← Back to Public Sector

Lisa Kerslake

Wildlife Ecologist
What employment sector do you work in?

Public Sector

How long have you had a green job for nature?

38 Years

Please describe the work that you do. 

I am the Wildlife Ecologist in Forestry and Land Scotland’s national team.  I cover the whole of Scotland giving support and advice to the Regional Environment Teams and getting involved in protection, management and sometimes reintroduction of a wide range of protected species across Scotland’s public forest estate.  This involves a lot of liaison with partners in the private, public and NGO sectors, as well as the development of advice and guidance (which is often lacking outside the built development sector).

What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes? 

Being directly involved in the conservation of iconic species such as raptors, red squirrels, beaver and pine marten; and the opportunity to use my experience of preparing guidance to improve clarity across the sector and support my colleagues.  I do miss working on priority habitats, which was important in my last role, and don’t enjoy the conflicts that often arise with other sectors and organisations.

What inspired you into this career? 

Generally – love of wildlife/countryside; concern about the way we treat the natural world.

Specifically – I started my career in the public/NGO sector then became a consultant. After many years, I belatedly realised I didn’t belong in the private sector, nor in the midlands, and headed for the hills….. I have been out of consultancy for 6 years now and don’t regret it one bit, despite the lower salary!

Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far? 

Some harassment/discrimination early in my career which was largely ignored by my managers. Otherwise mostly ok, though I don’t have children – it’s noticeable that that still affects women’s careers disproportionately.  

I also feel that in this sector we are generally not rewarded for our technical skills but instead have to become a manager if we are to move “up”.  Some people are brilliant technically but awful managers – why not pay them more for what they are good at, and leave the management to those who both want to do it and can do it well.

What education/training did you have? 

10 O Levels, 3 A Levels, BSc (Hons) Ecology, MSc Landscape Ecology,
Chartered Ecologist.

What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession? 

If you care, keep fighting! Seek out others to support you. If you don’t – find another profession. 

—

Tags: Scotland, Public sector, Ecologist, Forestry and arboriculture roles

Date profile submitted: 09/08/2022, updated 29/05/2026

Related Job Profiles