My wild job
Photo: Daisy Huxter
Daisy Huxter – BACM Project Ecologist How did you first get involved with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust? I first got involved with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust through a traineeship last year, during which I assisted Wiltshire and Avon Wildlife Trusts in the collection of baseline survey data for potential Biodiversity Net Gain sites. When the traineeship ended, I briefly worked for an environmental consultancy, undertaking protected species surveys all over the country, including bats, otters, water voles and Great Crested Newts. When a position on the Nature Recovery Team as a Project Ecologist came up at the Trust, it was too good an opportunity to miss. What does an average day as a Project Ecologist look like? The role can vary a lot from day to day and month to month. The Nature Recovery Team provide an advisory service to organisations or individuals within Wiltshire looking to manage their land in a way that is more beneficial to the
environment. We also undertake species-specific surveys, for example, we recently completed a bat transect survey at our new nature reserve, Great Wood. You can sometimes find me with my head down staring at a quadrat (one-square-meter sections of habitat), collecting data on plant species. I can also be found at my desk writing reports and mapping habitat parcels. I also meet with landholders within the Bristol Avon catchment area to scope out their sites for potential nature-based projects to enter into the Bristol Avon Catchment Market (BACM)*. What do you like best about your job? I am really proud to be working for such a respected wildlife charity alongside a team of incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable people. My favourite aspects of the role include the continuous opportunity to learn and develop, getting to spend time in nature, and mentoring our trainees by helping to equip them with the skills required for a career in conservation. I am also proud to be helping to drive positive change, not only in Wiltshire but further afield.
Look out for the latest job opportunities at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust at: www.wiltshirewildlife.org /jobs
Photo: Surveying at Great Wood
In this regular feature, we take you behind the scenes to meet some of the wonderful staff that work at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, each doing their part to help the Trust achieve its vision of a sustainable future for wildlife and people. How do you live sustainably? I try to live more sustainably by growing my own fruit and veg. In my free time, I am one of the directors of a not-for-profit called Got Greens. We are a small-scale regenerative farm project that aims to encourage others to grow their own food and to live more sustainably. I have opted for reusable and refillable toiletries and cleaning products in my home and try to bulk buy where possible to cut down on plastics. I like to make my own gifts and birthday cards for friends and family, and avoid fast fashion purchases. *The Bristol Avon Catchment Market (BACM) The BACM was established in 2021 as a collaboration between Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Avon Wildlife Trust and EnTrade, in preparation for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) becoming a mandatory part of the planning system in England, now confirmed from January 2024. The rules are designed to ensure developers leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before. The market is funded by the Government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund, developed by Defra and delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Autumn/Winter 2023 Wiltshire Wildlife 19
