Rebecca May, Ecological Assistant Trainee with Warwickshire County Council

Having been brought up in the countryside, Rebecca has always loved the natural world and had always planned to work for the environment. However, having gained a geography degree, she struggled to find employment in the sector, despite many applications, and in the end she accepted a job as an editor in a publishing company where she worked for the next 5 years. 

However she became increasingly dissatisfied that she’d strayed so far from the environmental path and decided to start volunteering one day a week at a local RSPB Reserve. This was a turning point for her as she met lots of inspiring people who encouraged her to pursue a conservation-based career.  Whilst volunteering, she came across an advert for the LEMUR project and decided that its combination of training and on-the-job experience was exactly the boost she needed to launch her environmental career.  

Rebecca successfully went on to secure a permanent post with Warwickshire County Council first as an Assistant Ecologist and subsequently as Ecologist.

Lewis Goldwater, Nature Reserves Trainee with Herefordshire Nature Trust

Lewis undertook a degree in aeronautical engineering and he spent 10 years working in the defence industry, first designing computerised missile launchers and then submarines. He has also been a volunteer working with BTCV all over England, on many of the islands of Scotland, and abroad. He has worked with many other environmental organisations, wherever he lived from local community groups, the National Trust, National Park, Local Authorities, even multi-national defence companies. He went on to train and worked as a qualified ranger with the Peak District National Park Authority for two years.

He moved from Derbyshire to Herefordshire and spent a year volunteering with the Herefordshire Nature Trust and Natural England restoring vulnerable moorlands, measuring footpaths and measuring ancient trees. Up until this point, he found that he was being turned down for the types of jobs he wanted because he lacked key skills that the industry expected. In spite of studying part time towards a degree qualification in Environmental Science, he felt that even this was not enough for potential employers who wanted to see evidence of experience and competence. 

He was accepted on the LEMUR project in March 2007 as a heritage bursary trainee, working for the Herefordshire Nature Trust.

His 9 month placement involved him working full time in the Reserves department with the Nature Trust, gaining valuable training, on-the-job experience and evidence towards a vocational qualification to present for any future employers.  The work was focussed on understanding how nature reserves and the wider environment is managed to enhance their conservation value.  A lot of his work involved carrying out surveys of habitats and species, such as dormice, reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians.  He was also involved with practical work on Nature Reserves and helped to organise volunteer work parties over the remainder of the year.

At the end of LEMUR Lewis accepted a full-time paid position with Natural England as an Estate Worker on their Worcester and Herefordshire National Nature Reserves.

Paul Evison, Conservation Skills Trainee, Sheffield Wildlife Trust

"I studied physical geography at Manchester Metropolitan University, graduating in 2004. I did get a month’s placement as a part of that but I emerged with a vast gap to fill before I could secure a conservation job. I worked as a part-time ranger with the Peak District National Park; the bursary has enabled me to fulfil a leadership role in charge of a team of volunteers – co-ordinating their work across several of Sheffield Wildlife Trust’s reserves and gaining important skills myself including species recognition and such traditional crafts such as dry stone walling and hedge laying. It has been brilliant with the additional reward that I have now secured a job with Wentworth Castle Gardens. I think the origins of this enthusiasm for the outdoors lies with my gran who used to take me out on long walks into the Peak District from our home in Chesterfield."

Catherine Haynes, Ecological Assistant Trainee

"20 years ago I went to agricultural college, but work subsequently took me away from the outdoors. I set up and ran a secretarial/administrative service for farms for fifteen years and although it catered to the rural community, it was office based. When my youngest child started at school, I decided to go back to college taking a first class hons. degree in environmental science at Coventy University. I supposed that with a good degree I would be marketable, but soon discovered how limited my practical knowledge was. Yes – we did some field work, identifying species in a grid, but it was very restricted. My lecturer advised that I seek volunteer work which I did with the Farm Wildlife Advisory Group, but then I spotted the Lemur/HLF bursaries. I am attached to Warwickshire County Council playing a part in the vetting of planning applications and their likely impact on bio-diversity. I have had the opportunity to work alongside specialists – building my knowledge of everything from species identification to planning law. Much of Warwickshire was surveyed about ten years ago, but much has changed particularly on the urban fringe. It is a shame that the bursary only ran for nine-months, as the next cohort will get out into the field in the best season – the spring. I suppose the highlight for me of this kind of work is being out in the field, surrounded by nature and feeling that I am a part of the process that is ensuring the countryside survives for the next generation."

Tom Newman, Woodland Heritage Skills trainee, Sheffield

Tom started his journey into nature conservation from scratch after having jettisoned a degree in audio and visual production at the end of his first year.  He chose conservation because he enjoys being outdoors and loves the natural world.  Nor could he bear the prospect of being stuck in front of a computer all day long.  

Upon returning to Sheffield from university, he began volunteering with the Sheffield City Council Ranger Service. During this period he found it difficult to achieve his goals and he has had to work very hard to get into the position he was then in, but he believed it would all be worthwhile once he succeeded in getting a ranger job. 

“The problem with conservation is that it is very difficult to get a paid job. You really have to give up some time for free as a volunteer, which can be difficult. I had to balance an evening job and volunteering which I found stressful due to the lack of sleep. I personally feel that if I had a degree then perhaps it would be easier to get a job, although practical experience is also required.”

 “I think that I have been very lucky so far during my time trying to get into conservation. I firstly had a good experience volunteering with the Ranger Service who have been very supportive. I then spent a fantastic nine months working towards an NVQ at level 2 in Environmental Conservation and even before I had finished the course I was accepted onto the bursary scheme.”

He went on to gain employment as a Countryside Ranger. 

Anna Marie Murray, Heritage Education trainee, Sheffield

Geography was always Anna Marie’s favourite subject at school as she enjoyed learning about natural processes and the environment around her, and living in Northern Ireland there was always lots of open spaces and natural heritage sites to explore. She continued her enthusiasm for the outdoors into her university career where she gained a BSc in Geography.

While she had always wanted to work in the environmental sector she was never quite sure exactly what she wanted to do so she went on environmental working holidays and searching the job pages to find that perfect job. After graduating, the broad scope of her BSc left her even more confused about her next step and with no working experience in the environmental sector, she decided to complete an MSc in Rural Development and Project Management. She hoped this would allow her to specialise in the area of environmental sustainability. The course had the added bonus of having a 12 week work placement which would enable her to gain that vital experience which she discovered was an essential criteria for entering the environmental sector.

Her turning point was undertaking a 12 week work placement while during her MSc at a Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in County Down. However even though she was working within the environmental sector, the office based environment she was confined to was not what she had expected. This all changed when she was asked to go out with some school groups on their visits around the site.  She had never considered working with children before but the enjoyment and satisfaction the role brought, when she could observe how much the children enjoyed being outdoors, made her realise that this was the type of job she would love to continue doing.

She had the relevant qualifications but unfortunately not the experience that many of the permanent jobs in the sector were looking for, and after 4 years at university and a massive accumulating debt, gaining experience through volunteering was unfortunately not an option.

To make ends meet Anna Marie had to take on an office job with the local education authority while she continued to scour the job pages for a job in conservation.  However this sector remains quite small in Northern Ireland with jobs being far and few in between and for the jobs that did appear, the experience required was well beyond the twelve weeks that her MSc provided. 

“After nearly a year it became clear to me that I would have to leave my 'wee country' to gain the experience needed for the career I wished to follow.  So when I saw the Lemur placements advertised, I decided it was the best opportunity to gain that valuable experience within the sector, even though it did mean moving to a new city on my own, all within the space of two weeks of receiving the job!  The Lemur placement has provided me with the skills, confidence and experience to pursue a career within the environmental sector in the role of Environmental Education Officer, something which my university career failed to provide."

Helen Lloyd, Biodiversity Skills trainee, Sheffield

Helen first stumbled across a website titled ’Can you see yourself working outdoors?’ and the answer was a resounding yes!  She rang up the Sheffield Wildlife Trust to enquire about the volunteer positions which were being advertised and she hasn’t looked back since.

She has a degree in Physical Geography. She has always loved the outdoors and working within the conservation sector allows her to combine her interest with a day to day job.  However the main barrier she has faced in trying to break into the sector has been acquiring the sufficient amount of experience needed in order to get a job. The types of jobs she is looking for also present a challenge as they are mainly seasonal and/or part-time.

A definite turning point for Helen has been securing the LEMUR bursary position which has helped build her confidence and range of experience. She hopes to gain a full-time job in the environmental industry so that her job isn’t just a job, but is something that she loves doing.

Louisa Medland, Nature Reserves trainee, Herefordshire

While at school Louisa liked spending time in the countryside and liked animals but was discouraged from following a career in these areas of work by the Careers Adviser because of the lack of opportunities, competition for jobs and low pay.  However she didn’t realise then that they had a limited knowledge about the career routes available as they could only suggest manual farm work/animal care or veterinary sciences.

Four years later having studied the wrong subjects and started an administrative job, Louisa undertook an A Level Environmental Science evening course which she found really interesting and which gave her the incentive to change career direction.

She next decided to leave full-time employment and returned to education to study for a degree in Environmental Science. Even though it was a risk she felt compelled to turn her attentions to something she was really interested in and found rewarding but she soon discovered that she still did not have the right skills to enter the environmental sector.

She spent a year applying for jobs within conservation whilst working in temporary roles. The area she wanted to work in most was conservation or ecology but realised that her degree course had not been geared up for this type of work and that the theoretical knowledge she had gained was not much use without the practical experience.   

It was whilst searching for jobs that she came across the LEMUR advert. “The LEMUR scheme has given me a wealth of experience from working within a conservation organisation and from training in species ID and survey techniques. It is these specific skills that are so difficult to gain and are what many employers are looking for.  Now that I am nearing the end of the LEMUR scheme I feel I am much closer to reaching my aspirations and entering a career in ecology or conservation. Already I can see that I am much more suited to the job roles I am applying for than I was six months ago and am sure the extra skills I have gained will put me a step ahead”.

Bernadette Noake

It was during her time at university where she studied Environmental Management that Bernadette decided that she wanted to work within nature conservation.  She volunteered during the summer holidays at Cumbria Wildlife Trust and with the National Trust in Wasdale and Ennerdale in the Lake District, where she carried out practical countryside management tasks and visitor surveys.

However she soon realised while looking for jobs in her last year at university, that most jobs required at least two years experience and a range of skills that university had not taught her. She graduated in June 2006 and within four weeks gained a place on the LEMUR project. 

“The LEMUR project has been a major turning point in my life. The placement has been ideal as it combines basic essential training with practical on the job experience.  It would have taken me much longer to develop the knowledge and range of skills that I have acquired in just seven months if I not been fortunate enough to have been accepted onto the scheme”.

I chose nature conservation as I have always spent a lot of time outdoors and after learning about the environment at university it seemed like it was very important that I work towards protecting and improving it. I find nature fascinating and I feel very passionate about helping and protecting it.
 
In the short term she wishes to secure a job undertaking surveys or in site management.  Her long term aspirations are to become a Reserves Manager and/or to work in environmental education.

Jayne Evans, Marine Environmental Education trainee, Devon

As a graduate with a degree in Biology and Geography, Jayne has always had an interest in nature conservation and ecology.  After graduation she spent a year living and working in Vancouver, Canada, where she volunteered in her spare time at the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Centre.  In this role she was able to interact with the public on a wide range of marine issues which helped to deepen her interest in conservation.

On return to England she began searching for relevant work in the field but without full-time work experience or a Masters degree she found there were many barriers to employment.  She was considering studying for a Masters when she found the LEMUR Marine Environmental Education position advertised which was exactly what she had been looking for.

On completion of this placement she hopes to continue working in the field, however her realisation that the environmental education sector relies largely on voluntary work rather than paid employment.  This is also a very competitive sector, particularly here in the south-west where there is a large concentration of marine conservationists competing for jobs.

Liam Prior, Coastal Heritage trainee, Devon

Liam graduated from university eighteen months ago having obtained a degree in Environment, Ecology and Economics, and it was his experience of volunteering in Malaysia that made him realise that he didn’t have to sit behind a desk and could carry out conservation work for a living. 

His reasons for wanting to work in nature conservation are many: he enjoys the work which he finds interesting, can see what he’s achieved at the end of the day, and feels that the work he is doing is useful and that he is making a difference (something he hadn't felt in any other jobs). It also provides an opportunity of meeting and working with friendly and other like-minded people.

However he found that his lack of experience meant it was really hard to get a job and volunteering would have been his only way into the sector until he came across the LEMUR project which provided a great opportunity to gain the on the job experience and relevant qualifications.

He aspires to use the Lemur project as a platform to eventually have a career in the environment sector and to see more of the world while hopefully working at the same time.