To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we speak to six of our Conservation Scientists.
Life as a scientist can be challenging, with long days in the field, hours spent sorting and analysing data and the pressure to always keep on top of the latest research. But when you get to share a new finding, travel to remote locations or spend hours observing a single species, it’s easy to see why a career in science can be so exciting.
Our Conservation Science department is full of women at the forefront of protecting nature. Here six of them reveal some of their most memorable days at the RSPB and share their advice for future scientists.
I work to support research and monitoring across the Greater Gola Landscape, spanning Sierra Leone and Liberia. It’s my job to analyse data from surveys focused on key threatened species or using camera traps. I use this data to monitor species populations and distributions, assessing the impacts of human action in the region.
I recently had a wonderful day working on Gola camera trap data. Whilst identifying hundreds of images, I came across an extremely rare observation of the endangered Giant Gound Pangolin. Pangolins are hunted and trafficked globally, so to get a record of this very elusive species was extremely exciting and uplifting.
My love for science and conservation was evoked at a young age. I grew up in Sydney’s northern suburbs, on the edge of stunning national parks. I noticed things changing around me (bird and lizard species declining, weed incursion), and decided I wanted (needed!) to work to help understand and conserve the natural world.
I design and carry out research to understand the pressures faced by species living in our wonderful wetlands, particularly breeding waders. Using this I try to identify ways to most effectively manage wetland sites and landscapes so that the various species reliant on them can thrive.
Any day in which I can explore the Fens in Spring and hear the whickering sound of the Black-tailed Godwit after they return from their migration is special. It’s always beneficial to remind ourselves of the work we are doing and that it helps make a difference.
Be open to opportunities! It’s good to have an idea of where you want to get to in your career, but there are all sorts of routes that you could take. Some of the most valuable experiences I have had were the most unexpected. So, keep an open mind and network as much as you can, you never know where it might take you.
I get to uncover the secret lives of seabirds when they’re at sea, including where they go and how they behave. Using new tracking technologies, I work on both our smallest seabird, the European Storm Petrel, and our largest, the Gannet, so we can make sure developments like offshore wind work with wildlife, not against it.
I’m incredibly lucky that my job takes me to some unique and remote places and last summer I led an all-female field team on Mousa, Shetland. We had been up all night waiting for our tagged bird to return, and at the end of a successful night, we were rewarded with a spectacular Aurora Borealis!
My advice would be to say yes to as many opportunities as you can afford to, as you never know which new skills or connections will shape your path. Oh, and always make sure you have some cheap waterproof trousers – an essential piece of seabird field kit!
I’m a disease ecologist, which means I’m interested in the spread of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, within wildlife populations. I currently work mostly on avian influenza, or bird flu, which has had devastating impacts on wild bird populations both within the UK and globally. My research focuses on what we can do to reduce the effects of diseases like this on our vulnerable wildlife.
Last year I had the opportunity to present my research at the International Symposium on Avian Influenza in Newfoundland, Canada. It was a fascinating few days of discussing the science and impacts of this disease with researchers from across the globe.
I get most excited about science when I can see the real-world impacts. I’m very lucky that in my role I get to work closely with colleagues from across the RSPB, and other organisations, to help use science to inform how we respond to wildlife disease outbreaks.
My job within Cairngorms Connect is about monitoring the effects of landscape-scale restoration on species, habitats and natural processes in the Scottish Highlands. I love working on large-scale conservation projects, trying to understand what’s causing declines in nature and testing possible solutions.
Fieldwork is always a highlight. One day I was checking on some rare Montane Willow saplings at Loch Avon – a remote, magical loch surrounded by high peaks and rock. These trees were among the first in a project to restore a rare habitat now effectively extinct in the UK. The willows were doing great and imagining their potential return gave us a real hope for the future.
Get out in the field or the lab as much as you can! PhD students and time-pressured university researchers will often be delighted to have a general dogsbody helping out – a lot of science is mundane and repetitive, but it’s what makes it so rewarding in the end!
I work in Cumbria to help monitor the social impacts of large-scale landscape restoration on communities. I am interested in connections between people, nature and place, meeting with farmers and local communities to provide research and evidence to improve how we restore habitats.
I get to spend a lot of time talking and drinking tea with farmers, many of whom come from multi-generational farming families, learning about the local area and the changes seen through their eyes. Last spring I helped with lambing too, which was a completely new experience and a privilege to be a part of.
I first knew I wanted to be part of social science research after taking a trip to the Galapagos islands during my university zoology course. In a place that is such a beacon for wildlife enthusiasts, I was struck by the real lives and communities living on these islands and wanted to learn more.
Vacancies at the RSPB are advertised here: RSPB Job Vacancies
Each year, the RSPB also advertises MSc opportunities for both field and remote based projects. We also hire Seasonal Research Assistants each year which are listed on our jobs page.
If you’d like to meet more of our scientists, check out their profiles here.
