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Martin Fenn

Senior Environmental Monitoring Officer
What employment sector do you work in?

Public Sector

How long have you had a green job for nature?

26 years

Please describe the work that you do. 

I still manage to get out and undertake some fish and macrophyte survey work, but I am now more involved in overseeing monitoring programmes and providing evidence internally and externally with main specialities being fish, Invasive Non-Native Species and sondes/ dataloggers. 

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

Being out in a river is still my favourite part of the job and providing evidence to back up reasons for making improvements. 

I have a love hate relationship with spreadsheets! 

What inspired you into this career? 

I have always lived in the countryside and so having a job that allows me to get outside and protect/ improve our environment was what I always wanted to do. 

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

Like most, I had to bide my time before the right job came up. After my degree, I volunteered with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers for a year before getting a job in academia where I was on temporary contracts for 6 years. I then got a job in the Environment Agency and after about 18 months got the job in the team I wanted to be in. 

What education/training did you have? 

I have a MSc in Applied Environmental Investigation.

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

Gain as much practical experience as possible and never lose your passion for learning.

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Tags: England, Public sector, Ecologist, Freshwater/Catchment

Date profile submitted: 09/11/2022

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