The Greenlight is continuing to expand in 2022, with new recruit Matt Ashley joining us this month as an Assistant Ecologist.
All About the New Recruit Matt
Originally from Kingston upon Thames in Surrey, Matt worked full-time for a dog daycare company for 10 years after completing his GCSE’s. As a dog lover, getting paid to hang out with over 100 dogs everyday was amazing for Matt, but he decided he wanted to develop a career where he could help the environment instead.
“I was becoming increasingly concerned with the state of the planet and decided that I wanted to develop a career which would allow me to feel like I was doing something to help reduce the negative effect that human activities are having on nature.”
This is where his interest in ecology and further education started to grow.
Previous Ecology Experience
After completing an access to HE Science Diploma in 2017, Matt began studying Ecology and Conservation at the University of Brighton where he graduated with a first-class honors degree in 2020. He then continued with postgraduate studies and completed an MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation with distinction from the University of East Anglia in 2021.
During his master’s degree, Matt worked part-time for Anglian Water as a Park Assistant at a nature reserve and fishery called Taverham Mill, situated just outside Norwich. This role involved a mixture of duties including habitat maintenance, water quality assessments, public education, volunteer coordination, customer service and some animal husbandry: feeding and looking after the six highland cattle that inhabit the site.
As there were no qualified ecologists on site during his time there, Matt carried out various species surveys and developed an extensive list of species present on site. This saw one of Matt’s ecology highlights:
“One of the highlights from working there was discovering that a barn owl was using one of the owl boxes on site. I set up cameras and was able to watch and record three chicks over a number of weeks as they grew into fully fledged owls. This experience sparked a passion for avian ecology, and I have recently become a member of a local bird club and plan to begin working towards a bird ringing license.”
All of this hard work and experience led him to this Assistant Ecologist role at Greenlight!
Assistant Ecologist Job Role
As an Assistant Ecologist, Matt will be responsible for conducting field surveys to assess the suitability of habitats for protected species on potential development sites. If a site appears to be suitable, then Matt will conduct appropriate species surveys such as bat, reptile or great crested newt surveys in order to confirm either the presence or absence of these species.
Once this evidence has been collected, he will compile a report and suggest mitigation and biodiversity enhancement methods to ensure that the development has the minimum impact on the protected species which inhabit the surrounding areas.
“I am excited to begin my career as an ecological consultant and apply what I have learnt over the past few years to aid in the conservation of biodiversity within the UK.”
Matt’s Hobbies and Ambitions
When asking Matt what he would like to get out of this new job, he expressed that he would love to significantly develop his knowledge of UK wildlife species and aim to become a licensed ecologist for a variety of protected species.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys being out and about in nature with his camera, looking for new places to explore and seeing what species he can photograph. He also loves to be near the sea; spending a lot of time along Norfolk’s north coast and travelling to different areas of the UK coastline to spend the weekend surfing.
Greenlight are excited about Matt joining the team and working hard to improve the environment for the nature that he loves so much!
