We spoke to Sam Shove, our Technical Director of Ecology, about whether you can maximise both impact and personal progression in ecology.
As ecologists, we want to make a positive difference in the world. We want to show those who don’t know that protecting and enhancing ecological features is not only possible but possible alongside the development and growth targeted by our clients. But we also want to grow and develop ourselves, to have a sense of personal and professional fulfillment, and to be challenging ourselves, our knowledge, and our skills.
But is it even possible to have both? Can we have a positive impact in the sector without sacrificing our own progression?
Happily, the short answer is yes. The one is not contrary to the other but in fact they are almost interdependent as by developing and expanding our knowledge and skills, we create the opportunities to have a more widespread and bigger positive impacts.
First off, for those just starting out in ecological consultancy, it can feel like your barely treading water in a sector packed full of people who know more and know better. And you would be at least partly right. But we got here the same way you will, one plant, one habitat, one species, and one mistake at a time. Those first years of ecological consultancy will naturally focus on creating the foundational practical knowledge and experience that applies the theories learnt through your years of education, building the framework from which everything else will follow. This includes heading into the world of species identification, from plants to palmates, bats to badgers. This can seem a daunting task, and it is until you break it down and focus in on those more sensitive and vulnerable species that can be used as a guide species for indicating the ecological value of a site. And so starts the ripple that leads to making a difference even in your earliest years. Spotting that badger sett, identifying that indicator plant species, gives those in charge the information needed to implement the measures that will protect and enhance those and other features. This is also where you have the chance to continue your own development by getting involved and eavesdropping on those meetings and discussions where plans are discussed and decisions are made, working to understand how they are made, what works, when and why, getting you ready to make these decisions yourself in future and to educate others both inside and outside the sector.
After the first few years building that foundation, absorbing as much information as you can and building that framework then the next steps often leads to some form of survey licence or licences. These are the first of many opportunities available to get independent confirmation of your progress and skill level as an ecologist and in taking those first steps into carrying responsibilities around animal welfare, good practice, and legal requirements. After two years of holding such licences, they also offer the opportunity for you to support your ecology friends and colleagues in achieving the level needed to obtain their own as once licenced for long enough you can train and provide references for others. Holding and experiencing holding survey licences also helps build towards being able to enter the realm of impact identification and assessment (not a necessity but helps).
This part of ecological consultancy needs that strong foundation of identification combined with the biological and ecological knowledge of individual or grouped ecological features and the application of this to project proposals. This is one of the most challenging parts of ecological consultancy and is an area that you will develop and expand for the rest of your career as you come across different projects, scenarios, challenges, and assessment types. But every single one will have opportunities to not only ‘just mitigate’ but to identify and develop potential areas of enhancement and added value. This is the part of our role that not only offers the greatest scope for challenges but also the greatest scope for making positive changes and having a positive impact, not only ecologically but also providing benefits for sustainability, site users, local communities, and future management requirements and costs (this last one is always received well).
After several years building and expanding your knowledge and experience in ecological assessment, potentially even adding species mitigation licences and/or moving into more specialized areas of ecology, you can find yourself in the position where you can significantly give back to the sector and make a positive impact to and through those coming behind (or even those ahead of you in career terms). These opportunities can take many forms ranging from informal/ on the job training as you head out on site with those less experienced than you, internal training workshops looking at specific habitats/species/skills, or running formal training courses either within your own companies or working with external providers, such as CIEEM. All of this allows you to share the weather of knowledge and experience you have acquired over the years, not just technically but also those transferrable soft skills such as communication skills, people management, or conflict resolution, all of which are invaluable and contribute to the growth of those less experienced than yourself, saving them the stress and pressure of learning the ‘hard way’.
At every stage of your career as an ecologist, professional memberships can also be a great tool for not only recognizing your own development as an ecologist but also offers opportunities to get involved with national and local consultations, especially on policy and legislation changes where the weight of the organization and its members can have a bigger impact than that of each member taking action individually (although both are better). These organizations also provide platforms for its members to support and mentor each other giving you the chance to learn and benefit from a wider range of experiences but also for you to share your own experiences and support those who can benefit from these.
So, how does this duality work in practice? After two decades balancing the two, I can honestly say that while it is rarely easy, it is incredibly rewarding when you see the fruits of your efforts start to take effect. For example, I have worked on a project in the Forest of Dean for 12 years and while it has been a long a difficult process juggling ecological needs and client requirements, the resultant mitigation has exceeded expectations removing conifer plantation in favour of currently developing broadleaved woodland, established open grassland, and creating 4 new ponds, all of which provides habitat replacement and enhancement for dormice, great crested newts, and bats, as well as a plethora of other common and protected species. As one of the most complex projects I’ve worked on during my career, this project helped me develop the skills, resilience, and confidence to advocate for what I know to be the right options and best opportunities to mitigate and benefit ecology while achieving client goals and career progression. Without this project I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with and learn from industry experts, to push myself beyond my comfort zone, or to develop into the ecologist I am today. I also wouldn’t have recognised what I was capable of then and how all the little wins I had achieved added up to being able to step into such a project and push past what I thought I could do and the impact I could have. So take the wins and positive impacts, however big or small and remember to reflect on your cumulative impact, not just the individual ones.
