Ecological Consultancy

Nature Conservation through the Private Sector

Peter Lawrence BSc MSc MCIEEM

peter.lawrence@landuse.co.uk

Ecological Consultancy - Nature Conservation through the Private Sector

• Intro to LUC and me

• What is Ecological Consultancy, what does it involve?

• How to get in to Ecological Consultancy?

About LUC

• One of the UK’s first Environmental Consultancies

• Operational across the UK with offices in London, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Key services include Ecology, Environmental Planning, Landscape Design, Landscape Management and Digital Design

• Routinely attracts and delivers complex and high profile projects, often winning awards for our outputs

• 100 technical staff across the UK

• www.landuse.co.uk

My route in to consultancy

• Always loved wildlife and being outdoors

• Couple of gap years – travelling; temping; landscape gardening; volunteering

• BSc Biology and Geography, Bristol 2000; MSc Conservation, UCL 2002

• 2002 assistant at small Ecological Consultancy; 2003 first ecologist role at even smaller Ecological Consultancy!

• 2006 Senior Ecologist at LUC; now Associate Director and head up the London Ecology Team

Private Sector Jobs

• Private consultancy

• ‘in-house’:

• Construction contractors

• Utility / transport

What Does a Consultant Do?

Key role supporting the planning system for planning applications:

• Ecological surveys;

• Reporting and assessing;

• Liaising and consulting;

• Design input;

• Delivering mitigation and enhancement.

Also provide advice to councils, regulators, and landowners/managers

Ecological consultants must be objective and independent at all times!

So What Does That Mean?- The Pros

No two days are the same;

• One day considering the impact of a school renovation on a bat roost; the next considering the best way to restore upland blanket bog within a wind farm site.

• We go to amazing sites all over the country to look for plants and animals, whilst applying the most up-to-date survey techniques available.

• When a proposed development has the potential to impact a site’s ecological features, we have a real opportunity to protect and enhance biodiversity

So What Does That Mean?– The Cons

• Surveys can be anti-social and physically demanding;

• For every great site, there’s a horrible site;

• Your are often telling your client what they don’t want to hear;

• Consultants are subject to commercial pressures – time is money! We have to manage large portfolios and work to very tight deadlines

The Olympic Park - Challenging…..

• Light-industrial / warehouses, polluted, derelict, not the most ‘welcoming’!

• Urban wildlife found in unusual situations - including invertebrates, kingfisher, black redstart, sand martin, and common lizard.

• Not much room for mitigation during construction.

• Quite a strict deadline, significant time pressure!

…but rewarding!

• Thorough ecological surveys, got to know East London very well!

• Innovative mitigation - nest towers for sand martin and brownfield habitat.

• Part of something very big!

Getting a Job in Ecological Consultancy

The skills gap

• Do you know how to survey for badgers or bats,

or to identify common plants?

• Do you know the legislation that protects wildlife

in the UK, or how the planning system works?

Practical experience is key

• Are you a member of a local interest group? RSPB, Badger Group, Bat Group, Wildlife Trust? All of these groups provide training and experience in exactly the sort of skills employers are looking for and demonstrate enthusiasm

Join CIEEM

• Almost all employers now expect a membership of CIEEM. Being a student member shows enthusiasm and a proactive approach.

About CIEEM

• UK’s professional body for ecologists and environmental managers with over 5000 members;

• Acts as a peer review and qualifying body (MCIEEM, CEnv etc);

• Provides training, conferences and promotes best practice;

• Has a strong resource base for students and graduates, providing support in career development.

Getting a Job in Ecological Consultancy

• Spend time on your CV/covering letter and read it carefully before sending it;

• Take time to research prospective employers (e.g. CIEEM website; company website);

• Get contact names for the people you wish to send your CV to.

• Speculative CVs ARE worth it;

• Don’t embellish your CV, too much. Employers don’t expect you to be a National expert, just to have a basic grounding and a track record of commitment;

• If you’re invited to meet employers, dress professionally and be on time!

• Hang in there! It is competitive to get in, but once in it can be very rewarding!