Peatland Restoration Forester, Scotland

These fixed term posts offer an exciting opportunity to join Forestry and Land Scotland’s dedicated team striving to carry out peatland restoration to help combat climate change, and protect and enhance biodiversity.

The work is an integral part of Scotland’s contribution to tackling the global climate emergency and will help make Scotland a net-zero emissions country by 2045. FLS manages very large areas of upland blanket bog habitats as well as some of the largest lowland raised bogs in Scotland, such as Lochar Moss near Dumfries, and Flanders Moss east of Stirling, both of which have bog complexes of over 1000 hectares. In the last 5 years, FLS has begun restoring more than 2,500ha of ‘forest to bog’ sites, and enhanced and removed threats from a further 3,000ha. We are now looking to increase this even further, involving landscape scale restoration work in some of Scotland’s most remote and challenging terrain.

Scottish Government and Peatland Action have allocated significant funding to FLS which will be used deliver projects over the next two years, whilst we also plan further ahead and develop a longer-term FLS Peatland Restoration Strategy.

Successful applicants will help make peatland restoration happen at a greater speed and scale than ever before, and be directly involved in work that’s making a real contribution to tackling the global climate emergency.

Posts are fixed term for a period of 2 years with the possibility but no guarantee of extension.

The key responsibilities for the role will include:

•             Interpreting information sources, testing their usefulness and fitness for purpose;

•             Filling gaps in data and knowledge by carrying out on-site surveys;

•             Consulting with colleagues in Regional Planning and Environment teams, and external stakeholders;

•             Providing advice to Regional Planning teams with regards to replanting or restoring peatland sites, with the aim of maximising carbon capture;

•             Co-ordinating the monitoring of sites undergoing restoration, and preparing a programme of follow up treatments;

•             Preparing applications for project funding;

•             Engaging with FLS staff, disseminating and presenting information, facilitating discussion, coaching and learning from others.

For more information and to apply, please visit our website:

www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk

hr@forestryandland.gov.scot

Please quote ref 39968.

Closing date: 04/03/2020, 23:55

No recruitment agencies please.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all sectors of our diverse community.

Candidates should be Chartered or working towards Chartered status