Lloyd’s First Year In Ecology

Lloyd Wyatt (pictured left) joined Brindle & Green as a seasonal field ecologist in early spring 2022 and very quickly went on to secure a full time permanent position within B&G’s ecology team. With a young family and an established career in the NHS, this was a brave and bold move and a huge career change for Lloyd. Thankfully for him and us it is a move that has been hugely positive. Lloyd has become a very much liked, trustworthy, conscientious and valued member of the firm.

In his own words, Lloyd writes about his experience of his first year in the ecology industry and working with Brindle & Green.

At first, I struggled when writing about a typical day at work. As a graduate ecologist at Brindle & Green, I’m lucky enough to work on a wide range of exciting projects across many settings that require various ecological inputs or surveys, so there is no such thing as a typical day in my job. However, one common theme is being out and about in nature, regardless of the weather, and getting to experience wildlife in incredible places with genuinely passionate people.

Every day is a chance for a new adventure.

The typical ecological season lasts from March to October, with May, June, and July being the busiest months. Although various surveys will be conducted at different times of the year, the timing depends on the species and the project’s requirements.

From April through June, Great Crested Newt (GCN) surveys are conducted in ponds near planned development locations and utilise survey methods such as bottle trapping, torching, egg case searching, or eDNA surveys. When I made the career switch to ecology from the NHS, I started as a seasonal field ecologist, and my first survey was for GCN. I enjoyed the hands-on practicality of the bottle-trapping survey method, and the excitement of checking the traps the following morning was terrific.

The bat season lasts from May to September and consists primarily of dawn and dusk bat surveys. It takes some getting used to, but seeing foraging or commuting bats flying just overhead, coupled with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, is well worth the early mornings and late evenings.

There is no doubt about it my first survey season was challenging and sometimes even exhausting. Still, Brindle & Green, as a company, and especially my managers in the ecology team, made sure the interests of myself and my colleagues were always prioritised.

Since then, I’ve gone on to become a permanent member of the team and had the opportunity to gain skills in all aspects of modern ecology. Writing reports, producing maps and working on Biodiversity Net Gain calculations, all the while acquiring knowledge, experience and support from my incredibly knowledgeable peers.