Conservation can be a tough field to break into because everyone wants to work with animals--especially elephants! But many people can earn a living while still helping to preserve species and the planet's ecosystem. The great thing about working in conservation is that you sometimes get to travel to exotic locations to do your research.
You need a strong science background, so one piece of advice as you move through your school grades is to read as much about science as you can and take as many science classes as you can. You also need to stay physically fit. It's important to exercise and keep up your stamina level so you can endure long hours in the field.
There are many different ways to be an explorer as a scientist, too. You can study specific species like I do, or you can study overall systems in specific places, like being a marine biologist. You could also be a botanist and study mainly plants or get really specific and focus on things like turtles or other species. The great thing about being a conservationist is that most of the time you get to do a mix of all these things.
For myself, I really wanted to work with elephants, so you have to seek out the people that already work in those areas and try to make connections. I got lucky and found a mentor in nearby Kentucky who was looking for a student for a project in his lab.
