We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. --Native American Proverb
If you love animals, you might want to make them the focus of your green career. For some people, the greenest of all possible jobs is one that follows Mark Trail or Smokey Bear into the great outdoors. There are thousands of global, national, and local organizations working to protect animals the world over.
A National Park Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services job could be ideal for you; however, budget cuts in these agencies are common in the ebb and flow of the political tide, and that could prove frustrating if your values clash with those of the administration in office. [For example] the funding of national parks, fish and wildlife management, and related fields decreased significantly due to a low priority given these areas during the Bush administration.
But jobs in the biggest government agencies are only one portion of the federal, state, and local government market for green jobs. Together, these three areas of government offer, by far, the largest source of jobs in the country (not all of them green, or course).
Each major federal and state agency has its own website, and virtually all of them have job listings and give guidelines for pursuing employment. Many of them also offer training and internships, which can be a good way to get started.
