Changing Career into Ecology and Conservation

Changing careers is always daunting; no matter how sure you feel, there is always that voice in your head saying, ‘you might end up hating it, this is a mistake’. I was hearing it earlier in the summer when I left my job in publishing to go back to university and study Ecology and Conservation. I decided to throw myself in at the deep end and (hopefully) prove that voice wrong by spending two weeks as a Research Assistant at Knepp, completely immersing myself in the path that I had chosen. I was incredibly excited, but of course that pesky voice decided to pipe up with some questions. ‘Am I fit enough?’ ‘Do I know enough?’ ‘Will I even enjoy doing so many surveys?’ Spoiler alert, I absolutely loved every second of it.

Photo by Amira Nuseibeh

The first question, ‘am I fit enough?’, was a reasonable one; going from a sedentary desk job to hiking around a rewilding site was a daunting thought. Luckily, it was resolved on the first day with a rewilding safari in the morning and the large mammal survey in the afternoon. It was about 10 miles of walking across the site, searching for the wonders that Knepp has to offer. The aches in my feet were instantly forgotten when we saw a turtle dove perched on a tree branch. The cramps in my shoulders were a distant memory when I was soaking up the knowledge of Fiona, the mammal expert. Unfortunately, they were all remembered when I got into my tent late at night, but it actually worked in my favour to give me one of the best night’s sleep I’d had in a long time. The spacious tents and morning wakeup call of gentle birdsong rather than city traffic helped too! In all honesty, I could have been a bit fitter when I went to Knepp, but the excitement of the site gave me the energy to enjoy every moment. I left Knepp feeling fitter than I have done in a long time, even with the blister on my toe.

Photo by Jake Turton

The second question, ‘do I know enough?’ turned out to be the wrong question entirely. I should have been asking myself ‘am I ready to learn?’ and the answer to that was ‘hell yeah!’ I became our team scribe with my trusty notebook, scribbling down every bit of knowledge I could. This included every bird that we saw, which was very helpful for Amira’s bird log at the end of each day. By the end of the second week, I was identifying lesser centaury and scarlet pimpernel without a second thought. I was surrounded by people who knew so much about so many different things, both staff and other research assistants. My catchphrase became ‘Mandy, what’s that bird?’ and any moth related questions went straight to Max. I left Knepp knowing so much more than when I arrived and my enthusiasm for learning has tripled by being surrounded by people who are equally as enthusiastic about ecology as I am.

Photo by Eva Basnett

‘Will I enjoy doing so many surveys?’ was a valid question and, to be completely honest, by the end of the second week there were times when I was feeling pretty tired and getting the energy to get up and go was a bit difficult. But every time I got up and went anyway, I saw or learnt something that ignited my interest. The days gave me energy rather than taking it away, completely different from the old office job! Even the surveys that I didn’t think I would enjoy were really fun. Inverts are not really my thing, but I loved my day sitting at a pondside, going through keys to identify the family of a dragonfly nymph. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they were cute, like the expert Ellen did, but I definitely gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for our invertebrate friends.

Photo by Elen Griffith

This experience was hands down the best thing I could have done after leaving my job and needless to say, I have a lot less worries about the new career path I have chosen. The surveys were great, being immersed in such an iconic project was unforgettable, and my practical skills have increased immensely. But the thing that made the biggest difference was the people. Being surrounded by friends who wholeheartedly shared my passion was a new experience for me. I will never forget walking back to the stretch tent and seeing Adam run in to say there was a red deer visible from the tree platform. Everyone silently ran over there to get a look and there was a collective moment of breathlessness as we took it in. I know that not every day will be as action packed and exciting as it was at Knepp, but I hope to have so many more of those breathless moments in my future and I know I am on the right path to get them. I highly recommend going to Knepp, even if it is just to silence the voice and give yourself the peace of mind that I now have.

Title photo by Fran Anderson