Listen to Life on the Hedge, a podcast from The Tree Council, and find out what it’s really like to have a career in nature from young people making a difference through jobs they love.
In the first episode of this series, we find out how hedgerows are helping farmers protect an abundance of wildlife, from birds to bumble bees, butterflies and fungi, in Herefordshire.
Katie Morgans invites us to Turnastone Court Farm along the banks of the River Dore. Katie always wanted to work with animals, but followed her nose to a placement here, which sees her working with tenant farmers and helping out on wildlife surveys.
Ruth Moss, a Wildlife Monitoring Officer at The Countryside Restoration Trust, takes us on a windswept bird survey to identify some of the species sheltering and feeding in the hedgerows here in the Golden Valley.
We also hear from Jonathan Drori, author of Around the World in 80 Plants, about his passion for trees and plants and why being curious is paramount to success.
Find out more
treecouncil.org.uk/lifeonthehedge
Katie and Ruth work for the Countryside Restoration Trust, a charity helping to restore farming landscapes and woodlands for wildlife.
Ruth studied International Wildlife Ecology at the University of South Wales. Katie is currently studying for her Zoology degree at Harper Adams University.
If you’re interested in Wildlife Monitoring or Ecology as a career, check out this helpful page on the Prospects website. It details routes into work, role responsibilities and salary advice.
Volunteering is great way to gain experience in this field. Why not get in touch with your local wildlife charity to see if they have any volunteering positions available? Conservationjobs.co.uk and Environmentjob.co.uk list volunteering opportunities at home and abroad. You can also go on courses to learn new skills, there are many providers out there including The Field Studies Council.
Interested in how hedges support wildlife and biodiversity? Head to Hedgelink.org to find out more. People’s Trust for Endangered Species have also created this handy leaflet on the benefits of hedgerows on farms.
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