Hedgerow Officer (maternity cover)

*Our offices are in London but we are currently working from home and visiting the office on occasion when that is possible. This role requires travel to deliver face-to-face training, when possible, and to attend meetings. Thus applicants need to be able to be mobile and flexible. Considerable home working flexibility will continue but the pattern is a changing situation alongside the covid position.

If the sight of thriving hedgerows gladdens your heart, and you share our passion for wildlife, we have an opportunity you might be interested in. Do you have a good understanding of ecology, the needs of endangered species, experience of working with landowners and are an enthusiastic communicator? If so, this is could be right up your street. People’s Trust for Endangered Species needs a Hedgerow Officer to cover a maternity absence. Perhaps you are an ecologist looking for a change, work for a conservation NGO or other agency.  We are on a mission to survey the hedgerows of Britain and help landowners manage hedgerows for both wildlife and profit. Can you help us?

About People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Whether bats or beetles, hedgehogs or hyenas, we stand up for animals and their habitats. Alarmingly, in the UK almost two-thirds of species have declined in the last 50 years. Globally, around a quarter of mammals face extinction in the next three decades. This rate of loss can be stopped and that’s why People’s Trust for Endangered Species exists. For over 40 years we’ve improved the outlook of endangered species in Britain and throughout the world.

Passion drives our work but it’s grounded in science. Our approach is to invest in research and test the best ways to protect endangered species in their natural habitats. Then we put what works into action, creating vibrant wildlife havens.

Our work ranges from direct support for conservation professionals to involving the public and volunteers in practical action to help specific species and their habitats. Current priority species are hedgehogs, dormice, water voles and invertebrates and our priority habitats are orchards, woodlands, hedgerows, wood pasture and parkland.  As well as carrying out our own work, which focuses particularly on British mammals, we support conservation work throughout the world. 

We have 20 staff, five trustees and thousands of volunteers helping us.

Job purpose

Providing maternity cover for up to 14 months, to lead on hedgerow conservation building PTES’ part of the legacy arising from the Close the Gap project which will be complete in at the end of March 2022. Close the Gap is a collaboration with the Tree Council, Moor trees, FWAG and the University of Reading to restore and plant hedgerows and promote their value for wildlife, funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

PTES’ role in Close the Gap was to simplify the Great British Hedgerow Survey into a user-friendly Healthy Hedgerows app for farmers and other hedge landowners to assess the health of their hedgerow, assess its management needs and suggest a plan of action for each hedge.

Going forward the priorities during this maternity cover period are as follows:

• To maintain the enthusiastic momentum surrounding hedgerow conservation and management inspired by Close the Gap and others
• To maintain PTES’ position as central to hedgerow conservation
• To promote the Healthy Hedgerow app to farmers and other hedge landowners through a comprehensive programme of face-to-face and online talks, training courses and events
• To present the promotional programme with confidence, sensitivity and appropriate nuance to the various intended audiences
• In parallel to promote the Great British Hedgerow Survey to potential volunteers through Wildlife Trusts and similar organisations through face-to-face and online training
• To build and maintain a thorough understanding of agri-environment schemes and their impact on hedgerows in order to advise users of the scheme on funding opportunities and to highlight areas of concern for the future of hedgerows
• To collect and review the data collected through the Great British Hedgerow Survey
• To maintain the Great British Hedgerow Survey and Healthy Hedgerows app through liaison with PTES’ website support team and the app designer.

Other duties:

• Represent PTES on Hedgelink, an umbrella body for hedgerows, and at other external meetings
• Familiarisation with the habitat, previous work on it since was recognised as a conservation priority and the people involved
• Alert the PR team to significant results or news emanating from hedgerow work and act on occasion as PTES spokesperson
• Maintain relevant pages of the PTES website for accuracy
• Maintain accurate financial records, receipts etc
• Assist with other habitat-related activity, if required
• Respond to external enquiries about hedgerows and other habitats and contribute to PTES-wide activity as required such as attending occasional external public events
• Other tasks as advised by the Chief Executive

Skills and experience required

The post holder will:

• be a science graduate, preferably in an ecology or conservation related discipline
• have an understanding of the agricultural community and the pressures and priorities of farmers
• be able to demonstrate a good understanding of hedgerows and their importance to wildlife
• be an excellent communicator with a variety of audiences, both professional experts and volunteering public
• bring experience pertinent to confidently and sensitively delivering face-to-face and online training courses, talks and other events
• be able to demonstrate sufficient technical skill to interrogate databases, do basic data analysis and communicate effectively with website developers and app designers to problem solve technical hitches or develop improvements
• have excellent organisational skills
• be able to work alone and with colleagues equally effectively
• be able to travel around the UK as required to deliver face-to-face events. A driving licence would be an asset (there is a vehicle that can be used).

Relationships

Internal:

• Report to the Chief Executive and work closely with the Dormouse Officer, Conservation Officer, Data and Mapping Officer, and colleagues leading digital marketing, website and social media

External:

• Hedge owners particularly farmers
• Volunteer surveyors
• PR/communications agency
• Website support supplier
• App support supplier