Education

Dowdales Secondary School

(2010-2015)GCSE: Four A*'s, Five A's, One B

Barrow Sixth Form College

(2015-2017)A-Level: Geography A, History B, English Language B

University of Cumbria Graduated with a 2:1 in Outdoor Education and Environmental Science (BSc)

(2019-2022)

Previous Work Experience:

M***** G***** Estate

Tree Planting Lead, full-time

(December 2024 - April 2025)

I am currently employed on a fixed term contract as the lead tree planter in Windermere, Cumbria. M***** G***** is carrying out the creation of extensive upland wood pasture on their land as part of the WD12 Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

•Wood pasture tree planting within tree cages, deer exclosures and individual tree guards (trees are supported by canes, vole guards and wool mulch mats).

•Daily use of 4 x 4s on the fell (Polaris Ranger and quad).

•Use of GIS software to record tree planting data.

•General Estate Work (crosscutting, planting hedges, firewood preparation, chipping).

RSPB N*** W*****

Stockperson, full-time

(August 2024 November 2024)

This was a three month contract based at the N*** W***** nature reserve in Cambridgeshire. The role focused on the shepherding and welfare of over 800 beef cattle, comprising various herds across 1500 hectares of washland and fen habitat.

•Daily livestock counts and welfare assessments.

•Daily moves of livestock between fields along cattle droves.

•Daily use of 4 x 4s.

•Running livestock through cattle crushes and administering treatments.

•Conservation topping of fields with a tractor to create habitat for nesting birds.

•Fence repairs.

•Vehicle servicing and upkeep.

RSPB Orkney

Estate Worker, full-time

(October 2023 August 2024)

I worked for the RSPB in the Orkney islands across the West Mainland and various other islands with RSPB reserves. In the winter, the work focused on using a SOUCY-tracked New Holland tractor to do cutting in wetland, moorland and farmland locales in order to manage and create habitat for waders and other ground-nesting birds like Hen Harriers. I was trained up to be able to drive, transport and maintain this tractor, as well as another New Holland Tractor, an ATV, a host of fleet vehicles and a workshop full of chainsaws, brush cutters and

various machinery.

In the spring and summer, the work focused on reserve maintenance, as well as preparing for the cutting season which starts in August. The RSPB has a lot of reserves across the Orkney Islands, so much of my work required the transport of folk, equipment and vehicles across these sites, some of which are on different islands, such as Hoy, Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre and Shapinsay.

•Wader habitat management using SOUCY-tracked New Holland tractor.

•Transport of SOUCY tractor between reserves using another New Holland tractor & flatbed trailer.

•Reserve maintenance with a brush cutter.

•Assisting with wader scrape/pool creation.

•Assisting with lambing and calving at RSPB Onziebust (a working farm).

•Weekly livestock checks across mainland reserves.

•ATV & trailer use.

•Assisting with volunteer work parties.

•Servicing vehicles, machinery and equipment.

•Upkeep of the workshop.

•Fencing audits, fence creation & fence repairs.

•Boundary Inspections (over 50 miles walked across the reserves).

•GIS mapping using MagicMaps.

•Stoat trapping & trap deployment (with the Orkney Native Wildlife Project).

•Reserve infrastructure checks; maintaining & repairing reserve hides and paths.

N********* Grange Farm

Farm worker, part-time

(March 2023 September 2023)

I worked in Coniston, Cumbria. It is a small, family-run hill farm which specialises in conservation grazing, and they keep traditional breeds of livestock including some rare breeds of cattle and sheep. They also offer off-grid holiday accommodation for guests. I helped out on all aspects of the farm where I was needed, across all of the businesses. I worked both alone and as part of a small team.

•Moving, feeding and care of livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, llamas and chickens).

•Daily off-road 4x4 use transporting guests up and down the fell to holiday accommodation.

•ATV use on the fell (mainly for firewood transport and shepherding).

•Trailor use (both small ATV trailers & livestock trailers).

•Tractor & Telehandler use (mainly in & around the yard).

•Firewood Preparation, collection & transportation (with a chainsaw & hydraulic wood splitter).

•Strimming/general gardening & farm upkeep.

•Walling & fencing.

•General upkeep of holiday cottages (cleaning, painting, maintenance, water pump etc.)

Restoring Hardknott Forest

Project Assistant, full-time

(September 2022 March 2023)

This was a six-month practical apprenticeship with the University of Leeds based at Hardknott Forest in Cumbria, which is owned by Foresty England. The project is part of the Upper Duddon Valley Landscape Recovery Scheme and is centred around turning an old forestry plantation into native woodland.

•Non-native tree removal using a chainsaw/loppers/hand saw in various upland environments.

•Native sapling/seedling and wildflower planting in montane environments.

•Leading work party volunteer days doing non-native removal/native species planting.

•Fence inspections, construction & maintenance (stock fences & drystone walls).

•Wildlife trail camera monitoring (setting T-sniffers, logging footage etc.)

•Working alongside the BOOM South Cumbria Species Restoration project: mainly

ecological surveys & small mammal monitoring for the Pine Marten reintroduction project.

•Ecological surveying using MagicMaps.

•Grey Squirrel extermination.

•Chainsaw & tool maintenance.

•General Outreach, Education & Community Engagement.

•Site visits & training/education days with Forestry England Foresters/Wildlife Rangers.

I was born and bred in South Cumbria, and I grew up hiking, running and climbing the fells of the Lake District. This fostered in me a deep-rooted affinity for the area. This affinity grew as I got older and has led me to seek a career centred around looking after the British uplands, particularly in the context of land management, nature conservation and farming.