My colleague at Baker Consultants, Jonathan Jones, is currently working on a project in the south of England, and it’s a real hotspot for reptiles. I’ve been fortunate enough to support him on the project, placing reptile mats back in August and conducting my first survey in early September. It was incredibly rewarding to uncover numerous juvenile slow-worms (anguis fragilis) and common lizards (zootoca vivpara), which is a sign of healthy breeding on-site. Discovering so much in a single day made the long journey more than worthwhile!
Mid-September brought a brief change of scenery as I travelled to Italy with my partner. We explored the beautiful cities of Verona, Florence and Lake Garda. It was during a magical dinner in Lake Garda that I found the perfect moment to propose – and she said yes! The trip was unforgettable, filled with special moments and my first-ever wine tasting at an organic vineyard.
Reality set back in when I returned home, but it wasn’t long before I was back in the field. My first stop was Cambridgeshire, where I had the task of ‘listening to the soil’. It’s always fun eavesdropping on worms and other soil fauna – just one of the many reasons I love what I do!
To top off a memorable month, I’m thrilled to share that, after two years of hard work, I’ve been awarded my MSc in Land and Ecological Restoration. I’ve had an amazing time studying alongside brilliant classmates and lecturers at The Cornwall College Group (Eden Project Learning). I’m looking forward to celebrating with everyone in Truro soon.
I can’t wait to see what next month brings, both in the field and beyond!
The Baker Consultants team is highly experienced and we are passionate about what we do. If you need advice related to ecology, surveys or conservation, then please get in touch with us via our contact form on the website, or you can call us on +44 (0)1629 593958 or email us on info@bakerconsultants.co.uk