So we thought we’d throw a spotlight on some of the ecologists in our UK-based team. This month, we’re finding out more about Assistant Ecologist Jed Weaver, in his own words.
“Hello! I am an Assistant Ecologist working at Baker Consultants Ltd (the 2020 CIEEM Small Consultancy Of The Year, didn’t you know?). Here’s a little background about me!
Let’s start with how I got here. I was born in 1995, into a time when environmental interest was really beginning to get traction in the mainstream media. I grew up with the likes of Natural Geographic and Sir David Attenborough’s fantastic BBC documentaries, and something flipped a switch in me. Obviously, plenty of time was dedicated to running about the place, and riding my bike into various ditches, but as I got older, I spent more and more time invested in studying nature. As a family we didn’t spend time abroad, and instead we would go camping, surrounded by the UK countryside. All of this formed the foundation of why I’m an ecologist today.
I went to Nottingham Trent University to study Ecology and Environmental Management, where I picked up my foundation knowledge that I would need to pursue a career in environmental consultancy, including species identification, survey techniques, and the understanding of relevant environmental legislation. I graduated in 2018 with 1st class honours.
In 2019 I secured my first role as a seasonal Ecologist for a large consultancy firm, where I nailed down my survey skills for amphibians, bats, and badgers. I also worked as an assistant to a PhD student, taking part in an Environment Agency project to determine the health of the UK’s chalk streams. In these roles, I picked up many useful freshwater survey techniques, as well as invertebrate identification skills.
This leads us up to 2020 and today, writing this piece. I joined Baker Consultants because I was attracted to working in a close-knit team. The Baker Consultants team provides a comfy sense of community, and their proven track record of providing professional environmental advice to a myriad of clientele means that the job is never boring. I’ve got no complaints, and I have had a fantastic time in the job. Everyone here is friendly, supportive, and they know their field better than anyone. I’ve developed my skills quicker than at any other point in my career, and look forward to developing them even further.
In my time with Baker Consultants, I have developed a particular interest and knack for Biodiversity Net Gain appraisals, which will prove invaluable as new legislation is incorporated into law in the near future. My time in this role has cemented my ambitions to become a suitably qualified and independent ecologist.”
If you are interested in joining our team, we’re always keen to hear from enthusiastic or experienced individuals seeking to forge a career in ecology, then please get in touch with Baker Consultants 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.