You can start now: Boundary spanning for graduate students

If you are a student, there are no boundaries! Professionals in academic science, policy, and the non-profit and private sectors understand that you are still in training, and are (perhaps to your surprise) generally interested in engaging. Use your status as someone not yet in a “camp” to understand how your graduate work might be co-developed with beneficiaries, applied to help improve natural resource management, or translated for diverse audiences. Doing so might connect you with a future advisor, boss, or interested friend. At the very least, it will extend the impact of your work beyond that of academic journals.