The Jungle: Green Hell or Paradise?
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POSITIV MAN
The Jungle: Green Hell or Paradise?
Jan-Chrisan Gibson, MSc, a graduate of the 1
st
Internaonal School of Ostrava - mezinárodní
gymnázium (1
st
ISO): “It can be tough at mes, but if you sck with it and gain experience through
internships and volunteer work, you can eventually nd your place in the eld and build a fullling
career.” What was his journey like?
How did you get into working as a biologist in the
field of nature conservation?
I have always been very passionate about nature.
At avery young age, I was already running around
catching lizards, beetles, and any other animal I could
get my hands on. Like many kids, I also loved and was
in awe of dinosaurs. Growing up, Jurassic Park was
my favorite movie. When asked, “What do you want
to be when you grow up?” my answer was always
“Paleontologist!”. However, I later found out that
paleontologists spend most of their time digging
up fossils, and I quickly lost interest. I wanted to work
with living animals!
After graduating high school, I went on to study at the
University of Salford in the UK. They offered many
interesting courses that were quite different from
the standard biology programs taught in the Czech
Republic. I carefully sorted through them, looking for
the one with the most practical and hands-on subjects
(I wanted to be OUTSIDE!). I eventually graduated with
a Master’s degree in Wildlife Conservation.
What was your most interesting or most challenging
project in your work? In which global ecosystems
have you worked, and with what focus?
The most interesting and challenging project I worked
on was definitely while I was still at university. I was
taking a tropical ecology course, and in order to earn
the required credits, we had to complete a field trip
and write a report. We spent a month in the Amazon
rainforest!
We flew into Manaus and spent a week in a large
protected area called the Adolpho Ducke Reserve.
Then, we boarded two boats and continued our
research upstream on the Rio Negro. The Amazon
is mysterious and magical—trekking through the dense
jungle and swimming with pink river dolphins was
definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, it’s
called the “Green Hell” for a reason.
Extreme heat and humidity, razor-sharp vegetation,
and aggressive ants ready to defend their home plants
at the slightest touch are just a few of the challenges
that come to my mind. That being said, if I were
given the opportunity, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.
The Amazon is wonderful, and there’s no other place
like it.
Throughout my studies and career, I have had
the opportunity to work in many other tropical
and temperate ecosystems, including places like
Costa Rica, England, and Wales. Nowadays, I live with
my wife in Germany, where I work in a national park.
Many people think you have to travel far and wide
to see wildlife and experience nature, but there’s
so much to discover right outside your front door.
Thanks to conservation and rewilding efforts, Germany
has seen a remarkable return of the grey wolf, with
many other keystone species hopefully following in the
near future.
You are a graduate of 1
st
ISO. What skills
or knowledge that you gained during your studies
at this school do you consider the most useful in your
work?
I like to think back on my days at 1
st
ISO. It was a whole
new concept for me—a completely different learning
environment, new friends, and teachers from all
around the world. Being exposed to so many different
backgrounds and perspectives was truly eye-opening
and helped shape the way I approach both work
and life.
It’s hard to pinpoint just a few key takeaways from
my high school experience, as it all contributed
The internaonal aspect of our
educaon shaped the way we learned,
thought, and planned for the future.