Job Profile

What does your job involve and what might a typical day involve?

I am responsible for the NTS property of Grey Mare’s Tail, a 922 ha upland reserve in the southwest of Scotland. My job involves a wide variety of things, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I have a programme of surveying and monitoring to follow, particularly of the rarer plants growing on the reserve such as oblong woodsia and black alpine sedge. I also keep an eye on some of the birds which breed here, including ring ouzel, black grouse and peregrine falcon. This year we will be fencing off an area of rare montane willows to protect them from browsing sheep and feral goats.

There is a lot of interaction with people as well. We have around 70,000 visitors a year, so there is plenty to do. We have a small visitor centre which houses monitors with a CCTV link to the peregrine nest. The camera is past its best before date by now so there is always something needing repair. I lead guided walks, visit local schools and give talks to anyone who is interested! Volunteers are essential to running the property, as I am the only paid member of staff. These range from folk from staying a couple of weeks to keep the peregrine eggs and young safe from thieves, locals who come back regularly, our ‘Conservation Volunteer’ teams who carry out work at NTS properties at weekends and ‘Thistle Camp’ volunteers, who are folk on working holidays at NTS properties. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me!

The most common work with the latter two groups is path maintenance. There is only about one and a half miles of managed path on the path, but with 1000’s of feet going up and down to Loch Skene, it takes a lot of looking after. I also get involved with LBAPS, steering groups, community liaison, financial reporting etc, so it’s not all wandering around the great outdoors!

As you may be able to tell, there is no such thing as a typical days work.

What qualifications and experience did you have before starting the job?

I originally did a history degree, which wasn’t really very relevant. I started working with BTCV Scotland (or SCP as it used to be known) in the summer holidays. Those were the halcyon days when students could sign on in the summer, claim housing benefit, get their fees paid and eke out a living on a grant! I spent some time on the dole and carried on doing voluntary work, then did a ‘Training for Work’ scheme with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, doing habitat surveys. I then did an Environmental Management MSc which included a placement with Edinburgh Council Ranger Service. Next Summer I got my first seasonal job with the NTS. That was 10 years ago, and after a few different jobs, here I am.

What are the best and worst bits of your job?

Last week I was searching for raven and buzzard nests in the sun with a couple of volunteers and my dog for company. It was one of those ’ I actually get paid to do this!’ moments, which happen now and then. One of the worst bits has to be picking up other people’s litter. It gets me down that some folk are so selfish. If we even can’t master a simple task like putting a bit of rubbish in the bin, what hope is there for the planet?

What satisfaction do you get from your work and how does it make a difference?

My measure of job satisfaction is how you feel when you wake up in the morning. In this job there is no such thing as a ‘Monday morning feeling’ – I usually enjoy my working days as much as my days off – sometimes more. Is it making a difference? I hope we are doing our best to protect a wonderful place and helping people to understand, enjoy and value our wilder patches of countryside.

Do you have any tips for someone looking for a career in this area?

My tip if you want to work in a job like this is to stick in. There is no doubt that the best thing is to get relevant qualification and plenty of voluntary experience. This experience needs to be varied though. For a job like this there are probably three key areas – education (try working with a local Wildlife Watch club or similar), wildlife knowledge (plenty of courses to choose from) and practical skills (try your local NTS or NT group, or BTCV).

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