Olwen Belgrove
What employment sector do you work in?
NGO Sector
How long have you had a green job for nature?
3.5 years
Please describe the work that you do.
I am a project officer on a seascape-scale habitat restoration project at the Zoological Society of London. Initially, in my role I have been helping to create a restoration plan across the Thames Estuary, this includes selecting restoration sites and methods, working with stakeholders, identifying challenges and much more. Now that our plan is almost complete my time will be divided between fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, future planning and logistics.
What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes?
I like the diversity of work that I get to be involved with. I work across six coastal marine habitats and two counties. I have also had opportunities to learn about barriers to restoration, policy, sustainable finance, and science communication. Since our project is a partnership I am lucky to work with many other amazing conservation organisations including the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. Finally, I enjoy fieldwork, being outdoors and getting very muddy in the intertidal zone.
What inspired you into this career?
Growing up on a farm inspired me to love being outdoors in nature. Other than that I am not sure what inspired my career, I just have a passion for conservation and have been very lucky to find a job that I love.
Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far?
Yes, I graduated with my undergraduate degree during Covid and struggled to find a job for six months. During that time I was very disheartened and frustrated. However, in retrospect, it felt like a long time at the time, but in the grand scheme of my career, it wasn’t. I found that ecological consultancy was a good way to gain some experience and didn’t require as much experience as many other jobs.
What education/training did you have?
I have an undergraduate degree in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation from Bournemouth University. I also have a Masters of Research in Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation from University College London. I also did a variety of volunteering for organisations including BTO, RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and more.
What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession?
Be patient when getting your first job. Get as much experience as you can, including volunteering if you are able to. Take time to write personalised CVs and cover letters for each job you apply for and make sure you fill the brief in the job description in any way that you can. Use LinkedIn to look for jobs, as well as Environment Job and Conservation Careers.
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Tags: England, NGO sector, Conservation worker, Marine/Coastal
Date profile submitted: 10/02/2025
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