Anita Hogan
What employment sector do you work in?
Private Sector
How long have you had a green job for nature?
25 years
Please describe the work that you do.
I lead WSP’s Nature Services Team in Scotland and Ireland. I first joined WSP’s Edinburgh Office seven years ago as a Team Leader, and I now manage over 40 staff across Scotland and Ireland. My role is principally staff and business management. I still enjoy technical work; I focus mostly on protected species survey and mitigation, and ecological assessment and have a keen interest in onshore wind projects. No two days are the same in my role and that’s just how I like it!
What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes?
I like the variety and I believe I am in a career that aligns with my core beliefs and life goals. The Japanese call it Ikigai, a concept that means “a reason for being” or “a reason to jump out of bed in the morning”! In a practical sense, I enjoy helping people get the best out of themselves and their careers and working together as a Team to achieve positive outcomes for biodiversity. I don’t really relish the more complex financial aspects of my role, as my strengths don’t naturally lie there, but I recognise those strengths in others and ask for assistance where possible!
What inspired you into this career?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Tipperary, Ireland and had what I can only describe as a blissfully feral childhood among eight siblings. I spent my days (when not at school!) wandering around the farm and noticing how the seasons brought new wildlife treasures to explore. I also vividly remember watching wildlife shows on RTE (Irish TV): To The Waters and The Wild (Gerrit van Gelderen – a Dutch-born naturalist, wildlife broadcaster, film-maker, illustrator and cartoonist who lived in Ireland) and anything by Éamon de Buitléar (Irish filmmaker and naturalist) and being absolutely hooked. I was also a very big fan of the Really Wild Show and Chris Packham and still will watch anything Chris Packham is in. On reflection, I now know why I took such solace in nature, as it’s the only place my busy and conflicted neurodivergent mind really felt calm, occupied and peaceful. So, I was very fortunate that my parents supported me financially in following my dreams (by studying a BSc in Zoology and University College Cork), even though they were quite baffled by the idea at the time, and expected me to eventually get a job in Dublin Zoo clearing up elephant poo!
Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far?
The main issue for me has been the juggle of being a parent and trying to be a ‘good’ ecologist. I took 12 months away from the workplace after having my son, and when I returned to work, thankfully I felt very supported by my colleagues and my line manager, but I was my own worst enemy. I felt I needed to ‘catch-up’, felt guilty about yet another survey or office day I could not attend due to childcare, and quite honestly felt I was failing at home and at work. It took me quite some time to be at peace with my new reality; I was a mother and an Ecologist, and I could not do the job in the same way as I did prior to having my son. Once I acknowledged this, I felt I could progress my career in a way that suited my new situation; this did mean less site and office time and a need to work flexibly, but I have found a balance now that suits my situation and the challenge is no longer as acute as it felt previously. There still are those trying days though, when I have a big meeting or event and suddenly I realise my son has a temperature, and that’s that – everything that was so carefully planned and choreographed must be re-arranged, but life goes on!
What education/training did you have?
I did a BSc Zoology at University College Cork (1993-97), followed by a MSc Ecology at Aberdeen University (1999-2000). I was quite academically minded and was encouraged to go down an academic/research pathway, but that just didn’t suit me, I dipped my toes in and realised pretty quickly that I needed a much more varied work environment where no two days would ever be the same. I certainly could not thrive in a lab on my own all day.
That’s just the formal education; after my Masters I spent two years learning ‘on the job’ and said yes to almost every opportunity that came my way: freshwater site and laboratory work, water vole trapping, red grouse trapping, studying Collembola down a microscope, trapping Trinidadian bats, working with farmers in Ireland to conserve the corncrake, surveying farm biodiversity etc. I never stayed idle, and in between ecology work, I temped in offices and local councils and spent time in the Occupational Health Department of Edinburgh Council at one stage, and also spent time working in recruitment – before finding my way into Ecological Consultancy. Within my current career path, I have taken every opportunity to learn new things, attend training courses and conferences and just keep on learning!
What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession?
Try to secure a role within a company that has a strong career development and training programme and can demonstrate they take wellbeing seriously and have company policies that support their claims. Stay curious, and keep learning and give every opportunity your best effort! Say yes to a new opportunity even if you feel daunted. But also recognise when you need to take a break from the merry-go-round and take a break. Become an Excel and Word whizz and work hard on your reporting skills.
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Tags: Scotland, Private sector, Project manager, Ecologist, Ecological surveyor
Date profile submitted: 31/07/2025
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