Authors:

Kelley, Patricia H.¹, Dietl, Gregory P.², Goben, Jaleigh Q.³, Kahanamoku-Meyer, Sara⁴, LeFebvre, Michelle⁵, Leonard-Pingel, Jill⁶, Wittmer, Jacalyn⁷, Miller, Joshua H.⁸, Mychajliw, Alexis M.⁹, Riedinger-Whitmore, Melanie¹⁰, Savarese, Michael¹¹, Siggery, Benjamin¹², Smith, Jansen A.¹³, Viteri, Maria¹⁴

Abstract:

The rapidly developing field of Conservation Paleobiology (CPB) aims to use knowledge from the geohistorical record (e.g., fossils, sediments, archeological materials) to contribute to policies and practices that conserve and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services. Although CPB builds on a traditional paleontology foundation, classical training in paleontology cannot prepare students adequately for on-the-ground conservation careers.

The Pathways Working Group of the Conservation Paleobiology Network is exploring curricula and pedagogies to train students for conservation careers. This work expands on that of Kelley and Dietl (2022), who identified five core competencies needed for conservation careers, based on the sustainability literature: systems thinking, the ability to understand and analyze root causes of conservation problems in complex social-ecological systems; temporal thinking across multiple timescales spanning the past, present, and future; values thinking, the ability to understand concepts of equity, environmental justice, and ethics in conservation; strategic thinking, the ability to collaboratively develop and implement solutions to conservation problems; and relationship competence, the ability to motivate and facilitate knowledge co-production and problem-solving by establishing and maintaining relationships. Pathways added a sixth competency, knowledge pluralism, the ability to connect information from multiple knowledge systems (e.g., local ecological knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge) and weave into problem solving. Only the first two competencies are typically taught in geoscience curricula, indicating the need for innovation and crossdisciplinarity in conservation career preparation.

Each competency is linked to multiple skills needed to carry out conservation work, beyond traditional paleontological skills such as measuring sections and collecting, processing, and identifying samples. We illustrate how the competencies relate to CPB and what skills are needed for each competency by focusing on three themes related to CPB careers: 1) Baselining involves identifying past states of ecosystems, for instance for setting restoration goals;  2) Scenario planning, which envisions multiple possible futures to anticipate challenges in the face of uncertainty; and 3) project management, from conceptualization through planning, execution, and subsequent follow up. This presentation will discuss the competencies and skills linked to each theme.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-8066

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