Dylan Thomas and his wife, Hannah, pose with their bird dogs.
Dylan Thomas had a change of heart during his undergraduate career at Auburn University. A new hobby led him to experience his true passion: outdoor recreation and bird dogs. With this newfound purpose brought adventures, expertise and a new career path within the outdoor recreation industry. As a graduate of Auburn’s Wildlife Enterprise Management (WLEM) major, Thomas now returns to his alma mater to shepherd the next generation of wildlife enterprise professionals.
Man’s best friend
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Thomas would spend his childhood summers escaping the metropolitan scene to New Hampshire, where he enjoyed fishing, hiking and adventuring through the abundant forests and waterways. However, Thomas and his family were never alone on these treks.
“Dogs have always been a big part of our family,” Thomas said. “We have never been without at least one family dog. When our extended family got together at the lake house in New Hampshire, everyone and all their dogs would be hanging out doing various activities all day. Those are some of my fondest memories.”
After arriving on the Plains to begin college, Thomas found himself missing the family dog and longing for a four-legged companion of his own. Feeling a pull strong enough to defy his parents’ wishes at the time, he researched breeders and adopted a new furry friend to fill the void.
Dylan Thomas works with Shiner, one of his prized bird dogs.
“I did not know it at the time, but that pup I brought back to my apartment changed the trajectory of my life—spiritually, academically and professionally,” Thomas said. “She opened a whole outdoor recreation world which I had not seen before, but immediately became infatuated with. She was the reason I switched my major at Auburn to WLEM. She provided professional opportunities I would not have gained on my own, such as guiding upland waterfowl hunts and private wing-shooting experiences for industry events. Above all, she gave me purpose and clarity during a time when most college students are searching for what they want to do with their lives.”
Just like that, Thomas was hooked on a new career path, willing to do whatever it took to succeed and expand his professional horizons. He turned to wildlife recreation as his purpose and found the perfect home at Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE).
New career, new opportunities
Thomas was drawn to the WLEM program at Auburn to learn how to make his new passion a career. Soon after transitioning to the major, he knew he had found a degree path that would provide the essential knowledge and future connections necessary to break into the outdoor industry. Courses such as Hunting and Fishing the World, Wildlife Enterprise Field Techniques and Advanced Wildlife Enterprise Management would provide the skills and expertise to make his dream a reality.
Upon graduating from Auburn’s WLEM program in 2021 with a minor in business, Thomas continued gaining industry experience working for outdoor companies such as Orvis and Diamond Bird Dogs LLC. These positions gave him the opportunities to lead upland guided hunts, train dogs, coordinate shooting clay events and host his own outdoors show focused on wing shooting sports.
Building on these experiences, Thomas began a new role as an Auburn University professor of practice in January, where he can now give back to other WLEM students by providing the unique guidance only a WLEM alumnus can offer.
“I have held several different roles within the industry,” Thomas said. “Now I have the opportunity here at Auburn to step back, recognize the big picture and help students and graduates navigate a path to their own career success through my experience, knowledge and growing network of connections.”
Shepherding the next generation
Just as Thomas leads a hunter to their prize, he aims to shepherd his students in a similar philosophy—training them to strategize every aspect of the field to achieve their end goal. He defines this plan in his teaching philosophy, which includes a commitment to student success through dynamic learning.
“I believe the mixture of lectures, demonstrations and gaining hands-on experience with that knowledge will position students to thrive in the future,” Thomas said. “For them to develop the skills and build the confidence to apply our teaching, they need to gain experience firsthand through not only our facilitation of interactive activities, but also work opportunities in which they see wildlife management, hospitality and business overlap.”
Finding and communicating these work opportunities for students is Thomas’s highest priority.
Utilizing CFWE’s 6,000+ acres of learning facilities is part of his plan to incorporate hands-on, field-based teaching at locations such as Crooked Oaks and the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest. Transferring the practical and critical thinking skills obtained from classroom lectures to the field will be imperative for graduating top-tier WLEM students.
Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE, shares his excitement about Thomas’ addition to the program.
“Dylan brings an energy and authenticity to the WLEM program that is impossible to teach,” said Alavalapati. “His industry experience, passion for outdoor recreation and commitment to mentoring students make him an invaluable addition to our college. He understands our students because he was one of them, and that perspective will help shape the next generation of leaders in the outdoor enterprise field.”
Paying it Forward
As with many other undergraduate programs in the CFWE, the WLEM major is popular for its camaraderie among people with common interests in their field of study. Because of this shared passion, Thomas feels the faculty are particularly adept at fostering student opportunities and ultimately their success.
“The industry is booming right now,” Thomas said. “There is a lot of money being spent both at commercial and private outdoor recreation properties, which is creating a lot of opportunity for graduates. It is also where the challenges come into play. It is seemingly harder and harder for these operations to hire skilled, trained and professional individuals, and that is where Auburn’s program shines. The breadth of the CFWE major includes courses in wildlife management, business and hospitality to train future leaders of the outdoor industry.”
Thomas is currently growing a network of companies and individuals who are invested in WLEM students’ professional growth. He hopes to maintain these relationships to continue coordinating every possible opportunity on campus and beyond for students and alumni.
“My goal is for the WLEM program to continue to be recognized as best-in-class for producing multi-faceted professionals skilled at serving the diverse and unique needs of the outdoor industry,” Thomas said. “Students should feel confident they can turn their passion into a career by taking the appropriate steps. For those who want to tackle the challenge of entrepreneurship, I want them to feel prepared enough to take the leap and start their own business.”
After half a decade removed from the program, Thomas is now poised to take his career back to where it all started: the beginning. By mentoring and sharing the knowledge and on-the-job experience he has gained with Auburn students, he hopes to impact their lives and early careers in ways that pay it forward.
“I hope students never hesitate to approach me looking for assistance. Coming through this same program, I know how impactful the right guidance can be. I want to be known for giving the maximum effort to help students succeed.”
