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Richard Wilson

Applied Entomologist
What employment sector do you work in?

Private Sector

How long have you had a green job for nature?

>25 years

Salary Range

> £50,000

Please describe the work that you do.

Undertake invertebrate surveys, identify specimens (beetles, bugs, flies, bees, wasps & spiders) & analyse data for various purposes including ecological impact assessment, informing habitat management, species recovery/ research or supporting Biodiversity Net Gain.

Field work takes me from upland mires in Northumberland & Cumbria, to lowland coastal grazing marshes in Kent; brownfield sites in north Wales & the Thames Gateway, to agricultural landscapes in the English Midlands.

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

Since 2011, I have run my own business, collaboratively working with a diverse client base on various and often challenging projects. One week, I may be working on a project contemplating coastal realignment; the next, a green energy project on a brownfield site. Then a week at home identifying material and discovering scarce or new species, including for Britain. I probably identify almost a thousand different species in any given year.

Working for myself, I don’t need to worry about timesheets (a bane of many an employee), and I have a great work-life balance. However, I am reliant on my previous experience working in consultancy and my own initiative; I cannot just turn to a colleague to ask a question and I cannot ring the IT department if my computer crashes – I have to resort to my smart phone and YouTube videos!

However, for the most part, what I put into the role, I reap 100% benefits that come back in return – no shareholders to appease. Am very lucky, I am being paid to do what I love, I get to work in some amazing landscapes and have substantial flexibility. But this is based on hard work, perseverance and stepping out of comfort zones – networking and forging business links and connections was an essential skill that did not come easily.

What inspired you into this career? 

My parents were outdoor folk, so from before I could walk, I was out in the countryside (in a baby carrier, on my Dad’s back!) and then as I got older, became more aware of the natural world.

I was innately curious about the natural world and wanted to put a name to whatever life form was in front of me; never satisfied with being told it was an Oak tree – I needed to know which species. My interest in invertebrates was awakened when volunteering for a local conservation group, and super-charged by RSPB Minsmere’s famous moth-trap. This, and a local natural history society and I was hooked – unusually tackling spiders which I now count as ‘my group’ – I am the Yorkshire, Durham & Northumberland county recorder for the national recording scheme.

In terms of consultancy, I fell into it by accident: having completed my MSc at the University of Leeds, I reluctantly moved back south surveying Thames Water’s land holdings to inform their Biodiversity Action Plan, but was desperate to return to Leeds. I saw a job for an ecologist being advertised in the best city of the north (!) and went for it. That was almost quarter of a century ago and I am still here.

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

Initially, before BNG was even an acronym, any nature conservation role was highly competitive, with limited opportunities compared to today. Consultancy was in its infancy. The primary, if not the only opportunities, were either NGOs such as the Wildlife Trusts; statutory agencies (Nature Conservancy Council back then) or just occasionally, local authorities. To put this in context, it would not surprise me if there are more ecologists working in a Leeds postcode today than there were in the whole of the UK back then; or at least close to this.

So my early challenges was getting a career; but it taught me perseverance and tenacity. I realised that I needed to get, not just practical experience, but also a relevant paper qualification, so I went back to University to get a MSc.

On a more niche level, in the pre-digital age, obtaining relevant literature to identify species was challenging – sometimes it was a case of getting a photocopy of an annotated old key dating back years, which in the case of British Bees was 1896! And yes, you did read that correctly. Today, the resources available would have astounded my 20 year old self.

What education/training did you have?

MSc Biodiversity & Conservation (Leeds) and Earth Sciences (Birmingham); but the real education and training has come from the hours put in of my own accord identifying stuff in the field, engaging with other amateur naturalists and attending field excursions learning from individuals whose paid job may be in a totally unrelated profession but whose knowledge of whatever fauna is at hand, is probably, without exaggeration, could be one of the leading authorities in the region or even Europe. A day in the field with these individuals is an education that cannot be provided in any institution.

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

If you want to become a specialist in whatever branch of taxonomy, whether it is invertebrates, birds, mammals or plants, you need to invest in time & some literature (field guide, specialist keys etc). And then you need to use it; e.g. a local nature reserve. Find a local natural history group, research them a bit to see what they offer in terms of field trips & don’t be put off if they are all of your (grand)parents age. Show enthusiasm & go more than thrice. Get involved. Persevere.

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Tags: England, Private sector, Ecologist, Ecological surveyor, Ecological consultant

Date profile submitted: 12/11/2024

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